Cars are now being issued with '23 numbers plates after the new March release, but there are a number of combinations that have been banned by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).
DVLA staff comb through potential registrations looking for “combinations of numbers and letters where we consider that they may cause offence, embarrassment or are in poor taste.” Then, every six months, the DVLA will outlaw a number of combinations it believes could be seen as rude.
The list of banned '23 plates was obtained by carwow via a freedom of information request, revealing plates that would always be rude, as well as some that could be offensive in the current situation.
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Licences such as GO23 HEL has been banned and MU23 DER. More recent events have led to plates such as CO23 ONA and EU23 BAD being prohibited, too, Wales Online reports.
Rude number plates that might slip through the DVLA’s net ahead of the change can also be rescinded at a later date, although the organisation highlights that “the vast majority of registration numbers are made available”, as most are unlikely to cause offence.
Hugo Griffiths, Carwow's consumer editor, said: "Personalised number plates are a huge business, bringing in £2billion for the Treasury since the DVLA started selling them in 1989, with around 400,000 cherished plates sold each year.
"Despite this lucrative revenue stream, there are some plates that are simply too rude for the road.
"And while few would argue against the suppression of offensive number plates, the biannual meetings where DVLA staff sit down and deliberately come up with rude combinations must be one of the highlights of the organisation’s calendar.
"Even for those not interested in personalised registrations, changing your car during the March and September plate-change months can be a wise idea, both for people wanting to have the latest reg, and for bargain hunters who could get a good deal on a car with the previous registration."
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