DVLA Reveals Banned '25' Registration Plates too rude for 2025

DVLA Reveals Banned '25' Registration Plates too rude for 2025.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has released its annual list of banned registration plates for the upcoming changeover to the '25' plate on 1 March. This year’s list, as usual, aims to prevent any potentially offensive or inappropriate combinations from hitting the roads.

Among the banned plates for 2025 are a number of combinations that might be considered rude, insensitive, or controversial. The DVLA has taken extra care to avoid sensitive topics such as the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, with combinations like '25 RUS' and '25 UKR' being removed to prevent any offence.

In addition to war-themed references, the agency also banned plates that could be interpreted as offensive or insensitive regarding religion, politics, race, and crime. Notably, combinations such as '25 PAZ', 'TE25 ROR', and '**25 LUT' were deemed inappropriate and excluded from availability.

Each year, the DVLA carefully reviews potential registrations to ensure no plate is accidentally seen as distasteful or offensive. This process, which involves a team of experts meeting twice a year in Swansea, ensures that inappropriate plates like 'AA25HOL', 'BA25TAD', and 'FA25NNY' are not issued to the public.

One challenge this year is the letter '5', which resembles an 'S' and can enable crude words to be formed. Plates like '**25LUT', '**25HAG', and '**25HAT' were among those deemed inappropriate due to their potential to offend.

In total, 210 combinations were banned in 2025, including several referencing war, such as 'AR25 WAR', 'EU25 WAR', and 'GB25 WAR'. Threatening phrases like '**25 TAB' and 'GB25 KLL' have also been excluded from availability.

While many drivers may not realise the DVLA is making such decisions, the agency works diligently to remove any registration plates that might cause embarrassment, discomfort, or offence. Any plates that slip through the net can be rescinded, and drivers who use banned plates may face a £100 fine, with the possibility of their plates being confiscated by the police.

What does the rest of the number plate mean?

The DVLA’s strict guidelines aim to maintain decency on the roads, ensuring that number plates are not used to display anything that could be seen as offensive, controversial, or in poor taste.

The remaining characters on the plate follow the usual format, with the initial letters indicating the region where the vehicle is registered.

The final part of the number plate is randomly generated and serves to uniquely identify the car.

The regional identifier on the plate reveals where the vehicle was registered. Below is a list of regional identifiers based on the DVLA's guide. Note that the letters I, Q, and Z are not used in local tags, with Z reserved solely for random allocation.

Does a Number Plate Change Affect Your Car's Value?

With the arrival of new number plates, many car owners wonder if a change in plate can influence their vehicle's value. While it might seem like a fresh registration plate would make a car more desirable, it doesn’t have as much of an impact on value as you might think.

Cars with new plates are in high demand, but not to the extent they once were. A newer registration plate may signal that a car is more recent, but the difference between plates issued in the same year is usually minimal in terms of resale value. What ultimately matters more to buyers are factors such as condition, mileage, and the vehicle's history.

Darryl Bowman, from the car insurance app Cuvva, explained to This is Money: “If you're looking to sell your car soon and want the best price possible, it's best to sell before the new plates come out."

He continued, "And if you want to grab a bargain for a nearly-new car, buying a car that's registered one plate back might be a good idea.”

Though number plates do play a role in a car’s perceived value, other elements, such as its service history, MOT checks, popularity, and how much it has been driven, are far more influential in setting the price.Does a Number Plate Change Affect Your Car's Value?

With the arrival of new number plates, many car owners wonder if a change in plate can influence their vehicle's value. While it might seem like a fresh registration plate would make a car more desirable, it doesn’t have as much of an impact on value as you might think.

Cars with new plates are in high demand, but not to the extent they once were. A newer registration plate may signal that a car is more recent, but the difference between plates issued in the same year is usually minimal in terms of resale value. What ultimately matters more to buyers are factors such as condition, mileage, and the vehicle's history.

Darryl Bowman, from the car insurance app Cuvva, explained to This is Money: “If you're looking to sell your car soon and want the best price possible, it's best to sell before the new plates come out."

He continued, "And if you want to grab a bargain for a nearly-new car, buying a car that's registered one plate back might be a good idea.”

Though number plates do play a role in a car’s perceived value, other elements, such as its service history, MOT checks, popularity, and how much it has been driven, are far more influential in setting the price.