AL14 LAH
JE5 5US
15 LAM
DR12 UGS
Religious slogans such as 15LAM, AL14LAH and JE55US deemed ‘inappropriate’
If you’ve ever dreamed about having a funny number plate for your car, or perhaps something a bit smutty or rude, then forget it!
DVLA licencing bosses have revealed the banned list of raunchy and “inappropriate” registration plates, including religious references, homophobic words and innuendos– and the list runs to 46 pages.
The organisations has even clamped down on those related to alcohol abuse, such as SL05 HED and AL60 POP. This year the licensing authority has banned OS55 AMA, P15 OFF, PR15 SON, DR12 UGS, HE12 OIN, SH15 TTY, UP15 BUM and WA15 TED, just to name a few.
Religious references such as JE5 5US, KO12 AAN and AL14 LAH have also been put on the list of the unobtainable.
The authority’s proprietary steering group – which meets twice a year – has also forbidden a man whose surname is Islam from getting an 15LAM plate because it was deemed “inappropriate”.
The man, who did not want to give his first name, told the Guardian: “I made an inquiry to the DVLA about the possibility of obtaining ’15LAM’, only to be told that this was an inappropriate licence plate.
“I’m not particularly religious, but I am proud of my name.
“I was thinking of buying the plate as a gift for my brother.
“To be told that my name is offensive is really upsetting.”
Despite DVLA banning 15LAM registration number, people associated with number plate industry are eagerly waiting for the auction of MO14MED, which, they believe might fetch £100,000 for the Treasury.
In the last financial year the DVLA raised more than £105 million for the Treasury through the sale and auction of personalised registrations. They have said that they only ban certain plates if they are “likely to cause general offence or embarrassment” on the grounds of racial, political, or religious sensitivities or if the authority finds them in “poor taste.”
A few days ago a plate with the registration number KR15HNA was sold at auction for £233,000.
DVLA bosses want to keep rude registrations off the road, but surprisingly it’s allowed PEN15 and ORG45M, which were released some years back. However, DVLA has the power to cancel the number, if it gets complaints related to a specific plate, and may ask the driver to give it back to the authority.
A large number of offensive suffixes are banned every six months as the new plates appear, but the 46-page list also includes some surprise entries. GU11 LTY is forbidden, along with AL60 POP, PRO5 TAT and MO55 AD. The PEN 15 plate is currently in the hands of dealer RegTransfers, which is hoping to arouse interest in bids over £100,000.
The most ever forked out for a registration from DVLA was for ’25 O’, which alone raised over £518,000. It was sold last November to John Collins, a classic Ferrari dealer in Ascot, Berkshire. Bidding for the plate was fierce because it can be attached to a Ferrari 250 GTO, one of which fetched a record £22.8m at auctioneers Bonhams last year.
Potentially offensive number plates became a serious issue for the DVLA after the release of H8 GAY in 2006 was met with protest because it was deemed offensive to gay people.
Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson was chased out of Argentina after driving a Porsche across the country with the number plate H982 FKL, which was seen as a reference to the Falklands War.
A DVLA spokesman said: “Registration numbers are withheld in instances where if displayed on a number plate they are likely to cause general offence or embarrassment.
“The reasons can be on the grounds of political, racial and religious sensitivities or simply that they are regarded as being in poor taste.”
For the full list of banned number plates CLICK HERE
