Rude Number Plates Are BO11 LUX! DVLA Steps It Up

Hundreds of number plates spelling out offensive words have been banned by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).

DVLA officials have drawn up a blacklist of questionable registration numbers, including PE12 VRT (pervert) and PA12 EDO (paedo).

Whilst personalised number plates are entirely legal, the move follows the annual DVLA Propriety Group meeting to veto offensive plates.

Motorists will also be unable to refer to drugs or alcohol, with measures in place to prevent the issuing of DR12 UGY (drugy), HE12 ON (heroin), DR12 UNK (drunk) and LE61 ESS (legless) amongst others.

In addition, there is a ban  in place on any religious references such as LU61 FER (Lucifer) and Islamic holy book the Koran that could otherwise be referred to as KO12 AAN.

Also omitted are TE12 ROR (terror), MU12 DER (murderer), ST61 KER (stalker) amd MA12 TYR (martyr).

The tighter measures come in the wake of the DVLA’s recent clamp down that saw driver Alan Clarke, from Chesterfield instructed to remove a plate from his vehicle, just six weeks after he had bought it.

Clarke had forked out £399 on the ‘BO11 LUX’plate for his new Range Rover, but soon received a stern letter from the DVLA telling him the plate was ‘causing offence’ and ordering him to remove it.

Responding to Clarke’s case, a DVLA spokesman said: ‘Many people enjoy displaying a personalised registration number and the vast majority of numbers are made available, but we have a responsibility to ensure that the combinations used do not cause offence.

‘DVLA tries to identify combinations that may cause offence, and on the rare occasion where potentially offensive numbers slip through the net, steps are taken to withdraw the registration number.

‘This particular registration plate has been withdrawn, therefore it is an
offence for the driver to still be displaying it. He would receive a refund for
the plate.’