The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has printed its newest checklist of quantity plates that shall be banned from registration in 2026, prompting drivers and plate fans to verify their automobile registrations forward of the brand new 12 months.
The annual replace comes as a part of efforts to forestall offensive, deceptive or in any other case inappropriate mixtures from showing on UK roads.
Annually the DVLA critiques hundreds of potential registration numbers and removes mixtures that could possibly be deemed offensive, discriminatory, or complicated — notably those who could possibly be mistaken for emergency service identifiers.
For 2026, the checklist of banned plates features a vary of letter and quantity mixtures which were flagged by each public experiences and inside evaluation.
As the brand new registration 12 months approaches — with the 76 and 26 plates set to be issued in March and September 2026 respectively — motorists who have been hoping to safe a personalised or cherished quantity plate are being suggested to verify the up to date checklist earlier than making use of.
The DVLA’s annual cull is designed to guard public sensitivities and uphold requirements of decency whereas guaranteeing that the issuing course of stays truthful.
Though the complete official checklist runs into a whole lot of mixtures, the DVLA has highlighted a number of classes of plates that won’t be issued in 2026.
These embody registrations that could possibly be interpreted as offensive slang, counsel violence or discrimination, or resemble first responder identifiers reminiscent of police, ambulance or hearth service codes. Traditionally banned plates have included those who spell out abusive phrases when learn collectively, or could possibly be misinterpret at a distance.
Drivers usually search personalised plates to commemorate particular events, names or initials, and the introduction of latest registration codecs every March and September fuels demand.
However with the DVLA’s censorship regime in place, not all concepts make it by the approval course of. Registrations that inadvertently type problematic mixtures when letters and numbers are juxtaposed are routinely pulled from the database.
Right here’s the complete checklist: Full checklist of banned quantity plates in 2026
What this implies for drivers
For motorists available in the market for a bespoke plate when the brand new 26 collection launches in September, specialists say it’s very important to verify the DVLA’s banned checklist earlier than making a purchase order by third-party sellers or DVLA auctions. Some mixtures that seem engaging might be rejected later within the course of, resulting in disappointment and potential monetary loss.
Personalised registrations stay a preferred means of expressing id, commemorating milestones and even enhancing a automotive’s resale worth. Nonetheless, the up to date ban checklist serves as a well timed reminder that not all artistic tweaks to automobile IDs shall be deemed acceptable.
Because the 2026 plates roll out over the 12 months, drivers are inspired to remain informed about adjustments and plan their registrations accordingly — particularly if they’re aiming for a bespoke or treasured quantity plate.
