• UK bans over 400 offensive vehicle number plate combinations
• FInes could reach£1,000 (Around $1,250)

The UK Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has conducted an early review of the upcoming “26” series of vehicle number plates, which include both letters and numbers and are scheduled for release in March 2026. The agency has removed a large number of combinations that could be considered offensive or inappropriate.

This step is part of a routine process carried out twice a year, ahead of the March and September releases, to prevent inappropriate phrases from appearing on the roads and causing offense.

Vehicles first registered from March 1, 2026, will carry the age identifier “26” until the end of August.

The first batch features year-number plates, with 26 representing 2026, followed by 27 for the next year, and so on. September registrations switch to the “76” identifier by adding 50 to the March number.

According to a local magazine, over 400 combinations from the “26” series were removed, based on a list obtained through a Freedom of Information request.

Mark Trimbee, CEO of RegTransfers, said that the release of new plates is always an exciting moment, offering attractive and valuable combinations for collectors, but it also brings phrases that are too sensitive or risky to appear publicly.

He emphasized that the DVLA has a responsibility to block plates that could be interpreted as offensive or provocative, even if some see it as overcautious.

This year’s list of banned combinations is among the largest in recent years, though many desirable options remain available to drivers.

Many plates are blocked because they could be read as crude or mocking, while others are removed for suggesting hostility, violence, or carrying political connotations.

Drivers have been warned that breaking legal rules for plate appearance—such as altering spacing or fonts to create words, or using non-compliant plates—can result in fines of up to £1,000 (around $1,250), as well as the risk of failing the vehicle’s MOT test.