We’ve not even made it to 2026 yet but next year’s list of banned number plates has already been revealed – call it an early Christmas present from the The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.
The latest list of registrations deemed too rude for the road wasn’t due for a while but it’s been previewed early by Auto Express, who has received the full list of offensive number and letter combinations so we can all enjoy reading them ahead of time.
The Government agency’s bi-annual list of outlawed plates has some very interesting combinations that won’t be seeing the light of day.
As well as making sure that humorous and cheeky references aren’t being driven around Britain, the banned list has a serious purpose too: it seeks to make sure that no sensitive topics appear on vehicles.
March registrations will use the last two digits of the year, so plates will include ’26’. While not the most obviously dodgy combination, a bit of artistic licence and some some letters and numbers can quickly become inappropriate on a registration plate.
From ‘SK26 NKS’ to ‘DO26 NGG’, here are March 2026’s banned number plates – a list of 403 restricted letters and numbers combos you won’t be seeing whizz past.
SCROLL TO THE END FOR FULL LIST: March 2026’s banned number plate list from the DVLA has been made public and there are a number of amusing combinations that won’t see a road near you
Each year, twice a year, the DVLA hosts a meeting where senior members from the agency go through a stringent and lengthy process with a team of experts who examine and remove plates that could cause offence.
A DVLA spokesperson said: ‘The vast majority of registration numbers are made available, but the DVLA withholds any combinations of numbers and letters where we consider that they may cause offence, embarrassment or are in poor taste’.
Rude combinations such as ‘FK26 OOK’ or ‘AS26 HLE’ have been vetoed. No doubt many drivers will be disappointed to have been prevented from snapping up these more lighthearted combinations (we can’t say we expect record levels of maturity from British drivers).
However there are some darker and more harmful combinations that have been sensibly filtered out by the DVLA, which could be seen as offensive and triggering.
‘GA26 GUN’ or ‘GA26 WAR’ both have tones that could cause upset.
Other topics like ‘US26 WAR’ are off limits, as are politically and racially focused plates such as ‘JE26 HAD’.
If you’re thinking of flouting the rules and choosing a banned or non-compliant number plate – along the lines of ‘AA26 NUS’ then beware that these can be confiscated by the police and you can be fined £100.
How numberplates are laid out and what the different elements mean (Source: DVLA)
What are the rules surrounding number plates?
Number plate manufacturers have strict rules around which include fonts, font sizes, colours and placements can be used.
For instance it is illegal to have a plate where the display has been tweaked to make a word or name, and this is when police will pull drivers over.
Cars with incorrectly displayed plates can fail their MOT and a driver could be fined up to £1,000 if caught.
The DVLA guide to number plates says: ‘You cannot rearrange or misrepresent the numbers and letters on a number plate to form names or words, so that they are hard to read.
‘For example, fixing bolts to change any of the letters or numbers. You could be fined up to £1,000 and your car will fail its MOT test if you drive with incorrectly displayed number plates.
‘In some cases, the registration number may be permanently withdrawn. If you misrepresent a vehicle registration number you will not get back any money that you have paid for the registration number, or any other costs you have to pay.
‘You can’t use a registration number to make your vehicle appear younger than it actually is.’