The rudest 25-reg plates that won’t make it to the roads

• The new ‘25’ registration plates launch on 1st March – but not all plates will make it to the roads
• Carwow reveals the latest DVLA-banned plates, including those deemed offensive, inappropriate, or linked to sensitive topics</li
• The number ‘25’ itself is causing issues, with plates like ‘TO25 ERR’ and ‘AS25 HOL’ blocked for their unintended meanings
• While offensive plates are banned, desirable ones – including popular names and initials – will go up for auction starting at £250.

With the switch to the new ‘25’ registration plates on 1st March, the latest banned list of number plates has been revealed by Carwow, the online car-changing marketplace.

Twice a year – in March and September – the DVLA releases a list of forbidden plates: blocking any that reference crime, racism, politics or religion, or anything deemed rude, inappropriate, or likely to cause embarrassment.

What’s banned from the 25-reg number plates release?

This time it’s actually ‘25’ that’s causing many of the problems. The number’s similarity to ‘SS’ has led to plates like ‘TO25 ERR’ and ‘AS25 HOL’ being banned before the ‘25’ plate even hits the roads.

And if you were hoping to express your love for a wild night out, you’d better count out ‘WA25 TED’ from your number plate shortlist.

Sensitive topics are also getting the chop. Anything linked to the ongoing war in Ukraine, such as ‘25 RUS’ or ‘25 UKR’, won’t make the cut. And the word ‘war’ itself has been banned on plates like ‘MG25 WAR’ and ‘NF25 WAR’.

The good and the banned ‘25’ car number plates

While the DVLA cracks down on offensive plates, they also highlight ‘good’ number plates – those that car buyers might be willing to pay extra for, including popular nicknames and initials. These will be up for grabs at the next DVLA auction, running from Wednesday 19th March to Tuesday 25th March, with prices starting at £250.

Iain Reid, Head of Editorial at Carwow, said: “The twice-yearly plate-change always sparks some interest in the new car market, as car buyers get a kick out of having a new number plate and many are willing to wait for one. Many drivers go one step further to express themselves with a personalised plate, but it’s important to ensure not to cause offence.

“Car makers and dealers will be out to take a big slice of new car sales with special offers and tempting finance packages. So, if you’re looking to buy a 25-plate car, look out for models with finance or low-rate finance deals.”

You can learn more about the UK’s new number plate this March in our UK Number Plates Explained guide.

The full list of banned 25-number plates

In the registrations, the asterisk (*) is a “wildcard” character that stands for any character that may appear in that position.

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