DVLA banned number plates have been updated ahead of the September change, with 511 ‘76’ combinations withheld from issue. Siobhan Doyle reported the update on August 27, 2026, as the new plates were due to roll out in September 2026.
A DVLA spokesperson said: “The vast majority of registration numbers are made available, but DVLA withholds any combinations that may cause offence, embarrassment, or are in poor taste,” That screening has now caught more ‘76’ marks than the 436 licence plate combinations withheld from the ‘26’ series in March.
DVLA screening before September
The DVLA updates its banned list twice a year, before the March and September number plate changes. This round covers the ‘76’ series, where numbers can be read as letters and turn an ordinary-looking registration into a phrase the DVLA will not issue.
The pattern matters because the number ‘7’ can be read as a ‘T’ in some combinations. In the ‘76’ series, that creates plate strings that can bridge surrounding letters into words the DVLA treats as offensive or inappropriate. The agency screens for references to war, religion, politics, racism, and crime, and the updated list also includes combinations tied to Gaza, Ukraine, Yemen, and the Holocaust.
AR76 RSE and similar plates
One example is ‘AR76 RSE’, which can read as a rude word when the numbers are interpreted with the surrounding letters. The same pattern affects ‘EA76 DCK’ and ‘FA76 NOB’, where the ‘7’ can function as a ‘T’ in the final reading. Those are the kinds of combinations the DVLA blocks before they reach drivers.
The update leaves most new registrations available, but not every combination gets through the filter. For buyers looking at September plates, the practical step is simple: check that a chosen mark is actually issued before assuming it can be bought or fitted. Plates also have to meet the DVLA’s physical rules, including white at the front, yellow at the rear, the Charles Wright 2001 font, and strict standards for character height, width, stroke thickness, spacing and margins.
MOT and insurance rules
There is also a compliance risk beyond the registration list itself. A car can fail its MOT if its number plates are non-compliant, and incorrect plates could affect insurance coverage. That makes the DVLA’s banned list more than a naming exercise; it determines which combinations can legally appear on UK roads when the September series arrives.
For drivers choosing a new plate now, the useful question is not just whether a number looks available, but whether the DVLA will issue it at all. The full 511-entry list is not provided here, so the immediate takeaway is the count and the reason behind it: the DVLA has widened the block on ‘76’ combinations ahead of September, with offence screening still doing the work before the plates go live.
