DVLA Withholds Offensive 76 Number Plate Combinations

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is expected to withhold hundreds of 76 number plate combinations before the next vehicle registration update on September 1, 2026. This routine filtering process removes combinations that contain swear words, sexual references, hateful or discriminatory language, or references to violence and criminal activity to prevent public offense.

The 76 series will replace the 26 series, which has been in use since March 1, 2026. The 26 series will remain active for new registrations until February 28, 2027. During the previous March rollout, the agency suppressed more than 400 potentially offensive combinations.

Car expert Ben Raffell stated that while these withheld plates often attract public interest, they represent a small fraction of the millions of available combinations and should not influence a consumer's vehicle purchasing decision.