By FREDA LEWIS-STEMPEL
The 75 registration plates deemed too rude for the road have been revealed by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).
The Government agency unveils a list of letter and number combinations bi-annually deemed too rude for the road, and the September 2025 list is here.
The list, which varies in length every year, has a serious purpose too though; as well as removing snigger-inducing combinations from plastic car identifiers, it seeks to make sure that no sensitive or potentially offensive topics appear on vehicles.
The previous list in March had the '25' identifier, but this September will use '75' as 50 is added to March's '25' to signal that its halfway through the 12-month age identifier cycle.
'75' throws up its own issues however, as it can appear like 'RS' which leads to some eyebrow-raising combinations including 'BA75 ARD' and 'AR75 RSE'.
The '7' can also look like a 'T' which means 'EA75 DCK' definitely ends up on the DVLA's no-go list.
Here are September 2025's banned number plates - a list of 464 restricted letters and numbers combos you won't be seeing whizz past.
The DVLA's list of '75' banned number plates for September has been revealed and there are many snigger-worthy combinations as well as some insensitive topics that have been wisely removed
Every year the DVLA hosts two meetings 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 spokesnab 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'.
While there will be many drivers disappointed they've been prevented from snapping up lighthearted combinations such as ‘EA75 POO’ or 'EU75 OUT' (maturity levels aren't expected to be at an all time high among the British public), there will also be relief that some darker and more harmful combinations have been sensibly filtered out by the DVLA.
And it's not hard to see why offensive and triggering combinations including the likes of 'AU75 WTZ' and GO75 WAR' or 'US75 WAR' are on the banned list of September 2025.
As well as war themes, other outlawed topics referenced by a combination of the number 75 and letters include religion, politics, racism and crime.
As such 'FA75 GUT' and other discriminatory number plates have been wisely removed.
If you're thinking of flouting the rules and choosing a banned or non-compliant number plate - along the lines of 'AA75 RSE' 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)
Manufacturers making plates have strict rules around which include fonts, font sizes, colours and placements can be used.
It's illegal for instance 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.'
Does a number plate change reduce your car's value?
While a new plate obviously means a newer car, and therefore older plates will have knock-on effect, there are much more important car value signifiers.
For instance condition, history, mileage are far more vital to a car's value.
Darryl Bowman from the car insurance app Cuvva said: 'If you're looking to sell your car soon and want the best price possible, it's best to sell before the new plates come out.
'And if you want to grab a bargain for a nearly new car, buying a car that's registered one plate back might be a good idea.
'There are ways to lower the depreciation of a car, including regular servicing, MOT checks, choosing a popular model and reducing your driving time to keep mileage low.'
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