7:32 am, September 3, 2026
More than 500 new ‘76’ number plates have been banned after falling foul of the DVLA’s checks for rude or offensive combinations.
The latest registration series arrived this week, with newly registered cars now carrying ‘76’ as their age identifier.
However, not every combination generated for the new plate change will make it onto a car.
Ahead of each March and September registration change, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) reviews potential registrations and withholds those which could cause offence, embarrassment or be considered in poor taste.
The latest trawl has resulted in more than 500 ‘76’ registrations being withheld, according to information released by the agency following a Freedom of Information request.
The number 76 has proved particularly fruitful for unfortunate combinations because, with a little imagination, the seven can be made to resemble a ‘T’ or ‘R’.
Among the more obvious casualties are AA76 RSE, EA76 POO and SH76 TTY.
Others have been blocked because they can be interpreted as references to war, weapons or current international conflicts.
That has seen combinations including GO76 WAR, GE76 GUN and PM76 GUN prevented from entering circulation.
The DVLA has also blocked several registrations which appear to reference Russia and Ukraine, including RU76 RUS and RU76 UKR.
Some of the decisions require considerably more imagination to decipher, but the agency takes a cautious approach when deciding which registrations can be issued.
The DVLA reviews potential combinations twice a year to prevent registrations which ‘may cause offence, embarrassment or are in poor taste’ from entering circulation.
The ‘76’ identifier applies to new cars registered between September 1, 2026 and the next plate change in March 2027.
Some of the banned ‘76’ number plates
Here is a selection from the DVLA’s latest banned list:
- AA76 RSE
- AS76 FKU
- BU76 DCK
- BU76 GAY
- BU76 MUF
- BU76 NOB
- EA76 BUT
- EA76 COX
- EA76 DCK
- EA76 LSD
- EA76 MUF
- EA76 NOB
- EA76 POO
- EA76 SHT
- GE76 BOM
- GE76 GUN
- GO76 BOM
- GO76 FKT
- GO76 WAR
- HH76 NAZ
- HH76 TLR
- MP76 GUN
- PM76 GUN
- SH76 HAG
- SH76 TTY
- SP76 STC
- TA76 BAN
- TO76 ASH
- WE76 BUT
- WE76 COX
- WE76 MUF
- WE76 NOB