Banned car number plates: the blacklisted 73-reg combinations revealed
DVLA has released the list of number plate combinations deemed too rude for the road

A new list of banned UK number plates has been revealed by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), adding to the extensive and ever-growing archive of inappropriate or explicit combinations that won’t be seen on the road.
Things appear to have moved on a little since the springtime when references to Covid and the war in Ukraine featured heavily in the list of banned ‘23’ number plates. A freedom of information enquiry revealed that the full list of ‘73’ plates to be deemed unfit for public consumption when the new reg is released in September includes controversial combinations such as BO73 LOX, HA73 GAY, LE73 ZZA, SH73 TER and WH73 PWR.
At every plate change, the DVLA issues more than one million possible number combinations, so once again the list of banned number plate combinations appears surprisingly long. With the AN73 prefix potentially being read as ‘ANTI’ or ‘ANY’ that’s been disallowed when followed by a wide variety of three-letter combinations. The same goes for EA73 with its ‘EATS’ connotations and HA73 as a shorthand for ‘HATES’.
While some of the number combinations require a little head scratching to comprehend the potential for offence, other plates the DVLA has taken off the list need little explanation – some potential shockers that jump out include AS73 HOL, BU73 SHT, and EA73 DCK.
The topic of banned number plate combinations may seem light-hearted, but it’s something the DVLA has to take seriously, holding meetings before each new plate format is released – which happens twice a year – to ensure no inappropriate combinations end up on the road.
The criteria for plates to be banned is if they “may cause offence, embarrassment or are in poor taste”. The DVLA points out that it’s only a small minority of combinations that end up on the suppressed list, with the vast majority of registrations being publicly available.
You can find a full list of banned 73-plate combinations below, so we’ll leave it to you to choose any individual favourites. Please note that some of these are more explicit than those we’ve picked out above and may cause offence or distress.
Full list of banned 73-reg plates
AH73 OMO |
FF73 CCK |
LE73 ZAR |
AJ73 HAD |
FF73 CKA |
LE73 ZAS |
AK73 YKE |
FF73 CKK |
LE73 ZAZ |
AN73 BLK |
FF73 CKR |
LE73 ZBO |
AN73 BLM |
FF73 CKS |
LE73 ZER |
AN73 GAY |
FF73 GAT |
LE73 ZRR |
AN73 HRH |
FF73 GOT |
LE73 ZRS |
AN73 LEZ |
FF73 GTT |
LE73 ZZA |
AN73 LGB |
FF73 GUT |
LE73 ZZR |
AN73 LZR |
FF73 KER |
MO73 EST |
AN73 PAK |
FK73 VAJ |
NO73 JOB |
AN73 PKY |
GB73 ANG |
NO73 LAC |
AN73 USA |
GB73 BAD |
NO73 LAK |
AN73 VAX |
GB73 BOM |
NO73 LCK |
AN73 WAR |
GB73 DED |
NO73 LKS |
AR73 YAN |
GB73 DWN |
OB73 TCH |
AS73 HOL |
GB73 FKT |
OF73 CCK |
AS73 OLE |
GB73 GNG |
OF73 CKA |
AU73 STC |
GB73 GRL |
OF73 CKK |
AW73 ORE |
GB73 GUN |
OF73 CKR |
BA73 BOY |
GB73 HTR |
OF73 CKS |
BB73 TCH |
GB73 KLL |
OF73 GAT |
BB73 WUP |
GB73 KLR |
OF73 GOT |
BE73 END |
GB73 KLS |
OF73 GTT |
BL73 WJB |
GB73 MOB |
OF73 GUT |
BO73 CKS |
GB73 ROR |
OF73 KER |
BO73 LOC |
GB73 SHT |
PE73 ADO |
BO73 LOK |
GB73 WAR |
PE73 RVT |
BO73 LOX |
GO73 OMB |
PE73 VRT |
BO73 OCK |
HA73 BLK |
PP73 SED |
BO73 OXX |
HA73 BLM |
SH73 HED |
BU73 SHT |
HA73 BOY |
SH73 HOT |
CO73 LRD |
HA73 COP |
SH73 TER |
CO73 ORD |
HA73 GAY |
SH73 TTR |
CO73 RRD |
HA73 GBR |
SS73 NAZ |
CR73 PLE |
HA73 HRH |
SU73 CDE |
CR73 PPL |
HA73 JUW |
TA73 BAN |
CU73 FWF |
HA73 KYK |
TE73 ROR |
CU73 MUF |
HA73 LGB |
TH73 EAT |
CU73 NOB |
HA73 MEN |
TT73 ROR |
CU73 VAG |
HA73 PAK |
TT73 TTS |
CU73 VAJ |
HA73 PKY |
TT73 TTY |
EA73 DCK |
HA73 RUS |
TT73 WAT |
EA73 DKS |
HA73 UKR |
TW73 WAT |
EA73 DYK |
HA73 USA |
UA73 USD |
EA73 FWF |
HA73 WAR |
UA73 USE |
EA73 GAL |
HA73 WHT |
UA73 USR |
EA73 GRL |
HA73 WPC |
UB73 TCH |
EA73 HER |
HE73 OLA |
UB73 WUP |
EA73 MEE |
HH73 LAR |
UF73 CCK |
EA73 MME |
HH73 LER |
UF73 CKA |
EA73 MOT |
HH73 LRR |
UF73 CKK |
EA73 MUF |
HH73 LRS |
UF73 CKR |
EA73 MUM |
HH73 NAZ |
UF73 CKS |
EA73 NAN |
HH73 TLR |
UF73 GAT |
EA73 NOB |
HH73 WAR |
UF73 GOT |
EA73 POO |
JJ73 HAD |
UF73 GTT |
EA73 PWP |
KK73 YKE |
UF73 GUT |
EA73 VAG |
KN73 FED |
UF73 KER |
EA73 VAJ |
KN73 FER |
UH73 OMO |
EA73 YOU |
KN73 FES |
UK73 ANG |
EU73 BOM |
KN73 FEU |
UK73 KEE |
EU73 OMB |
KN73 FEX |
UK73 KES |
EU73 ROR |
KN73 VED |
UK73 ROR |
EU73 WAR |
KN73 VES |
UK73 YKE |
FA73 DCK |
KN73 VEU |
US73 ROR |
FA73 DYC |
LE73 BOO |
US73 WAR |
FA73 DYK |
LE73 BOS |
WE73 ACK |
FA73 GAT |
LE73 BOZ |
WH73 KKK |
FA73 GTS |
LE73 EAN |
WH73 PWR |
FA73 GTT |
LE73 EEN |
WH73 RES |
FA73 GUT |
LE73 OES |
WH73 RLE |
FA73 NOB |
LE73 OOS |
WH73 RUL |
FA73 PRC |
LE73 YAN |
WH73 WAR |
FA73 PRK |
LE73 ZAA |
YB73 TCH |
FA73 WAH |