Every ’73’ number plate banned by the DVLA

Every ’73’ number plate banned by the DVLA has been released and the list includes BE73 END and FA73 DCK.

Each year, two sets of number plates are released. This year, the ‘23’ number plate was released in March, with the ‘73’ plates set to be issued in September.

As there are over one million plates released each time, it is unsurprising that there are some unfortunate combinations of letters and numbers which spell – or almost spell – offensive words.

Before each release, the DVLA bans a group of number plates that they have identified as being too offensive for the road.

Jon Kirkbright, sales director at Platehunter, specialises in buying and selling private number plates. Ahead of the upcoming ‘73’ release, the car expert submitted a Freedom Of Information request to the DVLA to reveal exactly which plates have been banned by the government body.

The exclusive list, unsurprisingly, includes offensive combinations such as: BO73 LOX, HA73 GAY, LE73 ZZA, SH73 TER and WH73 PWR.

Commenting on the banned plates, Jon said: “With so many plates being released at once, it is no surprise that some of them are not fit for the road.

“However, some of them are borderline but I understand why the DVLA chose to be extra cautious. They are simply trying to protect what is a very significant source of revenue for them.”

Jon says that the new number plate releases every six months also bring thousands of popular combinations. He claims that names are always the most sought after plates.

He predicted that EL73NOR, AN73 ONY and FA73 EMA would be popular amongst the new releases and he is currently selling the plates for between £4,995 and £7,995.

Platehunter has been trading for 11 years and has over 56 million personalised number plates for sale. The car expert says that Platehunter prides itself on being an affordable number plate supplier, with plates for sale starting from just £39 plus VAT and transfer fee.

Jon added: “Names always sell really well. People want their name on their car and the market is only growing in popularity.

“We’ve seen that more and more people are wanting to buy personalised plates for themselves, their children or even their business vehicles.

“Either names or initials are what customers are most often looking for in their purchases. Each new release is exciting as it means drivers are able to purchase plates that have never been available before.

“While we don’t offer pre-ordered, we aim to get 95% of the plates that our clients enquire about.”

Those who are on the hunt for a registration plate are being urged to browse the Platehunter site. Jon added: “If customers cannot find what they are looking for, they can inform us of their specifications and we can notify them if it becomes available.

“We are also able to get any number plate to auction from the DVLA, as long as it is legal and has never been issued before.