If you own a vehicle that you no longer want to drive on a public road, you can avoid paying tax and insurance - but only if you make a SORN. See the infographic below. Or our DVLA sorn contact page for more info.
What does SORN Actually Mean?
- SORN stands for Statutory Off Road Notification. It is used to inform the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) that you are registering a vehicle as off the road.
- This means the vehicle cannot be driven on a public road when it has been declared as SORN
Good-to-know SORN Facts & Statistics
- Drivers paid over £500,000 in fines in 2017 for not applying to tax vehicles which cost nothing to tax;
- Figures released under the Freedom of Information Act reveal that between April 2017 and April 2018 the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) issued 34,012 penalties to the registered keepers of 'nil-rated' vehicles - vehicles which don't cost any money to tax.
- If you fail to apply for tax on a nil-rated vehicle you could:
- Pay a fixed penalty of £100
- Your vehicle might be clamped, impounded or destroyed
- Face a court prosecution with a fine of up to £1,000
- According to a DVLA spokesperson, "The law is clear that all vehicles must be licensed or declared off road by making a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN), and this also applies to nil-rated vehicles that do not attract a fee".
- As per statistics revealed by the UK's national car park, many models which were once the nation's favourites are now among the 1.94 million cars registered as being off the road, with the owner making a SORN declaration to the DVLA.
Does SORN Need to be Declared?
- If you have a vehicle and have no intention of driving it on the road, you must inform the DVLA by officially registering the vehicle as being off the road.
- Declaring SORN means the car's owner can avoid paying both vehicle tax and insurance.
- However, you cannot just stop paying tax and insurance. Once you make a SORN you will get a refund for any full months of remaining tax on the vehicle.
Typical Situations Where You Need to Make a SORN
- If you intend to keep the vehicle in question on a driveway, in a garage, or on private land for a period of time. It cannot be parked on any kind of public road.
- If the vehicle is uninsured (even for a short time) because of a delay in renewing a policy.
- If you plan to salvage parts from the vehicle before it is scrapped.
- If you are buying a car and plan to keep it off the road, you should make a SORN too.
When SORN is Not Required
You don't need to make a SORN if you've been sent a V11 reminder letter for a vehicle you've already sold. You'll receive confirmation that you no longer have the vehicle within 4 weeks of telling DVLA you've sold it.
References
https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/legal/what-does-sorn-mean/
