SORN
Car owners need to make a SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification) when they take a vehicle ‘off the road’ and want to stop taxing and insuring it. It is a formal declaration to the DVLA that the vehicle is not being driven or kept on public roads – for example because it is being restored, stored long-term, or is awaiting repair.
The rules while a car is SORNed
Making a SORN is free and can be done online, by phone or by post via gov.uk. Once a vehicle is SORNed:
- You do not need to pay vehicle tax, and you will normally receive a refund for any full months of tax remaining
- You are not legally required to insure it (continuous insurance rules do not apply to SORNed vehicles)
- It must be kept off public roads – on a driveway, in a garage or on other private land. Keeping a SORNed car on the street is an offence
- It does not need a current MOT while it stays off the road
The only time you can drive a SORNed vehicle on the road is to travel to or from a pre-booked MOT or other testing appointment, and it must be insured for that journey. A SORN lasts until you tax the vehicle again, sell it, scrap it or export it – it does not need annual renewal, and it does not transfer to a new keeper, who must tax the car or make their own SORN.
Why it matters when buying a used car
If a car you are viewing is SORNed, it cannot legally be test driven on the road unless the seller arranges tax and insurance first, and a long SORN period can mean the car has sat unused – check for flat-spotted tyres, a tired battery and perished seals. You can see a vehicle’s tax and SORN status as part of a car history check.