Shropshire Star

How to SORN your car: What is it and when should you do it?

If you’ve got a car that you want to keep but not drive, it should be SORNed. But what is it, and how does it work?

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The DVLA keeps tabs on every vehicle in the UK – and for all of those on the road, that’s via vehicle excise duty.

Just like paying your licence fee to watch TV, if you want to drive your car anywhere you need to pay the vehicle tax (VED) to the DVLA each year.

But what if you have a car that’s off the road for any reason? Surely you don’t have to pay for a project car stuck in a garage or for a beloved classic you’re laying up for a few years? Well, you’re correct, you don’t need to pay – but you do need to tell the DVLA. And that’s where SORN comes in.

(PA)

A Statutory Off-Road Notice, or SORN, tells the DVLA that you intend to keep the vehicle entirely off the public road, on private property or in a garage. There’s no charge for doing this but it’s essential that it happens – not SORNing your car is the same as not taxing it, and could carry the same penalties.

When should I SORN my car?

You should SORN your car if:
– It’s unroadworthy and won’t be driven for a long time
– It’s undergoing prolonged maintenance, such as a project car restoration
– It’s being stored away off the road

You need to keep your car taxed if:
– It still gets used, however occasionally
– It’s undergoing maintenance for a short period of time
– It’s kept on a public road, regardless of condition

Essentially, a SORN becomes invalid as soon as your car’s wheels touch public tarmac. There’s only one exception, and that’s if the car is travelling to a pre-booked MOT test.

How do I SORN my car?

The quickest way to SORN your car is online. The whole process takes just minutes via the DVLA’s dedicated SORN service at www.gov.uk/make-a-sorn – all you need is the 11-digit reference code from your V5C form to take the vehicle off the road straight away or the 16-digit reminder from a VED renewal notice to take it off the road from the first day of the next month.

Alternatively, you can phone the DVLA or send a V890 application form by post. Any full months of remaining tax will be refunded to you.

It used to be the case that SORN notification required updating annually, but now it lasts indefinitely – provided the car stays with the same owner. Should you buy a SORNed car, you’ll need to apply to reSORN it, otherwise the DVLA database will update and vehicle tax will once again become due.

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