How to SORN your car with the DVLA: full guide to avoid hefty fines

If you’re planning on taking your car off the road and not using it for an extended period of time, you’ll need to ‘SORN’ it with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). SORN stands for ‘Statutory Off Road Notification’ and by declaring your car as SORN, you’re notifying the DVLA that the car won’t be kept, or driven, on the road.

Failure to inform the government that a car is off the road and not paying your road tax will  lead to an automatic fine, so it’s important to make sure you know how to declare a car SORN. To qualify for ‘SORN’ your car must be kept on private land or in a garage and not driven on the road. This guide will take you through the process of how and when to SORN a car.

Applying to SORN a car with the DVLA is a straightforward process and it’s the responsibility of the vehicle's registered keeper. Once you have notified the government that the car is off the road and no longer in use, you won’t need to pay any road tax or have any car insurance policy in place. Bear in mind, however, that without insurance it won’t be covered in case of theft or damage.

How to SORN a car 

It doesn’t cost anything to declare your vehicle as SORN. You will just need your car’s registration number, make and model details, and either the 16-digit reference number from your V11 car tax renewal reminder or the 11-digit reference from the car's V5C logbook. 

The easiest way to declare a car SORN is via the DVLA website which will guide you through the process and tell you where you can find the aforementioned details. If you don’t have access to the internet, you can also register the SORN over the phone or by posting the form to the DVLA using the details below. 

Make sure you read the rules, though, so you know what you are promising when you make the declaration. Below are the full details of how to SORN your car:

• Online: You can declare your car SORN straight away by visiting www.gov.uk/make-a-sorn.
• By post: Use form V890 (available from the Post Office or DVLA website) and mail it to the DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1AR.
• By telephone: Call the DVLA on 0300 123 4321.

Whichever way you declare a car SORN, you should receive an acknowledgement letter from the DVLA within four weeks. If you do not receive this letter, give the DVLA a ring to check that your SORN has been successfully processed.

Why would I need to SORN a car?

In the UK, when someone owns a car it must be insured and taxed by default. Even if it hasn't been taxed or insured, the government will still assume a car is in use on UK roads unless it has been declared as SORN. This notifies the DVLA that the car is not in use on public roads. 

If your car is uninsured or untaxed, for whatever reason, take it off the road immediately and make a SORN declaration to the DVLA. If the government catches your car on the road without tax or insurance, you could incur severe penalties.

What happens to vehicle tax when you SORN your car?

When you SORN your car, the DVLA will refund any full remaining months of VED road tax you have already paid, if you pay your tax annually. This payment usually comes as a cheque through the post so keep an eye out. You do not need to ask for the tax refund separately; it is automatic once your SORN is processed. 

That said, if you pay your road tax monthly by direct debit things work differently. Monthly payments stop as soon as you declare it SORN but you will not get any money back for that month’s payment because direct debits are paid in advance so no money will be due back to you.

Can you buy a car that has been SORN?

Yes you can buy a car that has been SORN but there are a few things you should know. 

• A SORN declaration does not transfer to the new owner so as soon as you take ownership you need to either tax the car or make a new SORN declaration if you plan to keep it off the road. 
• Road tax doesn’t transfer with the sale either, so the previous owner will get any refund they’re owed and you’ll start fresh. It is important to check the car’s status before buying. 
• Just because a car has been SORN doesn’t mean it’s not usable, but it does mean it hasn’t been on the road legally. You should ask for the vehicle’s V5C logbook and confirm the SORN status online to avoid any surprises.
• If you want to drive the car after buying it, you’ll need valid insurance and road tax. Also, remember that if the car’s been off the road for a long time, it might need an MoT to get back on the road legally. 

Buying a SORN car is perfectly fine as long as you understand the rules and sort out the paperwork quickly.

When you must make a SORN declaration

If you buy a car and do not tax and insure it immediately, you will need to SORN the car to prevent any fines. VED road tax no longer transfers with a car to its new owner, but is refunded to the car’s vendor at the time of sale, so if you don’t intend to drive it, you must immediately declare it as SORN.

Also, If you buy a car that has already been recorded as SORN by the previous owner, SORN declarations are not transferable, so you must immediately make a fresh declaration as the new owner. 

The other times you will need to declare a SORN is if your road tax expires and your car is off the road for more than 14 days, if your car does not have valid insurance or if you’re intending to scrap your car.

How long does a SORN last?

Once you declare your car as SORN, this lasts as long as you need it to, so there’s no need to renew it as long as you’re keeping your car off the road. However, if you sell your car while it is SORN, this won’t transfer to the new owner and they will have to make a new SORN declaration.

How to cancel a SORN declaration and get a car back on the road

If you decide that you want to start driving your car again, all you need to do is tax and insure your car and the SORN will be cancelled automatically. Taxing a SORN’d car is easy as you simply follow the same procedure that you would for a car that is running out of VED road tax. You can do it online, at a post office or over the phone.

If your car has been off the road for a long time, it may also need a fresh MoT in order to legally and safely return to the road. A service will keep it in fine mechanical fettle, too.

Cars built more than 40 years ago are classed as historic vehicles so won’t need an MoT test officially, but we still recommend that you get it professionally checked anyway to make sure it’s safe to be used on the road.

It’s worth noting that if you are driving to the MoT test station (you are allowed to drive an unMoT’d and/or untaxed car to a pre-booked test), make sure you have the correct insurance to cover your journey and have checked that your tyres, brakes, steering and lights are still in working order before heading out on the road.

Can I SORN a car without the V5C logbook?

To SORN a car, you’ll need the 11-digit reference from the car's V5C logbook. If you don’t have a V5C logbook, you’ll need a new one before you can SORN your car. To do this, you’ll need to fill out a V62 form along with your V890 form. There is a £25 fee for a new logbook.

Our Car Tax Checker tool lets you check your tax status and renewal date in seconds. Check your VED car tax now...

Can I SORN a car and park it on the street?

No, you cannot SORN any vehicle that is parked on the street, as it would technically be using the road. This includes street parking in front of residential properties. A SORN car must be parked in a garage or on private land.

Is it illegal to drive a car that's SORN?

It may occasionally be tempting to take a SORN vehicle for a spin – for example, if it’s been off the road for extended repairs and you want to road-test it, or you’ve just got back from an extended stay overseas. 

However, unless you are on your way to a pre-booked MoT or other government checks, this is against the law. If you are caught, the authorities will take a very dim view. You could face prosecution and a fine of up to £2,500. 

Can you SORN a car on finance?

If your car is under any kind of finance agreement, you're still the registered keeper, which means you’re responsible for declaring it SORN if you’re taking it off the road. 

Most finance companies won’t object, but you’ll need to check the terms of your agreement before doing anything. Some contracts include clauses requiring the car to be taxed and insured at all times, regardless of whether it’s being driven or not. 

Declaring a car SORN can be a good way to save money by cancelling your insurance and stopping road tax payments when the car isn’t in use. But when it’s on finance the vehicle is technically owned by a lender or bank, so that decision might not be entirely yours to make.

In practice, if the car is going into storage or is being repaired for a long period, most lenders will understand. You just need to give them a call and get written permission before proceeding. 

If you go ahead and SORN the car without your finance company’s consent, you could find yourself in breach of contract. That gives the lender the right to take action, which might include issuing penalties, demanding full repayment, or even repossessing the vehicle in serious cases. It’s not worth the risk, so speak to them first.

What happens if you don’t SORN a car?

If you fail to make a SORN declaration, the DVLA will know when your road tax expires, and the organisation can cross-reference with the national insurance database to find out which vehicles do not have valid cover.

A warning letter will be sent, and if you fail to take action, an automatic fixed penalty fine will be issued by post – it’s £80 if your road tax has expired (reduced to £40 if you pay within 28 days), or £100 if your car is uninsured.

If you fail to settle-up, you’ll be facing court prosecution, at which point magistrates could raise the fine to £1,000 - plus court costs - for either tax or insurance.

Don’t rely on the DVLA sending you a warning letter though, as they’re not actually obliged to do so. Even if you think you should have had a letter but it hasn’t arrived, you’re still responsible in law for the offence and liable to be fined.

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