What does SORN mean?

SORN stands for Statutory Off Road Notification. It is a formal declaration made to the DVLA confirming that your vehicle is being kept off public roads - typically in a private garage, on a driveway or on private land.

When a vehicle is SORNed, you are not required to pay Vehicle Excise Duty (road tax) for as long as it remains off the road. However, the vehicle cannot be driven or kept on a public road. If it is, you could face a fixed penalty of £80 or a court prosecution, which can result in a fine of up to £2,500.

Declaring a SORN is free and takes just a few minutes. The quickest way is online via gov.uk. It can also be done by phone or post.

Once a SORN is in place, it remains until you either tax the vehicle, sell it, scrap it or export it. It does not expire after a set period.

You may need to declare a SORN if:

• You are storing a car that you do not intend to use for an extended period.

• The vehicle has failed its MOT and cannot be driven on the road until repairs are completed.

• You are carrying out restoration work on a vehicle that will not be road-legal during that time.

• You want to stop paying road tax on a car that is not being used.

• You are cancelling your car insurance and the vehicle will not be driven.

Under Continuous Insurance Enforcement (CIE) rules, every registered vehicle in the UK must be insured unless it has a valid SORN. If you cancel your insurance without declaring a SORN, the DVLA may issue an Insurance Advisory Letter and, if unresolved, a fixed penalty notice.

If you are unsure whether your car is currently showing as insured on the Motor Insurance Database, you can check using the askMID (Navigate) service before making any decisions about cancelling cover.

Declaring a SORN is straightforward and free. The quickest way is online at gov.uk/make-a-sorn. You will need the vehicle's registration number and either the 11-digit reference number from your V5C (log book), or the 16-digit number from a V11 road tax reminder letter.

You can also declare SORN by phone by calling the DVLA on 0300 123 4321, or by post using the V890 form. When declared online or by phone, the SORN takes effect immediately. By post, it takes effect from the date the DVLA receives the form.

Once declared, the DVLA will automatically refund any full remaining months of unused road tax. This is usually returned within four to six weeks. You should also receive a confirmation letter from the DVLA.

There is no fee for declaring a SORN and no renewal required - the SORN remains active until the vehicle's status changes.

A SORNed vehicle does not legally need to be insured - but there are important points to consider before cancelling your policy.

If your vehicle is stored on private land and you are confident it poses no risk of damage while off the road, cancelling insurance during the SORN period is an option. However, a standard car insurance policy will not cover damage caused by fire, flood, theft or vandalism to a vehicle without active cover in place. Some insurers offer a specific laid-up policy for vehicles in storage.

It is also worth understanding how SORN interacts with taxing a vehicle. Our guide to whether you can tax a car with temporary insurance covers this in more detail.

If you are concerned about whether you can insure a car without a valid MOT - for example before you can bring a SORN vehicle back on the road - that guide explains your options.