Here is how to SORN a car off the road: tell DVLA online at GOV.UK, by phone on 0300 123 4321, or by post on form V890. It costs nothing, and online you need either the 11-digit number from the V5C log book or the 16-digit reference from your tax reminder. Once you declare the car SORN, DVLA cancels the tax, refunds any full months left, and the car has to stay on private land until it is taxed again.
That is the legal side, and it takes a few minutes. The car still has to sit somewhere for weeks or months, and the declaration does nothing to stop the battery going flat, the tyres flat-spotting or the brake discs rusting.
This guide covers both: how to make the SORN properly, then how to keep a SORN car in a state to drive again.
Table of Contents
When do you have to make a vehicle SORN?
Any time a vehicle is untaxed or uninsured and you are keeping it. SORN stands for Statutory Off Road Notification, and it is the only legal way to stop taxing a vehicle you still own.
GOV.UK lists four situations where you have to make a vehicle SORN:
- The vehicle is not taxed.
- The vehicle is not insured, even for a short gap, such as a delay renewing the policy.
- You want to break it down for parts before you scrap it.
- You buy or inherit a vehicle and want to keep it off the road.
You do not need a SORN once you have sold the car and DVLA has confirmed the change of keeper. From that point the SORN, or the tax, is the new keeper’s job.
Classic cars and the historic tax class
A car built before 1 January 1986 can stop paying vehicle tax from 1 April 2026, but only once you apply for the exemption. Until that exemption is in place, the car counts as untaxed like any other. If you are laying up a classic for the winter and have not applied, you still need to make the vehicle SORN.
What you need before you declare a vehicle SORN
One reference number and a vehicle registered in your name. Online, DVLA accepts either of these:
- the 11-digit document reference on the V5C log book
- the 16-digit reference on your V11 vehicle tax reminder
If you have lost the log book, you cannot SORN the vehicle online. Send form V62 (application for a log book) with form V890 (the SORN form) to DVLA by post. A replacement log book costs £25.
How to SORN a car off the road online
The SORN vehicle online service on GOV.UK is the quickest way to declare car SORN status. It works as long as the vehicle is registered in your name.
- Find the 11-digit V5C number or the 16-digit tax reminder reference.
- Open Make a SORN on GOV.UK and start the online service.
- Enter the reference number and confirm the vehicle details on screen.
- Submit the declaration and keep the confirmation.
When does the SORN start?
Straight away, unless you apply in the month your tax runs out. Declare the car SORN during that month and it starts on the first day of the following month.
A SORN cannot be backdated. If the tax ran out last month and you did nothing, DVLA can issue an automatic £80 fine for the gap.
Can you SORN a vehicle by phone or by post?
Yes, both work. Phone DVLA’s vehicle service on 0300 123 4321, which runs 24 hours, and have the same reference number ready as you would online.
To register a car SORN by post, fill in form V890 and send it to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1AR. Post is the slowest route, and the SORN only counts from the day DVLA receives it. If the tax runs out at the end of this month, post the form with time to spare or use the phone.
Just bought the car?
If you buy a car and want to keep it off the road, you have to register a vehicle SORN in your own name. GOV.UK lists this as one of the four cases that need a SORN.
GOV.UK’s online service asks for the log book number or the tax reminder number. A new keeper often has neither yet, only the green new keeper slip (V5C/2). The RAC says that slip can be used; if the online form will not take it, phone 0300 123 4321 and SORN the vehicle off road over the phone the same day.
What happens after you register a vehicle SORN?
DVLA cancels the vehicle tax and refunds every full month left on it. The refund is worked out from the date DVLA receives the SORN and arrives as a cheque, usually within 8 weeks.
If you paid by Direct Debit, DVLA cancels it for you. You do not get back the 5% surcharge added to some Direct Debit payments.
How long does a SORN last?
Indefinitely. There is no annual renewal: the SORN ends when you tax the car again, sell it, export it permanently or scrap it. The car has to stay in the UK for the SORN to remain valid.
That open-ended status is why SORN and long term vehicle storage so often go together. A car can sit legally for a season or for three years on one declaration.
Where can a SORN car be kept?
On private land only: a garage, a driveway or other private ground. A public road does not count, and that includes the kerb outside your own house.
Knowing how to SORN a car off the road is the easy part; this is where most plans come unstuck. If you SORN your car off road but live in a terrace, a flat or a street with permit parking, the car has nowhere legal to sit.
A storage facility is private land, so a SORN car can sit there legally for as long as the declaration stands. Pitstop 66 is in Stalybridge, in Tameside, ten minutes from the M60, and stores cars for owners across car storage in Manchester and car storage in Cheshire.
Can you drive a SORN car on the road?
Only to or from a pre-booked MOT or other test appointment. Any other journey on a public road is an offence, and you still need insurance cover for the drive to the test.
Keeping a SORN car off road is legal for as long as you like. Getting the rules wrong is expensive:
| What went wrong | Penalty |
|---|---|
| Vehicle untaxed and not SORN | Automatic £80 fine |
| Vehicle uninsured and not SORN | £100 fine; the car can be clamped, impounded or destroyed; up to £1,000 in court |
| SORN car driven anywhere except a pre-booked test | Prosecution and a fine of up to £2,500 |
| Car driven with no insurance | £300 fixed penalty and 6 points; in court, an unlimited fine and disqualification |
Does a SORN car need insurance, an MOT or tax?
None of the three, for as long as the SORN vehicle stays off road. Each one comes back into play the moment you want to drive it.
Insurance: GOV.UK is clear that you do not need to insure a vehicle kept off the road and declared SORN. The legal duty covers road use, not theft or fire, so many owners keep a laid-up or fire-and-theft policy anyway; that choice sits between you and your insurer.
MOT: A SORN car does not need a current MOT while it sits. If the MOT runs out during the SORN, the car needs a new one before it can be taxed, because the MOT must be valid on the day the tax starts. Cars first registered more than 40 years ago, and not substantially modified, are exempt from the MOT.
Tax: No road tax (VED) is due while the SORN stands. Taxing the car again cancels the SORN automatically, so there is no separate form to undo it. Our guide to taking a car off SORN covers the steps.
What happens to a car while it sits on SORN?
It deteriorates slowly in six places: the battery, tyres, brakes, fuel, cabin and wiring. DVLA’s paperwork keeps the car legal; none of it keeps the car ready to drive.
| What goes wrong | Why it happens | What stops it |
|---|---|---|
| Flat battery | The alarm, immobiliser and control modules keep drawing current with the engine off | A battery conditioner or trickle charger, or disconnecting the battery |
| Flat-spotted tyres | The same patch of each tyre carries the car’s weight for months | Raising tyre pressures before storage |
| Rusted brake discs, seized handbrake | Bare cast iron rusts in damp air, and pads can bond to the disc | Clean, dry discs, and the handbrake left off with the wheels chocked |
| Stale fuel | E10 petrol is up to 10% ethanol, and ethanol absorbs water | A full tank, a fuel stabiliser, or E5 where the car needs it |
| Damp and mould | Condensation forms as air cools, and a car put away wet stays wet | Washing and drying first, then low relative humidity |
| Rodents | A still car is shelter; they nest in air boxes and chew wiring | A sealed building and nothing edible left in the cabin |
Brake fluid is hygroscopic too, so it takes on moisture while the car sits. After a long lay-up, plan a fluid change before the MOT.
Storing a SORN car at Pitstop 66
You make the SORN; we look after the car. SORN and storage usually go together in three situations: a classic or a Porsche laid up for winter, a car left behind while its owner works abroad, and an inherited car waiting for probate.
Secure indoor storage costs from £150 a month including VAT for the first three months, then from £165. Dehumidified storage costs from £200 a month including VAT, then from £225, with humidity held at 55% relative humidity. The minimum term is one month; after that you give notice and collect when it suits.
Every car goes through the 8-step pre-storage process before it is parked:
- Photograph the car’s condition
- Tag and log the keys
- Protect the interior
- Wash
- Increase tyre pressures
- Air dry
- Check battery and fluid levels
- Clean the brake discs
Both tiers include a daily visual check, a gated site, 24/7 CCTV and a monitored alarm. Access is by arrangement with 24 hours’ notice, 08:00 to 16:00, Monday to Friday. On-site mechanics and a bodyshop are there if the car needs work before it goes back on the road.
Breathable indoor covers, automatic battery conditioners, valeting and enclosed transport are add-ons, charged on top of the monthly rate. We collect and deliver up to 120 miles; it is a charged service and we keep the charge as low as we can.
Call 0161 464 7494 with the car and the dates, or send us the details and we will tell you which tier suits it.
SORN questions answered
How much does it cost to SORN my vehicle off the road?
Nothing. Making a SORN is free online, by phone or by post; the only possible cost is £25 for a replacement log book if you have lost yours.
Can I register my car as SORN if it is parked on the street?
No. A SORN car must be kept in a garage, on a drive or on other private land, and a car on a public road needs tax and insurance.
Do I need to renew a SORN every year?
No. A SORN lasts until you tax the car, sell it, export it permanently or scrap it.
How long does the tax refund take after I declare a car SORN?
Up to 8 weeks. DVLA sends a cheque for every full month left on the tax, counted from the day it receives the SORN.
Can a SORN car be kept at a storage facility?
Yes. A storage facility is private land, so the SORN stays valid for as long as the car is stored; at Pitstop 66 you make the declaration yourself before the car arrives.
Taking the car off the road this season?
Make the SORN on GOV.UK first, then book the car in. Storage at Pitstop 66 in Stalybridge costs from £150 a month including VAT, with a one-month minimum. Call 0161 464 7494, 08:00 to 16:00, Monday to Friday.
