What is a SORN?
A SORN, Statutory Off Road Notification, tells the DVLA a vehicle is being kept off public roads, so it does not need to be taxed or insured. It is free, and it lasts until the car is taxed again, sold or scrapped.
Updated 14 October 2026
When a SORN makes sense
If a car is being stored for months, is undergoing a long repair, or is a project kept in a garage or on a private drive, a SORN lets you stop paying tax for it. You will get a refund for any full months of tax left.
A SORN car must be kept off public roads, on a driveway, in a garage or on private land. Parking it on the street, even outside your own house, is not allowed.
What you cannot do
You cannot drive a SORN car on a public road, except to and from a pre-booked MOT. You cannot keep it on the road, and you cannot leave it insured-but-untaxed on the street. Breaking the rules can mean a fine of up to £2,500 and the car being clamped or removed.
How to make or end a SORN
You can make a SORN online with the reference number from the V5C. It takes effect immediately. To bring the car back, simply tax it (that cancels the SORN automatically) and make sure it is insured and has a valid MOT before you drive.
Remembering a car you are not using
A car under SORN still exists on your paperwork. Keep it in your Odomint garage so its MOT history and documents stay in one place, and so the reminders start again when it goes back on the road.
SORN when you sell or scrap a car
You cannot transfer a SORN to a new keeper. When a SORN car is sold, the buyer must tax it, or make their own SORN, as soon as they become the keeper. If you are buying a car that is off the road, agree how it will be moved, on a trailer, or taxed and insured before it leaves.
If a car is scrapped at an authorised treatment facility, the facility tells the DVLA and you should receive a certificate of destruction. You do not need to make a SORN first, and any remaining tax is refunded once the DVLA is notified.
Common questions
Do I need insurance on a SORN car?
No. A vehicle with a valid SORN does not need to be taxed or insured, as long as it is kept off public roads.
Can I drive a SORN car to an MOT?
Yes, but only to and from a pre-booked MOT test.
How do I cancel a SORN?
Tax the vehicle. Taxing it cancels the SORN automatically. Make sure it is insured and has a valid MOT before driving.
Check any car before you buy it
MOT history, every advisory and the full mileage record are free for any UK registration. An Odomint Check adds outstanding finance, insurance write-offs, stolen markers and salvage history, with a £10,000 data guarantee.