How
to tell DVLA your vehicle is off road (SORN)
If
as the vehicle keeper you keep your vehicle
off the public road because it is untaxed,
you must tell the Driver and Vehicle Licensing
Agency (DVLA) immediately. This is known
as statutory off road notification (SORN).
You
only need to declare SORN for a vehicle
that had a tax in force on or after 31
January 1998. There is no charge for declaring
SORN.
What
you need to do
You
can make a SORN declaration from the
15th day of the month in which the vehicle
tax or SORN declaration expires. Do
not declare SORN if you have sold, scrapped,
exported the vehicle or if the vehicle
has been stolen.
You
can declare SORN :
- using
your vehicle tax renewal reminder
V11 or V85/1 to do this. The V11
should be taken to a licence issuing
Post Office® branch. The V85/1
should be taken to a DVLA local
office. Do not post either to
DVLA, Swansea
- by
contacting DVLA customer enquiries
on 0870 850 4444. Please note
it is only the person shown as
the registered keeper on DVLAs
records who can make a SORN declaration
by telephone
- if
you take the vehicle off the road
and claim a refund of duty on
your vehicle tax (tax disc) on
form V14 or V33. However, you
should only do this if you keep
the vehicle
- if
you do not have a V11 or V85/1
and you are not applying for a
refund of duty you can use form
V890
- if
you are abroad and your vehicle
is in the United Kingdom and is
not being used or kept on the
public road, it is possible for
you to declare SORN eight weeks
in advance. You should use form
V890 accompanied by a letter of
explanation detailing the registered
keeper is or will be out of the
county on expiry of the current
tax disc. Send the form and letter
to DVLA Swansea SA99 1AR
Forms
V14 or V890 can be obtained by download
from the vehicle forms link below or
from any licence issuing Post Office®
branch, or DVLA local office. Form V33
is available from a DVLA local office.
What
happens next
Once
you have made a SORN declaration you
will be sent an acknowledgement letter
within four weeks confirming the date
you have taken the vehicle off the road.
If you do not receive the acknowledgement
letter after four weeks you must immediately
contact DVLA customer enquiries group
on 0870 240 0010.
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What
will happen if you do nothing?
A
vehicle keeper who does nothing on receipt of a V11 or
V85/1 may be liable to prosecution as will a vehicle keeper
who declares SORN, but is then found to be using the vehicle
on the road.
How
to renew a SORN declaration
SORN
declarations are valid for 12 months and must be renewed,
if the vehicle is kept off the road for a further period.
SORN can be renewed by completing the V11, V85/1 or if
these are not available a V890 SORN form can be used and
is available for download from the vehicle forms link
above.
Keeping
a new vehicle off road
The
keeper of a new vehicle must also make a SORN declaration
if they are going to keep the vehicle off the road
untaxed. This can be done on the form V890 mentioned above.
When
can an untaxed vehicle be used on a public road?
An
untaxed vehicle cannot be used of kept on a public road.
There
is one exception:
You
can drive an untaxed vehicle on a public road to and from
a pre-arranged:
- MOT
testing station
- VIC
testing station
- an
approved vehicle weight testing station which covers
design weight certificate or plated revenue weight
- reduced
pollution test
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