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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.

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