Vehicle Road Tax

[threep]

Hi Steve,

This is the official govt site on SORN:
https://www.gov.uk/sorn-statutory-off-road-notification

It says you can SORN a vehicle if you do not use or keep the vehicle on a public road. If it's not SORNd then you have to tax and insure it.

There's nothing I've seen written which says you can't insure it if it's SORNd. Tax and MOT are not a pre-requisite to get motor insurance, but of course if you drove a car without both (except to an arranged MOT) then you would most likely invalidate your insurance.

I might well be wrong, so if you find different (something written you can post a link to) then please share, but I thought the changes to the SORN rules were just to make sure that if not SORNd then you must have both tax and insurance.

[john]

I had missed at some point the fact that you don't have to renew a SORN annually.
No wonder I have not been getting the reminders lately...

[NoCorseChris]

One thing to be very wary of though - don't trust a conversation with a DVLA/VOSA representative to be definitive. Recently, whilst trying to register a recently IVAd Westfield, the owner was instructed to grind off the Westfield chassis number and await a new one to be issued. Thankfully, the owner questioned this repeatedly until it was finally acknowledged that a mistake had been made and that the factory applied chassis number was in fact OK (like that's a surprise).

We SORN our Westfield every year for around 6 months over the winter. During that time, it has always remained insured on the standard road-use policy.

I too would like to see something in writing on the official website - hopefully this is nothing more than a confused DVLA rep.

[The Slug]

Mine has been the same as you Chris insured all year despite being off the road. I can't see why you would want to cancel or be forced to cancel the insurance, it can sustain damage when parked up just as easily as when it's on the road, accidents and fire happen all the time.

I think the thing with SORN is you can't get it taxed if you don't have a valid MOT and insurance.

[Griff]

Essentially the vehicle must be:-

1. To be driven on a public road it must be Taxed, Insured (as specified in the Road Traffic Act) and have a valid MOT certificate, or untaxed & specifically being driven to an MOT testing station for a test appointment (there is no stipulation as to which MOT testing facility it is being taken, but it must be by the most direct route)
or
2.Sorn'd and kept off the public road

If a vehicle is Sorn'd, it may also be insured, there is no preclusion on keeping an insured vehicle that has been declared as "off road"

If the vehicle is on the road IT MUST be insured, If the vehicle is Sorn'd (off the road) IT May be insured.

To obtain Road Tax, it must be Insured (as specified in the Road Traffic Act) and have a valid MOT certificate

I hope that has clarified any ambiguity or uncertainty

[StruanR]

You can also drive untaxed to a pre-arranged IVA test...

'the only circumstances in which you can drive the vehicle before completing the registrationand licensing formalities are to and from a pre-arranged IVA and/or MoT test and to and from a garagefor remedial work following failure to pass the inspection. Other than in these situations, the vehicle

must not be used on the road until the licensing and registration formalities have been completed.'

[NoCorseChris]

Essentially the vehicle must be:-

1. To be driven on a public road it must be Taxed, Insured (as specified in the Road Traffic Act) and have a valid MOT certificate, or untaxed & specifically being driven to an MOT testing station for a test appointment (there is no stipulation as to which MOT testing facility it is being taken, but it must be by the most direct route)
or
2.Sorn'd and kept off the public road

If a vehicle is Sorn'd, it may also be insured, there is no preclusion on keeping an insured vehicle that has been declared as "off road"

If the vehicle is on the road IT MUST be insured, If the vehicle is Sorn'd (off the road) IT May be insured.

To obtain Road Tax, it must be Insured (as specified in the Road Traffic Act) and have a valid MOT certificate

I hope that has clarified any ambiguity or uncertainty

That's always been my understanding as well. Suspect (hope!) it's just a case of poor advice from DVLA and semantics.

[Griff]

Struan,
you are absolutely correct, Griff