What SORN means
SORN stands for Statutory Off Road Notification. Every vehicle registered in the UK must either be taxed or have a SORN. If you stop using a car, perhaps because it is being restored, stored for winter or waiting to be sold, a SORN keeps you legal without paying tax or insurance.
How to make a SORN
- Find your reference. Use the 11-digit document reference on the V5C logbook, or the 16-digit reference on a V11 tax reminder.
- Apply online on the GOV.UK "Make a SORN" service. It works any time and the vehicle must be registered in your name.
- Or by phone on 0300 123 4321, the DVLA automated line.
- Or by post with form V890, sent to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1AR.
The SORN starts straight away, or on the first day of next month if you apply in the month the tax is due to run out.
Getting a tax refund
DVLA refunds any full calendar months of tax left when the SORN starts. The refund is sent automatically to the name and address on the logbook, usually within a few weeks. Part months are not refunded. If you pay by Direct Debit, the payments stop.
Rules once a car is SORN
- It must be kept on private land, such as a driveway, garage or private car park. Parking it on a public road is an offence, even outside your house.
- You can only drive it on the road to a pre-booked MOT test.
- You do not need insurance for it, but you may want cover for theft or fire while it is stored.
- The SORN lasts until the vehicle is taxed, sold, scrapped or exported. You do not need to renew it each year.
When you do not need a SORN
If you sell, scrap or export a vehicle, you tell DVLA about that instead, and any tax refund is handled automatically. You also do not need a SORN for a vehicle that is already taxed and that you are still using.
Putting the car back on the road
To end a SORN, tax the vehicle. It needs a valid MOT (if one is required) and insurance first. Use our car tax calculator to see what you will pay, and our guide on how to tax a car.
Penalties
Keeping a vehicle that is neither taxed nor SORN can lead to an £80 penalty, more if you do not pay, and prosecution with a fine of up to £1,000. DVLA can also clamp or remove untaxed vehicles found on the road.
Sources
Checked against official sources on 15 October 2026. Rules and prices change, so confirm anything important on GOV.UK. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.