How long to declare sorn

If you stop paying for car tax then you must declare your car SORN. There are a number of situations where you are required to make a SORN on your vehicle, including:. It doesn't cost anything to declare a SORN and you can choose to do it online via the government's website, by phone or by post. To apply online, you'll need either the digit reference number on your tax renewal letter V11 or the digit reference number on your log book V5C.

If you want to keep your car off road whilst you're on holiday, you can file a SORN by post two months before you leave - just make sure you include a letter in the envelope explaining why. There are a number of circumstances where you can only make a SORN by post, such as if you're not yet registered as the car's keeper, or you've recently registered as the keeper and received the V5C document in the current month. If you haven't yet registered as the car's keeper, you need to fill in the necessary sections of the V5C and send it to the DVLA along with the V form.

If you don't have a V5C for the car, you're required to fill in an application for a vehicle registration certificate V62 and send it with your SORN application - there's a fee. If you apply for SORN online or by phone using your V5C it will be declared immediately, but if you use your V11 it'll come into effect at the start of the next month. If you make a SORN via post, it'll start on the date you write on the form. Your car will remain declared SORN until you tax and insure it, sell it, scrap it, or permanently export it.

If you have any remaining tax on your car at the point it's declared SORN, you'll receive a refund for any full months. When you want to get the car back on the road, the SORN will expire automatically when you apply for car tax using your V5C. There are a number of ways you can apply for tax - visit our car tax guide for more information. Remember, you can only legally start driving when the car's taxed, insured, and has a valid MOT certificate.

Accept additional cookies Reject additional cookies View cookies. Hide this message. When you need to make a SORN. You cannot backdate your SORN. Print entire guide. Brexit Check what you need to do. Explore the topic Buy, sell or scrap a vehicle Manufacture or adapt a vehicle Number plates, vehicle registration and log books Vehicle tax, MOT and insurance. Is this page useful? The DVLA website will tell you where to find these and guide you through the process.

Make sure you read the rules though, so you know what you are promising. If you do not receive this letter, the onus is once again on you to check that your SORN has been successfully processed. Unlike road tax you don't need to renew a SORN declaration each year, and the SORN declaration is automatically cancelled at the time when you tax your vehicle again.

You can do it online, at a post office or over the phone. If your car has been off the road for a long time, it will, at the very least, need an MoT, but probably a good service, too.

Once both of these are done, your car should be safe to go back on the road. However, unless you are on your way to a pre-booked MoT or other government checks, this is against the law. If you are caught — or your number plate recorded on an ANPR camera system - the authorities will take a very dim view.

Skip to Content Skip to Footer. Why do you need to SORN your car? If you buy a car that has already been recorded as SORN by the previous owner. SORN declarations are not transferable, so you must immediately make a fresh declaration as the new owner. If your road tax expires and your car is off the road for more than 14 days. If your car does not have valid insurance.