SORN UK: How to Declare Your Vehicle Off-Road (2026)

Overview

A Statutory Off-Road Notification is the formal way of telling the DVLA that a vehicle registered in your name is no longer being used or kept on a public road. It is set out under UK road transport law and applies to cars, vans, motorbikes, and most other registered vehicles.

Once a SORN is in place, the vehicle must be kept somewhere off-road, such as a garage, driveway, or private land. It can't legally be parked on the street, even if you don't intend to drive it. The notification stays in force until you tax the vehicle again, sell it, scrap it, or permanently export it, so there is no need to renew it each year as was the case under older rules.

It's worth remembering that a SORN is tied to a specific registered keeper. If you buy a vehicle that has a SORN in place from a previous owner, that declaration does not carry across: you would need to make your own SORN or tax the vehicle before using it on the road.

Key steps

1. Check whether you actually need a SORN. A SORN only makes sense if the vehicle is registered in your name and you want to keep it off public roads without paying tax or holding insurance. If you're still driving it occasionally, or parking it on the street, a SORN is not the right route and you'll need to keep the vehicle taxed and insured instead. 2. Gather the reference numbers you'll need. The DVLA will ask for identifying details before they'll accept the notification. Typically this means the 11-digit reference number from your V5C logbook, or the 16-digit reference from a recent vehicle tax reminder letter (V11). Having these to hand before you start makes the process much quicker, whichever method you use. 3. Choose how to submit your SORN. You can declare a SORN online through the DVLA's service, by calling their automated phone line, or by posting a completed V890 form. The online route is usually the fastest and gives immediate confirmation, while postal applications take longer to process. Pick whichever method fits your circumstances and the paperwork you have available. 4. Decide when the SORN should take effect. You can make the declaration to begin immediately, or set it to start from the first day of the following month if you want to use any remaining tax you've already paid. Think about timing carefully, especially if you're between selling, storing, or working on the vehicle, to avoid a gap where it's neither taxed nor declared off-road. 5. Keep the vehicle off public roads and cancel insurance if appropriate. Once the SORN is active, the vehicle must stay on private land. You may also be entitled to a refund of any full months of unused vehicle tax, which the DVLA usually issues automatically. If you're cancelling insurance, check first whether you'd prefer to keep a 'laid-up' policy to protect against theft or damage while stored.