Taking Your Vehicle Off the Road

If you decide to take your car off the public road, you must inform DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency), by making a SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification) declaration. You can declare SORN in a number of ways:

1. By taking your vehicle tax renewal reminder (V11) to a licence issuing Post Office. Do not post to DVLA, Swansea.
2. By using form V890 (Statutory Off Road Notification) and sending to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1AR.
3. By contacting DVLA on 0870 850 4444. You must be the registered keeper on DVLA's records to make a SORN declaration by telephone.
4. By logging onto the DVLA's vehicle online service (the website adress can be found here ). You will need to have your registration certificate (V5C) and the Vehicle Licence Application/SORN Declaration form (V11) to hand.
5. By using form V14 (Refund/SORN Application). Use this form if you have more than 1 complete month of tax remaining. You will receive a refund for each full calendar month still to run on the licence disc at the time you apply for the refund. However, you must post the form and tax disc to DVLA or hand them in to a DVLA office before the first day of the month to receive a refund for that month.

You should not declare SORN if you have sold, exported or scrapped the vehicle or if the vehicle has been stolen.

You can make a SORN declaration from the 15th day of the month in which the vehicle tax or SORN declaration expires. You will then be sent an acknowledgement letter within a month to confirm the details. The SORN declaration will be valid for 12 months and must be renewed by completing the V11 if the vehicle is kept off the road for a further period.

All vehicles MUST either have a valid tax disc or have had SORN declared. If not, the registered keeper could be fined a minimum of £1,000 and may face a maximum penalty of £5,000 and two years imprisonment.

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