SORN stands for ‘Statutory Off Road Notification’ and is used to inform the DVLA that a vehicle is temporarily being taken off the road, being stored on a driveway or inside a garage instead.
Since the vehicle is not being driven, motorists do not need to pay to declare a vehicle as SORN and will receive a refund for any remaining full months they were previously covered for.
However, drivers must not continue to use a vehicle after it is registered as SORN on a public road for reasons other than taking it to a garage to get an MOT could be issued a fine of up to £2,500.
The DVLA’s advice comes at a time in which many are getting ready for a number of changes to how much motorists are subject to pay for their road tax.
In particular, April 1 will see the tax exemption on electric vehicles end. Owners will now need to pay £10 more for a new model and the same flat rate of £195 from the second year onwards.
More polluting forms of new cars will also be subject to twice the amount of road tax, with models producing more than 255g/km of carbon dioxide subject to a charge of £5,490 – an increase of £2,745 over the current amount.
Nevertheless, electric car owners looking for a way to dodge the tax increase have been urged to check whether they can renew their road tax early, which John Wilmot, CEO of LeaseLoco.com, highlighted could help them save £195.
He added: “While the introduction of VED for electric cars was expected, many drivers may not realise they can in fact delay these charges for another year by renewing their tax before 1 April.
“Taking advantage of this short window to secure another year of tax-free driving is a no-brainer. It’s a simple step that could save you nearly £200, and with the deadline fast approaching, we’d encourage drivers to act now.”
