Is SORN essential when insurance is cancelled?

[Bellow]

As per thread title. Cancelled insurance but didn't SORN (£30 of VED was all at stake and was due before the previous insurance policy lapsed) and car is on private driveway some way off the road. Is SORN in that circumstance a legal requirement?
To my mind, as it is, if I want to recommission said car, all I have to do is re-insure it, tax already covered. Is that wrong?

 

[rf065]

As far as I'm aware if your vehicle isn't taxed or doesn't have valid car insurance and you haven't declared it as off road through a SORN, you'll automatically be fined.

 

[Bellow]

As far as I'm aware if your vehicle isn't taxed or doesn't have valid car insurance and you haven't declared it as off road through a SORN, you'll automatically be fined.

It is one of those though, taxed - the only element that concerns VOSA. I thought it was binary - taxed or SORNed - one or the other.

 

[BTB 500]

Yes SORN is essential, otherwise you'll get fined for being the "keeper of an uninsured vehicle". There's a process called Continuous Insurance Enforcement where vehicle records from the DVLA are cross-checked against the Motor Insurance Database. That will spit out an automated letter if your car is registered but not SORNed (or scrapped etc.), and has no current insurance.

 

[st13phil]

It is one of those though, taxed - the only element that concerns VOSA. I thought it was binary - taxed or SORNed - one or the other.

You're caught, I'm afraid, by the DVLA's Continuous Insurance Enforcement regime.

A motor vehicle may only be uninsured if it is kept on private land and is SORN. In other words:

• Taxed + no insurance = offence
• Insured + no tax = offence

See here for details: Vehicle insurance

 

[Bellow]

Yes SORN is essential, otherwise you'll get fined for being the "keeper of an uninsured vehicle". There's a process called Continuous Insurance Enforcement where vehicle records from the DVLA are cross-checked against the Motor Insurance Database. That will spit out an automated letter if your car is registered but not SORNed (or scrapped etc.), and has no current insurance.

You're caught, I'm afraid, by the DVLA's Continuous Insurance Enforcement regime.

A motor vehicle may only be uninsured if it is kept on private land and is SORN. In other words:

• Taxed + no insurance = offence
• Insured + no tax = offence

See here for details: Vehicle insurance

Indeed so. Just checked here >> When you need to make a SORN (should have earlier!) so SORN it is.
Hey ho, money back to me then....

 

[AMV]

Interesting.

I guess i'll have to SORN a car i have on my private driveway. Shame the VED is £20 for the year i have no incentive to do such a process.

 

[markjay]

Interesting.

I guess i'll have to SORN a car i have on my private driveway. Shame the VED is £20 for the year i have no incentive to do such a process.

You'll be saving the insurance costs.... as others said. At any rate, if the car is not being driven, why not just SORN it anyway?

 

[pmcgsmurf]

The Insurance on one of the Imps was due in March, with the lockdown I just let it lapse and did not renew as it was locked in garage. Car was "taxed" until end of Feb. '21.

MOT run out as well in March, I just left the insurance till I took the car back out (for it's MOT) on 1st June so insured it from then.

 

[219]

Yes SORN is essential, otherwise you'll get fined for being the "keeper of an uninsured vehicle". There's a process called Continuous Insurance Enforcement where vehicle records from the DVLA are cross-checked against the Motor Insurance Database. That will spit out an automated letter if your car is registered but not SORNed (or scrapped etc.), and has no current insurance.

There is one exemption: that is where you have a car that has never been taxed since before SORN began .

That was the case with my Ponton , which I last had on the road sometime in the 90s , and was never required to SORN it .

The other was my Fintail , which had been off road before I bought it , and therefore no SORN to transfer .

However , as soon as any car is licenced , then if the licence expires it needs to be SORN .

The only question might be a car which is imported to be restored , therefore has never been licenced in the UK and may not be for some time .

 

[renault12ts]

If the car is not insured...why would you want to pay road tax anyway? Get it SORNed.

 

[219]

If the car is not insured...why would you want to pay road tax anyway? Get it SORNed.

The other side is that even when cars are SORN , I often keep them insured anyway , to cover against fire , theft or errant drivers crashing through your wall and writing cars off on your driveway ( glad I did when that happened ) .

You can get ‘laid up’ cover which insures the car against losses but no road risks .

 

[markjay]

...to cover against fire , theft or errant drivers crashing through your wall and writing cars off on your driveway ( glad I did when that happened )...

Was the errant driver uninsured?

 

[219]

Was the errant driver uninsured?

Yes : no insurance, no MOT

Hence the cops asked to see my insurance; turned out , MY insurer was billed for the ambulance I called for her !!!

 

[Deleted member 6183]

Yes no insurance, no MOT

That's what you call properly errant.