Insurance changes for cars NOT SORN'd

Any vehicle that's driven on Britain's road's needs to be covered by third party insurance as a minimum. Motor vehicles that aren't being used can, as things stand, sit uninsured without issue. However, new legislation coming into force this Spring means this will no longer be the case.

What's changing?
Once the changes take force any vehicle registered for use on the road will need to be insured. This applies to all cars, vans, motorbikes, motorhomes and trucks, even if they aren't in use.

Responsibility for insuring a vehicle registered as roadworthy (and taxed accordingly) will sit with its registered keeper so even if you're not a vehicle's main driver you'll need to make sure it's insured.

Fail to do this and you'll face a fixed penalty of £100 at the very minimum, fines of up to £1,000 and court prosecution will be used in a worst case scenario.

Will I need to insure my vehicle?
If you are the registered keeper of a motor vehicle - albeit one that's sitting in a garage unused - you need to make sure it's insured. This applies equally to classic cars (even those that have a nil value tax disc), motorhomes and motorbikes that are only used a couple of times a year. Even if temporary insurance has sufficed previously this will no longer be the case.

The only way to get around insuring a vehicle you're not using is to officially declare it off-road by registering it as SORN. Doing so will exempt it from the compulsory insurance requirement.

How do I declare a vehicle SORN?
Declaring an infrequently used vehicle SORN is relatively straightforward, and it can be done free of charge. You simply need to notify the DVLA by completing a form on their website - you will need to be the registered owner to do this. You'll be asked for a reference number which you'll find in your vehicle's logbook, or on a tax disc or SORN renewal reminder form (V11) that you'll have been sent by the DVLA.

Once you've completed the SORN declaration form you'll receive confirmation that your vehicle is officially classed as unused (and therefore exempt from the insurance requirement) within 4 weeks. This declaration will last for 12 months after which you'll be asked to renew the SORN.

What if I want to use the vehicle again?
Driving a vehicle that's been declared SORN is illegal. However, reinstating its roadworthy status is simple. All you need to do is tax and insure it and you'll be entitled to drive it on public roads.

If you only want to use the vehicle temporarily you'll need to ensure it's roadworthy, tax it, get temporary insurance and then declare it SORN once you stop using it again.

When do the changes take effect?
We know that the changes are going to come into effect this Spring, but the DVLA have not yet confirmed exactly when this will be. Notifications are now being sent out with tax disc renewal reminders and the DVLA will also be writing to registered owners whose vehicles are neither insured or declared SORN so it's likely to be very soon.

Read more: New Compulsory Car Insurance Laws: How to Stay Legal

We were just debating this on one of the motorsport sites a min. ago.........:crap:

more rubbish if you ask me just other way to grab ya hard earn cash

How can you tax the vehicle if it hasn't got an MOT? Does the rule 'to and from the MOT station' still apply?

Its no real problem is it... if its not insured its not to go on the road simples...

If its off road, declare it as sord'd and you have nothing to worry about...

Those who have to worry are those who park/drive un-insured cars on the public highway....

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MATT C Ringworm Tuning

How can you tax the vehicle if it hasn't got an MOT? Does the rule 'to and from the MOT station' still apply?

---

As long as the car is insured you can drive it to and from the mot garage (also once it failed you can drive it to and from places to get repaired...)

Stealth tax to get money out of the law abiding/absent minded .... just sorn it and be done .Paperwork job creation scheme ,something the UK excels in nowadays :agree:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Penfold

Its no real problem is it... if its not insured its not to go on the road simples...

If its off road, declare it as sord'd and you have nothing to worry about...

Those who have to worry are those who park/drive un-insured cars on the public highway....

---

:agree:

What if you'r insurance ran out and you had 4 months tax left on the car.... You don't want to re-insure it but equally you don't want to declare it sorn as its still taxed?

Then 2 months later you wan to re-insure it, do you then have to re-tax it? or would the old tax disc still be valid?

:confused:

simple ...it's too much hassle , so you don't bother ,then you get a fine and we can all sleep safely knowing it's all been dealt with and people in Swansea are fully employed .

Although the police have had a 20% reduction in funding so they're not out there apprehending the real dodgy feckers :coffee: ahh politics ,don't you just love it :D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Penfold

Its no real problem is it... if its not insured its not to go on the road simples...

If its off road, declare it as sord'd and you have nothing to worry about...

Those who have to worry are those who park/drive un-insured cars on the public highway....

---

I agree with this. I'm guessing this will now eliminate those uninsured drivers that claim they don't use the car but actually do. I would see that this now allows them to put there figures on another category of cars that should not be on the road.

It could get messy for some but isn't declaring a car sorn as easy as popping on the net and filling a form in.

Those that chose to be uninsured and drive will continue to do so . Do you really think this tiny bit of extra legality will make a blind bit of difference to them ?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by clee

Those that chose to be uninsured and drive will continue to do so . Do you really think this tiny bit of extra legality will make a blind bit of difference to them ?

---

yeh exactly the same thing i was thinking today when i heard it on the radio.ppl like that i wont mean anythink else to them sure they will carry on the way they do,as the normal workin person will carry on and yet anythink you do wrong the cops will be on ur back big time:coffee::sad2:

so if i run my insurance out and choose not to renew it, i'll get fined for having tax with no insurance..

ok, so i send my tax disk back, get the remaining few months back and happy days..?

sounds like there gonna lose out here, im forever leaving tax on my cars while uninsured and standing.. im pi55ing money away and there gonna stop me doing it or i get fines and court? its a pain, but i think i'll be better off here:scratch:

So even if it is garaged it needs to be insured? How will that check that out, is all insurance on a database like car tax so they will automatically send a fine out?

i have 4 cars, so looks like my renewal will mean traders policy this time

Only real difference will be stopping the people who who tax the car all year round and only insure it when they need to use it either daily insurance and week or whatever you can get.

i think its to stop people getting an insurance policy then going to tax the car, then once taxed they cancel the insurance.

Is all insurance held on a central database though? fair enough they know whether it's tax or not but how will hey know if it's insured or not insured as the case may be?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by tiff_lee

Is all insurance held on a central database though? fair enough they know whether it's tax or not but how will hey know if it's insured or not insured as the case may be?

---

Google/Wiki 'Police National Computer'.

I also don't see what the problem is?

If you're not using ya car for a given period, you sorn it.

And if you sorn it, but still want it insured as such, then take out a zero mileage, F&T policy.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ashy

What if you'r insurance ran out and you had 4 months tax left on the car.... You don't want to re-insure it but equally you don't want to declare it sorn as its still taxed?

Then 2 months later you wan to re-insure it, do you then have to re-tax it? or would the old tax disc still be valid?

---

The old/current tax disc would still be valid, assuming the obvious that you haven't sent it back for a refund. However, unless you moved the car off-road, you'd have to sorn it regardless.