My AccountIf you own a motorcycle, you need adequate insurance in place at all times. But if you don’t plan on riding for a while, you can get SORN insurance to cover your motorcycle for as long as you’re off-road.
What Does SORN Mean?
SORN stands for Statutory Off Road Notification.
If you plan to take your motorcycle off the road for an extended period, you can submit a SORN (Statutory Off-Road Notification) to the DVLA. This declaration confirms that you won’t be using or parking your motorcycle on public roads, allowing you to pause paying tax and insurance while it’s off the road.
How To Make A SORN Declaration
When Can I Make a SORN Declaration?
You can only make a SORN declaration if your motorcycle is fully off the road. This means you must store your unused motorcycle on private property. You cannot keep it parked on the street, or in a public parking place.
How Much Does It Cost to SORN a Motorcycle?
Making a SORN declaration is free, and you can do it immediately online on the government’s website.
What You Need to Make a SORN Declaration
To make a SORN declaration, you will need the 11-digit number from your motorcycle’s logbook, or the 16-digit number from your vehicle tax reminder letter.
How Long Does a SORN Take?
If you make the declaration using the logbook number, the SORN will be effective immediately. If you have any full months of remaining road tax, the DVLA should send you a cheque to refund you.
If you make the declaration using your 16-digit tax number, the SORN will be effective from the first day of the following month.
SORN declarations do not expire. If you ever want to start riding again, all you need to do is tax your motorcycle, which will automatically revoke the SORN. Remember that this will not automatically reinstate your insurance, you will need to purchase your motorcycle insurance policy before you start riding.
What Happens If I Do Not Make a SORN Declaration?
If you do not make a SORN declaration for a motorcycle and you intend to take off the road, then you will have to continue paying tax on the vehicle. If you simply stop paying tax without making a SORN declaration, you could face an £80 fine.
There are much greater penalties for riding an untaxed motorcycle, or for riding a motorcycle for which you have made a SORN declaration. First you will get an Out of Court settlement of £30, plus 1.5x the outstanding tax rate. If you do not pay this, you can get a fine of £1,000, or 5x the outstanding tax – whichever is more.
If you are caught riding a motorcycle for which you have previously made a SORN declaration, the Out of Court settlement is £30 plus 2x the outstanding tax. Fail to pay this and the fine is £2,500 or 5x the remaining tax – whichever’s greater.
Do I Need Insurance For a SORN Motorcycle?
After you’ve made a SORN declaration, your motorcycle will be exempt from tax. But it’s important to remember that vehicle tax and insurance are not connected.
While technically there’s no need to insure a motorcycle you do not intend to ride, it’s still a good idea to have some form of cover in place. Your motorcycle will still be vulnerable to fire, flood, and theft while it’s off-road, and you’ll want to be covered for any unexpected events. Get a Quote Today!