Can You Sorn Before The End Of The Month

[Henry Yorke 269 3 Cars]

As the DVLA website is a bit grey, I wanted to know what happens in the following scenario:

• My Road Tax is due to expire on 31st October and I plan to not renew it until next year
• I have had the reminder from the DVLA
• Today is the 18th October.
• I want to be able to use it up until the point the tax expires (i.e. 31st October)

Do I:

• a) Apply for the SORN online today and use it up to the point my tax expires and then it will automatically be SORN'd.
• Have to wait until 31st October before I can SORN it as the SORN applies from the moment I submit the request online.

I really want option a, but have a feeling that option b is what acually happens. Does anyone know 100% how this works as the internet if full of "I think" posts on this and I am sure I am not the only one in this scenario. I am just trying to get organised in advance.

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

I think the SORN applies from the day you do it. I'm in the same boat H so will watch to see what you find out.

[Biggles 65]

As I understand it, declaring SORN is immediate. Hence if you do in now, you won't be able to drive it (and you won't get a tax refund as they only do whole months). You need to wait until November.

[feb 47]

Hmm, tricky one as the DVLA site says that you get a refund for any remaining full months, does that mean that you are still OK to drive for the month which you are not refunded?

I would assume so. Have you tried calling 0300 123 4321 or is it an automated line?

 

To be 100% sure I would do b.

 

Are you not selling the CTi anymore then Henry I guess?

[Slo 283 1 Cars]

sorn begins the minute you complete the application, you wont get any refund, and you need to do it on the 31st before midnight or dvla will issue a court summons, nice of them.

 

Oh and it last indefinitely now, not just 12 months like everybody believe's and if you sell the car on the new owner will have to sorn it too.

Edited October 18, 2015 by Slo

[AlexRS2782 136 1 Cars]

As above, as soon as SORN has been applied either online, or at a local PO, the car cannot then be parked or used on the road, unless it's re-taxed. If you follow option A and SORN now but continue to use the car it will ping up on ANPR as SORN. Most of the cars I've done the last few years have shown as updated on DVLA checker within 24 hours.

 

If you want to continue to use the car right up to the end of the month then just declare SORN after your final drive at month end when it's stored away. Or if that's not possible at least declare SORN the next day and that will avoid any issues with the DVLA.

 

As the tax expires at the end of this month you wouldn't be due any rebate anyway, so you may as well just leave it taxed until the last day of the month, use it if you want / need to, then declare SORN at the end of the month.

Edited October 18, 2015 by AlexRS2782

[Henry Yorke 269 3 Cars]

Thanks all, so it seems like a mad rush to SORN summer cars at the end of October then. If I get chance, I'll ring up DVLA tomorrow and get a definitive answer for the record, but I think Alex is right in that you are SORN'd from the point you ask for a SORN even if you have paid for the rest of the month. Seems a stupid system!

 

Feb, CTI has been SORN'd for a whole year, this is the 1FM I need to take off the road shortly. It will be interesting to see which I put back on the road next year..... #feelingspoilt

[chipstick 382 1 Cars]

I was in a similar position last month so I'll share my findings. I left it until the last day of September - when the current 6 monthly licence was due to expire (reads, forgot until the last day!) so I went to SORN it on the 30th September and cancelled the Direct Debit with my bank.

 

The payment still appeared to be taken by the DVLA, and showed as taxed for a week or so in to October. Initially I thought I'd perhaps missed a particular deadline and assumed I may have ended up having to pay a months tax and get a partial 5/6ths refund. A letter came from the DVLA on the 8th October saying the payment hadn't been permitted by my Bank and therefore I was untaxed unless a SORN had been made - you'd think they would check rather than send an automated letter, but hey ho.

 

As the above appeared to work, it will be the method I use going forwards when I wish to SORN a vehicle at the end of the period so it can be used for the full month. Ironically I hadn't actually used the 205 for the last 4 of those 6 months - but by remaining taxed I thought it was legal if I found the need to drive it which I unfortunately didn't. I've fallen in to the trap of taxing, MOTing and insuring a car to do a handful of road miles a year.

[Stephen W 12 1 Cars]

The sorn is applied the day you do it. I sorned mine at the end of September and on the 1st october they took out another months tax payment but within 10 days they refunded it back.

[large 33]

Sort of on topic, I am looking to put a car that is sorn back on the road at the start of next month.

The car has mot and will have insurance in place from the 1/11/15. Looking forward I can't tax it before because it won't have insurance. Am I going to have to try and tax it on the 1st. I am a bit concerned that the insurance will not be showing on the system, has anyone any experience of this.

[mikeyd 13]

just check the time insurance comes valid -some are midday others midnight +some random then should be no problem-if worried get it dated the day before you need it

[large 33]

Yer that is what I was going to do. I was more concerned about how long the insurance database takes to update. I don't want to get pulled over with a boot full of class A and a car full of illegal immigrants.;-)

[Slo 283 1 Cars]

Insurance database will update immediately, its the websites that show taxed or sorn that take time to update, ive insured my car a few times while sorned and then taxed the car straight after.