Does getting a SORN cancel my car insurance?

While getting a SORN means you’ll receive an automatic refund for any remaining full months of vehicle tax you’ve already paid for, the same isn’t true for your car insurance. But again, you have options. Once you’ve got the SORN, you could either: Leave your car insurance policy in place (to protect the vehicle from things like fire, theft or accidental damage while parked) Contact your insurer and cancel your policy . This may come with a charge (usually between £28 and £60 if the cancellation comes after the 14-day cooling off period)

Can you drive a SORN car to your MOT without insurance?

You won’t be able to drive a car that has a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN) to an MOT without valid car insurance. It’s that simple.

Our guide covers when you can drive a SORN car, how you can get insurance for it and the penalties you could face if you break the law.

Can you drive a SORN car to an MOT?

The only time you can drive a SORN car is when you’re taking it to a pre-booked MOT or another testing appointment.

The test needs to be pre-booked so that if you were stopped by the police, they could contact the garage to verify your appointment.

Can you drive your SORN car without insurance?

While you can drive your SORN car to an MOT, you’re only allowed to do so if you have an up-to-date car insurance policy.

Fortunately, this doesn’t mean you’ll have to stump up for annual comprehensive car insurance. You could take out temporary car insurance for a day, or even just a few hours, to legally drive your SORN vehicle to and from its MOT.

What are the penalties for driving a SORN car to your MOT without insurance?

If you drive your SORN car to an MOT without insurance, you could face a fixed fine of £300 and six penalty points on your licence. If the case were to go to court, that fine could be unlimited, and you may be disqualified from driving.

Meanwhile, if you drive your SORN car to anywhere that isn’t a pre-booked MOT, it could mean court prosecution and a fine of up to £2,500 – even if you have insurance in place.

Finally, if you’re the registered keeper of an uninsured vehicle that’s sitting in your driveway or garage, and you haven’t declared it as off road through a SORN, you could:

Be fined £100
Have the car wheel-clamped, impounded or destroyed
Be taken to court, where the maximum fine is £1,000

How to get car insurance for a SORN vehicle

Driving your car to get its MOT isn’t the only reason you might want to insure your SORN vehicle. For instance, it might be a classic car you’re in the process of restoring, a kit car you’re building from scratch, or a beloved vintage vehicle you’re storing between car shows. Specialist SORN car insurance, sometimes known as “laid up” cover, can protect you against fire, theft and accidental damage while your vehicle sits undriven.

It’s also possible to get discounted SORN car insurance, which comes without third party cover, while your vehicle is sitting on your drive. This means you wouldn’t be insured for causing injury to another person or damage to their property.

When it comes to driving your SORN car to its MOT, you’ll need a policy that includes third party cover, as that’s the legal minimum required to drive on UK roads. This may mean finding specialist SORN car insurance, as many insurers will only provide cover if you’ve got a valid MOT and your vehicle is taxed.

Before you take out cover for your SORN vehicle, it’s a good idea to check if your car is insured already, just in case you forgot to cancel your policy.

How to get a SORN car back on the road

The good news is you won’t have to jump through a lot of hoops to get your SORN car back on the road. All you need to do is re-tax your car online, and, in theory, it’s ready for a spin.

Of course, you’ll only be able to get behind the wheel once you’ve sorted out your insurance as well. For that, you’ve got a number of options:

Annual car insurance: if you’re going to be driving full-time, you could take out an annual policy, whether that’s third party, third party, fire and theft, or comprehensive cover
Low-mileage car insurance: if you’ll be driving frequently, but less than the national average, you could look into low-mileage car insurance, which is usually cheaper
Pay-as-you-go: if you’re not going to be driving your un-SORNed car a lot, you could take out pay-as-you-go car insurance, where you’re only charged for the miles you drive
Temporary car insurance: if you’ll only need to drive every now and then, you could go for short-term car insurance on an hourly, daily, weekly or monthly basis

Driving a SORN car to your MOT FAQs

The only time you can drive a SORN car on a public road is to take it to a pre-booked MOT or other testing appointment. You wouldn’t be allowed to drive your SORN car to a garage just for repairs.

If your car has a SORN, it can only be kept on your driveway, in your garage, or on other private land. This is because SORN vehicles can’t be parked on public roads.

While getting a SORN means you’ll receive an automatic refund for any remaining full months of vehicle tax you’ve already paid for, the same isn’t true for your car insurance.

But again, you have options. Once you’ve got the SORN, you could either:

Leave your car insurance policy in place (to protect the vehicle from things like fire, theft or accidental damage while parked)
Contact your insurer and cancel your policy. This may come with a charge (usually between £28 and £60 if the cancellation comes after the 14-day cooling off period)

Connor Campbell

Senior Finance Writer

Connor Campbell is an experienced personal and business finance writer who has been producing online content for almost a decade.

Connor is the personal finance expert for Independent Advisor, guiding readers through everything they need to know about car insurance and home insurance. From how much it costs to the best insurance providers in the UK, he’s here to help you find the right policy for your needs.

In his capacity as writer and spokesperson at NerdWallet, Connor explored a number of topics close to his heart, such as the impact of our increasingly cashless society, and the hardships and heroics of British entrepreneurs. His commentary was featured in sites such as The Mirror, the Daily Express and Business Insider.

At financial trading firm Spreadex, meanwhile, his market commentary was featured in outlets such as The Guardian, BBC, Reuters and the Evening Standard.

Connor is a voracious reader with an MA in English, and is dedicated to making life’s financial decisions a little bit easier by doing away with jargon and needless complexity.