Guides › Public Services › SORN: Taking a Vehicle Off the Road and Getting a Tax Refund
SORN: Taking A Vehicle off the Road and Getting A Tax Refund
If you keep a vehicle off the road and do not tax it, you need to make a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN). You can do it online if the vehicle is in your name, using your log book or tax reminder reference, by phone, or by post with form V890. You get a refund for any full months of vehicle tax left. You cannot use the vehicle on the road until you tax it again.
At A Glance
Your Rights
What the rules say, with a link to the official source for each.
Making A SORN
When It Starts
Immediately if your tax has expired or you are not applying in the month it is due to expire. If you apply in the expiry month, it starts on the first day of the next month. source
How
Online if the vehicle is registered in your name, using the 11-digit number from your V5C or the 16-digit tax reminder reference. By phone 24 hours a day. By post using form V890. source
Refund and Use
You get a refund for any full months of remaining vehicle tax. You cannot use the vehicle on the road until you tax it again. source
Time Limits to Know
Miss a deadline and you can lose a right. Check the dates on your own paperwork.
- Full monthsTax refundedFrom when DVLA gets the SORN
Steps to Take
Step 1 of 5
Find your V5C or tax reminder reference.
Step 2 of 5
Make the SORN online.
Step 3 of 5
Keep the confirmation.
Step 4 of 5
Check your refund arrives.
Step 5 of 5
Tax the vehicle before using it again.
(Tap the numbers to reveal steps)
Where to Go If It Is Not Put Right
Your options, in order, and when each one applies.
DVLA
Use the GOV.UK online services first; they are free and usually quickest.
Good to Know
Small things that make your complaint stronger.
A SORN vehicle must be kept off public roads.
Northern Ireland licences and vehicles are dealt with by the DVA, which has its own rules and services.
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Lead reviewer
Luke Marley
Founder and Lead Reviewer
Luke founded CPUK in 2026 after seeing how hard it is for ordinary people to get problems with companies put right. He oversees our guides and checks them against official sources.
Research by Katie Burt, Co-founder and Operations Lead (17 years in the care sector, including managing services for vulnerable adults), and the CPUK Research Team. Researched with AI-assisted research tools, then checked and corrected by our team.
Last checked: 16 October 2026. We are not paid by the companies we write about. Adverts never affect our guidance. Read our editorial policy.
Sources and official links
- gov.uk/make-a-sorn Checked 16 October 2026