SORNing a motorcycle is simple. From start to finish it can be completed in a matter of moments. The process is exactly the same as SORNing a car, and all you need is your motorcycle’s V5C document. You can apply for a SORN (which stands for Statutory Off-Road Notice) via phone or post, but the quickest way by far is to do so online.
By using the 11-digit number on the logbook, you can register your car as SORN there and then. The process is immediate, so make sure your bike is suitably stored before you make this application.
If you don’t have the logbook, you can apply via the 16-digit number on your tax reminder letter. If you do use the 16-digit number, the SORN won’t come into effect until the first day of the next month. Alternatively you can ask for a new logbook. This will cost you £25 but means you’ll be able to apply for an instant SORN when it arrives.
Can you SORN a motorcycle online?
Absolutely, and it’s actually the easiest way to do so! When you apply for a SORN online, it will be put in place immediately unless you are using the number from your tax reminder. If you don’t have access to a computer, then you can complete the application via phone or post. Just remember post will not be instant as you wait for it to arrive with the DVLA.
Do I need to SORN my motorcycle?
Only you can answer this question. The biggest factor will depend on how you use it or where it will be stored. Any bike used on any road at all must be taxed, and a SORN would not be appropriate. It’s important to remember that while green lanes and byways may be considered by many as ‘off-road’, by law they are still roads and you will be fined for riding a SORN bike on one.
What happens when you SORN a motorcycle?
When you SORN a motorcycle, your tax is cancelled. This means that the bike is no longer legally allowed to be on the road. You must ensure it is parked somewhere suitable, like a garage or driveway. If you pay annually and have any tax remaining on your bike, this will be refunded.
How much does it cost to SORN a bike?
SORNing a bike is free. If anything it could save you money thanks to the refund you could get from your unused tax. If you come across somewhere suggesting you need to pay to SORN your bike, then leave instantly. Providing you are on the official government website, you will never be asked to pay to SORN your vehicle.
What is the fine for not declaring a bike SORN?
If you’ve let your bike’s tax run out but not declared as SORN, then you could soon be receiving an £80 fine. This fine will be halved if you pay within 28 days. If your untaxed bike is seen by an Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) camera then you’ll be charged £30 plus one and half times the outstanding tax rate in an Out of Court settlement.
Failure to pay for this is a criminal offence and the fine then jumps up to £1000 or five times the outstanding tax – whichever is greater.
Is my Motorcycle insured when it’s SORN?
Applying for SORN does not cancel your insurance like it does with tax. If your bike still had time left on its insurance policy when you registered it for SORN, then it will still be insured until the policy ends.
Do I need to tell my insurer when I put my motorbike on SORN?
You are not required to inform insurers if you have registered your bike as SORN. If your bike is a project that you are working on, it is often much easier to keep the insurance running than cancel and reinsure later. This means when it comes to test drives, you only need to worry about reinstating your tax, rather than also reinsuring the bike.
Would my insurance be void if I rode a bike without tax or on SORN?
You will need to check with your own specific insurance policy to see whether riding an untaxed or SORN bike will void the policy. Even if it doesn’t go against your insurance, you will be committing a crime by riding an untaxed motorcycle. The fine for having an untaxed vehicle on the road can range from £80 up to £2,500.
Will I get a refund for my bike tax?
If you have paid for your tax annually and still have time remaining on it, then this will be refunded. You will only be paid for any full months left on your tax. So, for example, if your vehicle is taxed until August, and you SORN it on the 2nd of April, you will only receive a refund of three months for May, June and July.
If you pay monthly, then you will not receive any tax refund.
How do I take a Motorcycle off SORN and tax it?
Removing SORN is just as easy as applying for one – all you need to do is tax your vehicle. Simply take the 11-digit number from your V5C or the 16-digit number from your V11 tax reminder and pay for your tax. As soon as the vehicle is taxed, the SORN will be removed.
How do I check if a motorbike is SORN?
You can check if a motorcycle is SORN or not by using the DVLA’s online checker. Just put the registration number of the vehicle you are wanting to check into the website and it will inform you if the vehicle is taxed or not, and if not if it is SORN.
How do I MOT a SORN Motorcycle?
Driving a SORN vehicle to a pre-booked MOT appointment is the only time you’re allowed to take one on the road. It is impossible to tax a car or motorcycle without a valid MOT, so there are provisions in place to allow you to drive a SORN vehicle to an MOT test. You will still need to have the relevant insurance in place.
Do you have to SORN a motorbike every year?
No – SORN will last as long as you like. It will only end when you retax the vehicle.
SORNing and UnSORNing Hub
SORNing and UnSORNing HubExplore expert advice on tax, insurance, and legal matters for SORNed cars and motorbikes. Our Knowledge Centre offers essential information to ensure you’re fully informed to manage your vehicle off the road.
How to check if a car has been registered as SORN
A quick and easy guide to check if your car has been registered as SORN or not.
Forgotten to SORN my car
We talk you through every step you need to take if you’ve forgotten to register your car as SORN before your tax runs out.
SORN a car without the V5
Learn how to SORN a car when you don’t have the V5C. Hints and tips to SORN your car online in an instant.
How to remove a SORN from a car
A simple guide to getting you back on the road at the end of a SORN.
Or, visit our SORNing Knowledge Centre for guides on all topics related to SORNing and storing your car or bike
FAQ
What does SORN mean?
SORN stands for Statutory Off Road Notice and is used to notify the DVLA that the vehicle is being taken off the road and no longer requires taxing. It also marks the registration to the DVLA so as to prevent any automated fines for not having tax.
Can I push an uninsured bike home?
Pushing an uninsured bike falls into a grey area, but can be best summed up by Section 34 of the Road Traffic Act 1988.
“Subject to the provisions of this section, if without lawful authority a person drives a mechanically propelled vehicle—
(a)on to or upon any common land, moorland or land of any other description, not being land forming part of a road, or
(b)on any road being a footpath, bridleway or restricted byway,
he is guilty of an offence.”
While this doesn’t explicitly cover those pushing vehicles – it does state an unlawful vehicle (an uninsured one) cannot be on any footpath, bridleway or restricted byway. By that measure, whether the bike is being pushed or not will be committing a crime if its on any part of the road network.
Ok to sorn bike and leave it outside?
Mechanically you may need to take some measures to ensure the quality of your bike while stored, but legally you can absolutely keep the bike outside. The only provision you must take is to ensure it is not on any part of the public highway. A driveway or even in your garden is all okay.
Does SORN happen automatically if you don’t tax a bike?
No – you must manually SORN any vehicle. Failure to do so will cause your tax to expire and you are at risk of automated fines from the DVLA.
Can you SORN a bike parked on the street? If not, how does insurance work?
No SORN vehicle is allowed on the road at any time. If it is SORN it must be kept away from the road network on private land. Insurance is separate entirely. You do not need to insure a SORN motorcycle, but you will need to have a policy in place when the SORN is removed and taken back on the road.
SORN – where can it be kept?
SORN vehicles can be kept anywhere providing they are on private land and not on the road network. The most common places for SORN cars or bikes to be kept are driveways and garages, or in buildings on private land such as sheds or barns. As motorcycles are small and manoeuvrable, the number of places they can be stored is much greater than cars. It is, for example, perfectly legal to keep a SORN motorcycle in your living room, should you wish.
