SORN

Tin Pot · April 1, 2011

Picking up a car tomorrow that is registered SORN.

According to the DVLA site the SORN ends as soon as I buy the vehicle.

According to the DVLA site all I need is the V5C, Insurance* and MOT cert to register online or by phone for tax.

So...if I get insurance today to start tomorrow, am I likely to be able to register it for tax tomorrow afternoon before I drive it away?

Secondly, if I don't tax it and I can prove I've literally just bought it am I still liable?

Thirdly, the seller has offered to tax it and forward me the disc when it arrives...does this even help?

Using the link from the DVLA site the car is showing as insured...even though the seller says it isn't (http://ownvehicle.askmid.com/askmid.aspx)

mike597 · April 1, 2011

There's no loopholes wrt to an untaxed vehicle on the road. Being on the way to buy tax etc isn't a defence. Different to say having a car without MOT which is ok if you're on the way to get it tested or fixed.

Get the insurance sorted, pickup the mot certificate and walk to the nearest post office, tax it. Sorted.

mike597 · April 1, 2011

Should add, when I've done this in the past the insurers emailed me or faxed a copy of the certificate.

Tin Pot · April 1, 2011

Email from the insurers would help, but if the vehicle is showing insured on the MID it won't matter for tax.

I suppose when I get the car and mot paperwork I can walk into a po - they give out the disc immediately?

If I tax it online or on the phone am I ok to go?

The seller has offered to tax it, but will that help?

Tin Pot · April 1, 2011

Yeah just walk to the PO you just need the slip from the V5 and you're insurance. You'll get the disc right away. I use SORN a lot as I work at sea, so I'm always storing my car, I never get it out if the garage unless I've been to the PO already.

I've checked online and the vast majority are closed at 12:30 way before I can get there.

If I do it online, am I covered immediately or do I have to wait for the disc to arrive through the post?

bodster2008 · April 1, 2011

The offence is not to have tax but 'failure to display' if you print the online recipt a good bobbie will be ok with this.

Araf · April 1, 2011

Yeah just walk to the PO you just need the slip from the V5 and you're insurance. You'll get the disc right away. I use SORN a lot as I work at sea, so I'm always storing my car, I never get it out if the garage unless I've been to the PO already.
I've checked online and the vast majority are closed at 12:30 way before I can get there.
If I do it online, am I covered immediately or do I have to wait for the disc to arrive through the post?

Online is no good. You're still committing the 'failure to display' offence, and the disc will be delivered to the old owner.

If you're worried about it, pick it up on Monday. If you're not, then just drive it, and tax it at a post office on Monday.

mike597 · April 1, 2011

And if you drive it, stick to the back roads away from any likely ANPR sites.

Tin Pot · April 1, 2011

And if you drive it, stick to the back roads away from any likely ANPR sites.

What's ANPR?

How about the M25?

M11?

I'm afraid you're going to get a lot of noob posts like this from me...

johnbirt · April 1, 2011

Taken from DVLA site:

"If you use the electronic vehicle licensing service or tax by post at the end of the month, there’s now an exemption for not displaying a tax disc. This exemption covers the first five working days of the month to allow time for the new disc to arrive in the post. While you are still waiting for your tax disc you will need to display your current tax disc. The exemption only applies if applications are made before the current tax disc or SORN expires."

I recently needed to tax and insure my Merc which I had just had MOTD. Tax had run out by a day or so. Insured it online with LV but had to wait 24 hours for the DVLA insurance database to update before I could tax. I assumed as above that I was entitled to drive it without displaying the new one. In the event didn't need to and disc arrived within 3 days. DVLA are actually quite speedy via online and delivery in my experience.

If you do it online just print out the email receipt and keep that with you until disc arrives. You should be OK. The advantage with online of course is that you can do it over a weekend when PO's are closed and be taxed almost immediately once you have insurance and MOT. Just make sure you arrange to get the disc on within 5 days.

Tin Pot · April 1, 2011

I'd play it safe and wait until you can get the tax. Yes you may be able to avoid the rozzers but what if someone hits you on the way home and you've got no tax, which means your insurance is invalid? It's unlikely but it happens.

Ah, good point. There is a place where I'm picking up the car that says it's open later, according to the PO website, it's just that;

It's too late to check they really will be open

There isn't any where else around if this place isn't open

I've literally just bought insurance online, but I don't have a policy number or any paperwork...so I don't think I'll be able to buy tax from a PO

Tin Pot · April 1, 2011

Taken from DVLA site:
"If you use the electronic vehicle licensing service or tax by post at the end of the month, there’s now an exemption for not displaying a tax disc. This exemption covers the first five working days of the month to allow time for the new disc to arrive in the post. While you are still waiting for your tax disc you will need to display your current tax disc. The exemption only applies if applications are made before the current tax disc or SORN expires."
I recently needed to tax and insure my Merc which I had just had MOTD. Tax had run out by a day or so. Insured it online with LV but had to wait 24 hours for the DVLA insurance database to update before I could tax. I assumed as above that I was entitled to drive it without displaying the new one. In the event didn't need to and disc arrived within 3 days. DVLA are actually quite speedy via online and delivery in my experience.
If you do it online just print out the email receipt and keep that with you until disc arrives. You should be OK. The advantage with online of course is that you can do it over a weekend when PO's are closed and be taxed almost immediately once you have insurance and MOT. Just make sure you arrange to get the disc on within 5 days.

Hmm, so I would actually be taxed, so my insurance would not be invalidated.

Have you got a link to that page? It might actually be saying the exemption is only if you are renewing. "...before the SORN expires."

"If you buy a vehicle that already has a SORN made by the previous keeper, that SORN will come to an end on the date you buy the vehicle. You must make a new SORN if you are keeping the vehicle untaxed off the public road. You cannot transfer a SORN." - DVLA

So actually, I could be good to go.

johnbirt · April 1, 2011

Taken from DVLA site:
"If you use the electronic vehicle licensing service or tax by post at the end of the month, there’s now an exemption for not displaying a tax disc. This exemption covers the first five working days of the month to allow time for the new disc to arrive in the post. While you are still waiting for your tax disc you will need to display your current tax disc. The exemption only applies if applications are made before the current tax disc or SORN expires."
I recently needed to tax and insure my Merc which I had just had MOTD. Tax had run out by a day or so. Insured it online with LV but had to wait 24 hours for the DVLA insurance database to update before I could tax. I assumed as above that I was entitled to drive it without displaying the new one. In the event didn't need to and disc arrived within 3 days. DVLA are actually quite speedy via online and delivery in my experience.
If you do it online just print out the email receipt and keep that with you until disc arrives. You should be OK. The advantage with online of course is that you can do it over a weekend when PO's are closed and be taxed almost immediately once you have insurance and MOT. Just make sure you arrange to get the disc on within 5 days.

Just to add to above that you are taxed immediately you do it online and you tax status is updated on the DVLA database so the only likely problem is if a nosey traffic "person" sees you haven't got a current disc. Waving a receipt should be enough then and they can check you are taxed via DVLA if they want. Same applies to the boys in blue. If they clock you they will check via ANPR and when they find you are taxed, MOTD and insured they are going to be more interested in whether you are carrying drugs or speeding or whatever - DON'T do any of those for a couple of days and you should be OK.

johnbirt · April 1, 2011

Taken from DVLA site:
"If you use the electronic vehicle licensing service or tax by post at the end of the month, there’s now an exemption for not displaying a tax disc. This exemption covers the first five working days of the month to allow time for the new disc to arrive in the post. While you are still waiting for your tax disc you will need to display your current tax disc. The exemption only applies if applications are made before the current tax disc or SORN expires."
I recently needed to tax and insure my Merc which I had just had MOTD. Tax had run out by a day or so. Insured it online with LV but had to wait 24 hours for the DVLA insurance database to update before I could tax. I assumed as above that I was entitled to drive it without displaying the new one. In the event didn't need to and disc arrived within 3 days. DVLA are actually quite speedy via online and delivery in my experience.
If you do it online just print out the email receipt and keep that with you until disc arrives. You should be OK. The advantage with online of course is that you can do it over a weekend when PO's are closed and be taxed almost immediately once you have insurance and MOT. Just make sure you arrange to get the disc on within 5 days.
Hmm, so I would actually be taxed, so my insurance would not be invalidated.
Have you got a link to that page? It might actually be saying the exemption is only if you are renewing. "...before the SORN expires."
"If you buy a vehicle that already has a SORN made by the previous keeper, that SORN will come to an end on the date you buy the vehicle. You must make a new SORN if you are keeping the vehicle untaxed off the public road. You cannot transfer a SORN." - DVLA
So actually, I could be good to go.

DVLA link

If you try to tax it online it will either let you or not. As I say it takes 24hr-ish for the insurance data to update. Once that is done you can tax online and you are then taxed so cannot be done for having no tax as you are taxed and have a receipt for it.

The only possible problem is failure to display which doesn't happen much these days because of better technology than prying eyes. The most likely time you might get pulled is being parked up where traffic wardens are active. As your tax ran out yesterday? technically you are some hours out of tax but I personally wouldn't worry about it but up to you. You should have the disc on Wednesday. Usually 3 days but allow 5 which the regulations allow.

r1flyguy · April 2, 2011

Hmmmmmmmm, Failing to display, hardly likely you will get done for this even if stopped and they ask the right questions!!! if you do your 1 in a billlion!!!

As long as the car is insured and driven by you and you purchase your tax disc at the earliest opportunity, it will be commenced from the beginning of the month anyway, there is not a court in the land that would prosecute me thinks!!!

There used to be operations whereby untaxed cars are removed from the road and crushed if not collected but this referred to those untaxed for a couple of months + and no registered owners.

Used to see this all the time.

What ever happened to people using a post office ha ha.

EXY · April 2, 2011

Holy Jesub, I forsee a few sleepless nights ahead for TP :laughingsmiley:

If you are this concerned/an*l regarding taxing the fekking thing I shudder to think what is going to creep through your mind in the wee small hours when your new acquisition starts making strange noises :sad01_anim:

My most recent personal experience regarding vehicle tax is when we bought a small car when on holiday.

We live in County Down NI and while on holiday in County Armagh in the caravan we bought a cheap run around.

Car was in a back street dealers and the MOT & TAX had been up for a couple of months.

We bought the car on the (IIRC) Tuesday night, insured it, and drove it back to the Caravan site (Gosford) then returned home on the Wednesday.

I went to get tyres on it on the Thursday morning and passed a TAX mobile trap (Oops), returned home to find the insurance papers had arrived in the post so off we went to a local DVLA office and taxed the car.

About a fortnight later we got a letter from the TAX office for a fine of (again IIRC) £150 (Oh fek).

I penned a letter explaining the above and sent it off along with a copy of our receipt, MOT and Insurance and got a letter back stating the matter would be waived in this instance.

I honestly believe as long as you aren't a waster or gippo/pikey fekker then good sense should usually prevail.

Best of luck with your new purchase :thumbsup_anim:

EXY · April 2, 2011