The DVLA have issued an urgent warning to road users across the UK about a little-known car tax blunder that could lead to expensive fines.
Motoring experts at LeaseCar.uk have urged people to check their car taxes, even if the vehicle is not being driven and is off the road. The Express reports that if people are forced to keep their cars off the road due to the cost of living crisis, they must be declared as SORN.
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The DVLA must be notified when drivers take their untaxed cars off the road and keep it in a garage or a driveway. The abbreviation SORN stands for 'Statutory Off Road Notification', and lets the DVLA know that the untaxed vehicle is no longer on the road.
If you fail to notify the DVLA about any off-road vehicles, this could result in fines of up to an astonishing £1,000. A spokesman for LeaseCar.uk said: “Times are tough at the moment with the rising cost of living and a lot of people are making some difficult decisions.
“Some are choosing not to run their cars and are opting for public transport instead. But many don’t realise they could end up with a fine even if their car does not leave the drive. Unless they tell DVLA and obtain a SORN notification the authorities will see the vehicle as untaxed and therefore they could be fined.
“Receiving a penalty fine when you are actually trying to save cash would be a bitter pill to swallow so we want to make sure all motorists are fully informed of the legal requirements.”
You can notify the DVLA online via their website here. The notification only needs to be completed once, and will be automatically disregarded if the car is re-taxed.
Drivers will know a SORN has been successfully processed when they receive a letter from the DVLA, usually within four weeks. The UK Government makes the assumption that all cars on UK roads have been taxed unless a SORN has been submitted.
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