No, you cannot legally drive a car with a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN) on public roads. A SORN is a formal declaration to the UK's Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) that a vehicle is not being used and is kept off the public highway. The moment a SORN is applied, the vehicle's road tax is invalidated, and it becomes illegal to drive it anywhere except to a pre-booked MOT test, and even then, you must have valid insurance for that journey.
Driving a SORN car on public roads can result in significant penalties. You face an automatic fixed penalty of £80, but if the case goes to court, the fine can increase to a maximum of £2,500. Furthermore, you could be prosecuted for having no valid vehicle tax and no insurance, as a SORN invalidates your policy. The police use automated number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras which will immediately flag an untaxed (SORN) vehicle being used on the road.
The only exceptions are for driving to and from a pre-arranged MOT appointment. You must be able to prove the appointment exists if stopped by the police. You cannot use the car for any other reason, including quick trips to the store. If your car is off the road for an extended period, declaring SORN is the correct procedure to avoid paying road tax unnecessarily. To legally drive the car again, you must tax it first, which requires having a valid MOT certificate and insurance in place.
| Consequence | Potential Penalty | Notes |
|---|
| Fixed Penalty Fine | £80 | Can be reduced to £40 if paid within a certain period. |
| Maximum Court Fine | £2,500 | For driving an untaxed vehicle. |
| Insurance Prosecution | Fine & Points | Driving without valid insurance is a serious offense. |
| Vehicle Clamping | £100+ release fee | Untaxed vehicles can be wheel-clamped or impounded. |
| Impound Fee | £200+ | Daily storage charges also apply. |
