What does SORN mean?

SORN stands for Statutory Off Road Notification. It's how you officially register a car as being stored off the public road, rather than taxed and ready to drive.

In practice, this cuts both ways: the car doesn't need to be taxed while the SORN is in place, but it also can't be used on the public road at all until it's taxed again and the SORN is lifted - not even for a quick trip to the shops.

It's typically used when a car is going to be off the road for an extended period - being restored, stored over winter, or waiting to be sold, for example. You can make a SORN even if the car has no MOT or isn't insured, as long as it's kept somewhere off the public road, like a driveway, garage or private land.

A SORN doesn't expire on its own. It stays in place until the vehicle is taxed again, sold, or scrapped.