Motorists with vehicles registered as ‘off the road’ are being warned they “must” act before driving once more – or face substantial fines potentially reaching thousands of pounds.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has issued a fresh alert reminding drivers that any vehicle declared off the road via a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN) must be taxed before being used again. Failure to comply could result in an automatic penalty – and, in the worst instances, court proceedings with fines of up to £2,500.
The caution forms part of a social media campaign encouraging motorists to verify their vehicle status before returning to the road after a period off it.
View 2 ImagesMotorists with vehicles registered as ‘off the road’ are being warned(Image: stefanamer via Getty Images)
Drivers who neglect to tax their vehicle – or fail to submit a SORN – could receive an automatic £80 fine, slashed to £40 if settled promptly. However, disregarding the matter can prove significantly more expensive.
Should a vehicle remain untaxed, the DVLA may intensify enforcement measures, including:
- Further out-of-court settlements
- Clamping or seizing the vehicle
- Passing the case to debt collection agencies
Should the matter end up in court, fines can climb to £1,000 or beyond, depending on the severity of the offence.
The steepest fines are reserved for those who return a SORN vehicle to public roads without taxing it beforehand. In such instances, drivers risk: An initial penalty of £30 plus double the outstanding tax
Or, if taken to court, a fine of up to £2,500 or five times the tax due. Vehicles can also be clamped immediately, with additional release and storage fees mounting up.
The DVLA utilises a central database and automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras to detect untaxed vehicles, meaning offenders can be caught without being pulled over.
Drivers are legally obliged to either:
- Tax their vehicle, or
- Declare it off the road with a SORN
There is no grace period – and even vehicles kept off public roads must be properly registered.
Article continues below
The DVLA’s message is straightforward: if your car has been declared SORN, you must tax it before driving it again. Even a brief journey could leave drivers facing penalties far outweighing the cost of the tax itself. And with fines starting at £80 but potentially reaching £2,500, failing to take action could turn a post-holiday drive into an extremely costly error.