Key Steps for Taking a Car Off the Road

 There are several reasons you might want to take your car off the road. It might not be roadworthy anymore, or maybe it's a hobby car that you don't have time to drive. It could be a car you want to restore that isn't ready to drive yet. Whatever reason you have for taking it off the road, you need to follow the right steps to make it official. If you're planning to scrap your whole car, you don't need to register it as being off the road. However, if you're going to keep it or some of its parts, you will need to make sure you do it correctly.

Find Somewhere to Keep Your Car

Firstly, you will need to find somewhere to keep your car if you're planning to keep it. If you want to register it as being officially off the road, you will need to keep it in a garage, on private land, or on your driveway. You could plan to keep it in a garage or storage unit away from your home if you don't have the space. You'll need to consider different car storage sizes to ensure your car will fit into the space you use. Get the wrong size, and you will be wasting money.

Image from Pexels - CC0 License

Image from Pexels - CC0 License

SORN Your Car

To officially declare your car as a vehicle that's no longer on the road, you need to tell the DVLA. A statutory off road notification (SORN) allows you to do this, and you will get a refund for any full months of tax remaining on the vehicle. You can apply online to do this using either the 16-digit number on your vehicle tax reminder or the 11-digit number in your vehicle log book. You will first need to ensure your address is right in your log book and you take the right steps if the vehicle isn't registered in your name.

Save Money

Once your car is registered as being off the road, you no longer need to pay tax on it or insure it. When you tell the DVLA, you should get a refund for any tax you have already paid and you won't have to continue paying tax on it. Your insurance won't be cancelled automatically, and you might want to continue insuring your car to protect it. However, if you do want to cancel your insurance, you will have to tell your provider and might need to pay cancellation fees.

Decide on the Car's Future

After taking a car off the road, you might want to consider what's going to happen to it next. A SORN will last for an indefinite period, so you can decide what your next step might be. Maybe it's just off the road until you have repaired it, or maybe your plan is to sell it. But you probably don't want it to be on your drive or in storage forever, so it's worth thinking about its future.

If you decide to take a car off the road, make sure you do it properly and follow the necessary steps.