Is there a fIne for having no MOT when off the road, but no SORN?

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nicholsong

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I know if one has not paid VED and not SORNED then one can be fined.

Is there an equivalent offence for not having a MOT? Or is the offence only fo using the vehicle on an UK road?

I cannot SORN the vehicle as it is not in the UK, and I cannot see a practical way of getting it to UK for MOT by due date, especially since at my age I am not allowed out of the house under Polish LAW.

I am contemplating writing to DVLA and stating the above and just declaring it is off the road.

Geoff
 
Not strictly legit but i think you can still declare sorn on line, if you simply forgot it was abroad
No offence committed with having no MOT that im aware of untill you go on public roads with it
 
I think you are ok if it's not driven but how will you get to the UK when it opens up without an MOT?
 
It's perfectly legal to not have a valid M.O.T. as long as the vehicle is kept off a public road.

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I had to SORN the Eriba because the MOT expired (road fund paid by DD)- letter from DVLA - MOT it or SORN it !

I didn't have to say where it was being kept
 
Barclaybasher said:
I had to SORN the Eriba because the MOT expired (road fund paid by DD)- letter from DVLA - MOT it or SORN it !

I didn't have to say where it was being kept
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MOT has nothing to do with DVLA (driver & vehicle LICENCING agency) , it's a DVSA/VOSA requirement
 
Diabalo said:
It's ok to drive it to the MOT station if it's booked in.
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Yes once back in the UK but not from Poland.
Hopefully some common sense will take note of the very strange circumstances, but I wouldn't count on it.
 
Declare it SORN. It's not on a UK road so DVLA and VOSA need not worry.

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Just book it in at the nearest MOT station when you plan to return to the UK as long as its within a reasonable distance you will be fine, if it fails unless the tester notes not be be driven then you are ok taking it away for repairs, The SORN bit is just telling DVLA its not on a public road and you get the tax back. It matters not that you are in the EU its Uk registered but its worth checking for how long you can keep the vehicle on UK plates abroad until you have to re register it in your new country of domicile
 
pappajohn said:
MOT has nothing to do with DVLA, it's a DVSA/VOSA requirement
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Failed MOT Nov 2019. Thinking I would repair it sooner than I did I left the DD for the tax in place.

Tax expired 31/10/2020 - letter from DVLA - MOT it and tax it or SORN it

Gone for MOT today
 
Have you checked the DVLA site , your not could have been moved, my lads lorry was due last Friday but when checking it's been moved to January.
 
Must have MOT if on the road (Covid may have extended the MOT expiry) if its not taxed it must be SORN'ed (and off road) or they will issue an automatic fine

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If the MOT runs out and you have no tax then you will not be able to tax it again until you have an MOT.
You then. have the logistics problem of getting it back to the uk across several other boarders with no tax and no MOT which even if you have insurance it will be invalidated.
Yes you would be able to cross the channel and have it booked in for an MOT in advance whereupon you will be able to tax it online immediately. It's the travel back to uk which may prove to be a stumbling block.
 
Barclaybasher said:
Failed MOT Nov 2019. Thinking I would repair it sooner than I did I left the DD for the tax in place.

Tax expired 31/10/2020 - letter from DVLA - MOT it and tax it or SORN it

Gone for MOT today
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Yes dvla would tell you to mot it before taxing as you cant tax a vehicle with no mot

You can however sorn one with no mot as ive done this many times including with my current hymer. The mot expired January 11th ...i sorned it end of january as not planning to use it ....then i got mot in may and taxed it at start of September.


My suzuki alto is currently taxed till january but mot expires 27th November

As im in europe till at least april it can't be mot and will be sorned when tax expires
 
CB and Brenda said:
Must have MOT if on the road (Covid may have extended the MOT expiry) if its not taxed it must be SORN'ed (and off road) or they will issue an automatic fine
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Well the answers differ about whether there is an offence and creates an automatic fine.

It also raises the question of who is 'they' that would issue a fine because, as one poster points out the MOT is under the control od DVSA, but are they obliged to cross-check whether VED has been paid? Equally why would DVLA be involved in fining for a breach of rules governed by DVSA? [DVLA's website directs any questions on MOT to DVSA]

I would ensure DVLA know the vehicle is off the road before MOT expires(it is the extended date coming up). Maybe I have to tell DVSA also?

Two posters have had letters from DVLA. If they know the vehicle is off the road, but cannot be SORNED I wonder what their letter to me would say.

[For Barsteward. Got tax covered as it is due 5 days before MOT expires]

A tangled web.

Geoff
 
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barsteward said:
If the MOT runs out and you have no tax then you will not be able to tax it again until you have an MOT.
You then. have the logistics problem of getting it back to the uk across several other boarders with no tax and no MOT which even if you have insurance it will be invalidated.
Yes you would be able to cross the channel and have it booked in for an MOT in advance whereupon you will be able to tax it online immediately. It's the travel back to uk which may prove to be a stumbling block.
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This is not necessarily true

When i bought my swiss registerd vw type 2 i insured it immediately using the chassis number.

It had no mot and no tax and was not used on the road for 3 months before i had it ready for mot ....but it was fully covered by insurance during that time ..

I was then covered to take it for its mot test ....and then once mot i got tax
Which it was exempt from anyway


So i believe the op can sorn it now but keep it insured and then as long as its roadworthy with no major defects he can drive it to a booked mot in the uk

I doubt any other country would bat an eyelid unless it had obvious or major defects.
 
Northernraider said:
So i believe the op can sorn it now but keep it insured and then as long as its roadworthy with no major defects he can drive it to a booked mot in the uk

I doubt any other country would bat an eyelid unless it had obvious or major defects.
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That would be my approach too.

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nicholsong said:
Well the answers differ about whether there is an offence and creates an automatic fine.

It also raises the question of who is 'they' that would issue a fine because, as one poster points out the MOT is under the control od DVSA, but are they obliged to cross-check whether VED has been paid? Equally why would DVLA be involved in fining for a breach of rules governed by DVSA?

I would ensure DVLA know the vehicle is off the road before MOT expires(it is the extended date coming up). Maybe I have to tell DVSA also?

Two posters have had letters from DVLA. If they know the vehicle is off the road, but cannot be SORNED I wonder what their letter to me would say.

A tangled web.

Geoff
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You can sorn a vehicle at any time regardless of whether it has mot or not

I have a friend who has several ( read like 17 or 18 ) vehicles in his garden with no mot and are all sorned
 
Northernraider said:
This is not necessarily true

When i bought my swiss registerd vw type 2 i insured it immediately using the chassis number.

It had no mot and no tax and was not used on the road for 3 months before i had it ready for mot ....but it was fully covered by insurance during that time ..

I was then covered to take it for its mot test ....and then once mot i got tax
Which it was exempt from anyway


So i believe the op can sorn it now but keep it insured and then as long as its roadworthy with no major defects he can drive it to a booked mot in the uk

I doubt any other country would bat an eyelid unless it had obvious or major defects.
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As I understand it if your vehicle was registered in Switzerland it would not have been subject to SORN because the The Road Vehicles (Statutory Off-Road Notification) Regs 1997refer only to "a mechanically propelled vehicle which is registered in the records kept under the 1994 Act by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency on behalf of the Secretary of State". In practice, SORN only applies to vehicles which were on the DVLA record at the time the Regs became law.
 
David and Sally said:
Declare it SORN. It's not on a UK road so DVLA and VOSA need not worry.
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That would depend on when the tax runs out, if it is sorned he will have no way of retaxing the vehicle without an MOT and driving the vehicle would then be definitely illegal anywhere.

If the tax is about to run out then it is a different matter and although technically not allowed then sorn would be the only way to avoid a fine, there are several sorned UK registered vehicles on sites in Portugal.
 
barsteward said:
If the MOT runs out and you have no tax then you will not be able to tax it again until you have an MOT.
You then. have the logistics problem of getting it back to the uk across several other boarders with no tax and no MOT which even if you have insurance it will be invalidated.
Yes you would be able to cross the channel and have it booked in for an MOT in advance whereupon you will be able to tax it online immediately. It's the travel back to uk which may prove to be a stumbling block.
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It is a fallacy that using a motor vehicle on a road without having a valid Mot and not taxed will invalidate the Insurance that is in place.
It may be reduced from whatever it is, (ie fully comp. Third party fire and theft or whatever) to the absolute minimum required to comply with legislation but the driver will have legal Insurance.
 
nicholsong said:
Well the answers differ about whether there is an offence and creates an automatic fine.

It also raises the question of who is 'they' that would issue a fine because, as one poster points out the MOT is under the control od DVSA, but are they obliged to cross-check whether VED has been paid? Equally why would DVLA be involved in fining for a breach of rules governed by DVSA? [DVLA's website directs any questions on MOT to DVSA]

I would ensure DVLA know the vehicle is off the road before MOT expires(it is the extended date coming up). Maybe I have to tell DVSA also?

Two posters have had letters from DVLA. If they know the vehicle is off the road, but cannot be SORNED I wonder what their letter to me would say.

[For Barsteward. Got tax covered as it is due 5 days before MOT expires]

A tangled web.

Geoff
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I believe if no sorn in place it will eventually be removed by
DVSA contractors for destruction no arguments

sorn it now ,
when you return to uk book an mot at point of entry or as near as you can

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Many replies about SORNING my vehicle in Poland have ignored the fact that by law the vehicle must be in the UK to do it, so I cannot.

Geoff
 
nicholsong said:
Many replies about SORNING my vehicle in Poland have ignored the fact that by law the vehicle must be in the UK to do it, so I cannot.

Geoff
Click to expand...

[I even had an opinion on a chatline with DVLA that they say a vehicle has to be in the UK if I want to change any details on the V5c. I have not checked whether that is law or just a DVLA employee on her Wed. opinion.]
 
It is illegal to sorn a vehicle when out of the UK, many do but that does not make it legal.

My advice would be to keep the vehicle legal in all respects except the MOT for as long as possible and return to the UK for an MOT as soon as it is possible.

There will be no automatic fine for an expired MOT but there will be for expired road tax.

If the tax then runs out before it is possible to return for an MOT there is no legal solution.

I presume that the vehicle will not be used in this period, I would sorn as a last resort, whilst technically illegal it would be difficult for anyone in the UK to find out, unfortunately then the only legal way to recover the vehicle would be on a transporter.

I am in a similar situation but my MOT and tax do not run out until August next year and I am hopeful of matriculating the vehicle into the Portuguese system which is the only truly legal way out of this dilemma.

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