SORN insurance, sometimes known as laid up insurance, covers vehicles that are declared with a Statutory Off Road Notification. When you declare a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN) for your vehicle, by law, you no longer need to insure it. But just because you don’t need to insure your vehicle, doesn’t mean you don’t need protection for it. That’s where SORN insurance comes in. Below we’ll cover everything you need to know about SORN insurance, including what it is and whether or not you need it.
What is a SORN?
Declaring your vehicle SORN lets the DVLA know that you’ve taken it off the road. To do this you need to fill in a SORN declaration form (V890) and send it to the DVLA, either online, by post or over the phone. Once you’ve done this, your vehicle will no longer need to be taxed or insured and you’ll receive a refund for any remaining months of tax your vehicle still has.
It is common to declare your vehicle SORN for a few reasons such as if it is:
- Unfit to be driven
- In storage
- Undergoing repair
Whatever your reason for declaring a SORN, driving a SORN vehicle on the road is illegal unless you’re on your way to a pre-booked MOT appointment. If you’re caught driving a SORN vehicle, you could face a fine of up to £2,500 and have your vehicle seized.
Just because you don’t need insurance by law, when a vehicle is declared SORN, it still sits without any protection should something happen. You might still have regular insurance on your vehicle, but if not, SORN insurance covers the vehicle for the period in which it is stored. Having SORN insurance helps to provide that peace of mind, that your usual car insurance does, but often at a cheaper premium.
Our panel of insurers offer two different types of SORN insurance: Fire & Theft and Fire, Theft & Accidental damage. One provides an additional level of cover over the other which we will detail below.
Fire & Theft SORN Insurance:
This type of SORN insurance will cover your vehicle if it’s stolen or damaged by fire. Bear in mind, if your vehicle is stolen, most insurers require a police crime reference number to process any claim.
Fire, Theft & Accidental Damage SORN Insurance:
As well as the cover included in Fire and Theft SORN insurance, this type of SORN insurance will also cover accidental damage. Accidental damage is often defined as “damage caused by impact or collision with another object”. So, if your vehicle is damaged whilst in storage, this type of SORN insurance will have you covered.
However, each insurer may have different wording in their policies as to what is and isn’t covered as well as outlining the criteria needed for how your SORN vehicle is to be stored to be covered under their insurance.
Do You Need SORN Insurance?
Whether or not you need SORN insurance depends on a few factors. If your vehicle is financed, then your lender will likely require that you have some form of coverage on your vehicle, even if it is stored. It is worth checking with your lender for this reason before declaring your vehicle SORN.
If your vehicle is not financed and you don’t mind taking on the risk yourself, then you may not need SORN insurance. However, if you would like some peace of mind knowing that your vehicle is protected even while it’s in storage, then SORN insurance may be a good option for you.
When your vehicle is declared SORN, by law, you no longer need to insure it but that doesn’t mean you don’t need protection for it. That’s where SORN insurance comes in, if you’d like to get multiple quotes to compare online use our comparison service.