Can you drive while vehicle SORN?

JustAnotherSaver

Ok i don't mean doing Lands End to John O Groats.

I bought a new (to me) car. My current car still has a good tank of juice and i've obviously paid for the tax for August.

The current car obviously has no tax and i was intending on taxing it from 1st Sept and SORNing my current vehicle 31st August.

The MOT on the new car expires 11th September so it's coming time to get it done. What we generally do is drive our cars to the mechanic we've been dealing with for over 20 years and leave it with him at his garage. He gives it a once over, takes it to the MOT station and sorts it all out.

So that's what i'd be wanting. Just to get the car MOTd but once that's done, park it up back on private land & leave it until it's taxed in Sept.

Is that legal, since it'd only be on the road to get the MOT sorted or not?

AdrianC

Yes, it's legal to take a SORNed car to and from a pre-booked MOT.

https://www.gov.uk/sorn-statutory-off-road-notification
"When you can drive your vehicle
You can only drive a vehicle with a SORN on a public road to go to or from a pre-booked MOT or other testing appointment."

unforeseen

But it's not being driven to a pre-booked MOT. It's being driven to his mechanic who is going to do some work on it before the MECHANIC takes it for its MOT.

It's very hard to argue that you are taking it to a pre-booked MOT when you are stopped a few hours or even the day before the booking

DoaM

AdrianC said:

Yes, it's legal to take a SORNed car to and from a pre-booked MOT.

That's the important part ... taking it to your mechanic so he can take it for the MOT may not comply with that requirement.

facade

You can drive it to, and return from a pre-booked MOT, or to and from a garage for repair then retest if it fails (provided it is roadworthy).

There is no stipulation on how close to the timings you have to be, or how far away the test is from your home, but if you get stopped and the Police think you are taking the mickey you may end up walking home if your force have taken devolved powers from the DVLA.

So strictly, driving it to your mechanic before the test is not allowed, but he can drive it from his place to a pre-booked MOT.

In reality, if you pass the attitude test, and you can say where the car is booked in so the Police can 'phone them to check, whilst keeping your mouth shut about going to the mechanic first you should be fine.  You may end up in court to try and convince them that driving to the mechanics for a pre-mot check and then collecting from the mechanics after it has passed don't constitute driving it for other purposes.

Me, I'd just tax the thing now, and curse the Government even more- a few pounds wasted now is less stressful than 10 minutes of being polite in the back of a Police car.

As it has to be insured anyway to drive it, you might as well have it taxed so you can use it even if it is only to park it on the street.

AdrianC

Indeed, that's the other question - how much is one month's tax on the thing...?

JustAnotherSaver

Thanks for the info.

It isn't parked on the street, it's parked off the street on private property.

The garage is about 1 mile from where it's currently parked. I know this doesn't make it right & i'm not saying 1 mile in a way to say that gives it the green light. I'm just saying i'm not doing a 500 mile trip to my mechanic.

I also never like answering those questions like how much does it cost to tax. You are likely to say well is that all whereas I say i'm not wanting to shell out a month for a day ...if i don't have to. It's like me saying i'm going to use my tank of juice and the tax i've already paid on my current car. Some work folk have poo-pood that and said i should just get rid now. Each to their own.

theoretica

It's not just tax - would it be insured?  The 'other cars' cover may have exemptions and not cover cars you own, for instance.  Why not book its MOT in early September?

JustAnotherSaver

Yes the car is insured.

And i actually have time spare in the first week of Sept. I was planning to have the MOT done that week.

facade

As you say, each to their own, but you seem happy to waste the insurance on a car that is parked up that you can't use

I'm too old to worry even a teenie tiny bit over a possible problem that a few pounds would make go away

If he books the MOT and tells you when it is then you will be ready with the excuse when/if one of those "Police cars" that you never ever see nowadays does choose that exact moment to pass you with its ANPR on.

JustAnotherSaver

facade said:

As you say, each to their own, but you seem happy to waste the insurance on a car that is parked up that you can't use

Ok i must've got something wrong i'm sure as I don't pretend to be more knowledgeable than others here. Far from it. I just don't get what i've got wrong.

The way I see it is if i don't 'waste' money on insurance and someone nicks the car then what comeback do i have? As it's not covered against anything.

However if i do have it insured and someone nicks it ....