If you sold your car while it was SORNed, you’re off the hook. The new owner must tax it. You just need to notify the DVLA of the sale. But if you’re the new owner, congratulations: you’ve inherited a paperweight. You’ll follow the same steps. Unless you bought it from a dealer—they usually handle all this nonsense for you.
The One Thing Nobody Tells You
When you un-SORN a vehicle, the DVLA automatically sends you a refund for any full months of SORN you had left after the cancellation. Wait—what? Yes. If you paid for a full year of SORN (wait, you don’t pay for SORN—it’s free), you never paid in the first place. So no refund. But if you had previously taxed the car and then applied a SORN to get a refund, then un-SORN it, you might owe retroactive tax? Actually, no—it starts fresh. I’ve confused myself. Let me simplify: you just pay from today. Breathe.
