DVLA "failure to insure" £50 fine

[Rex Orlkahz]

Guys, eh up -

Just a quick question about the DVLA fining me £50 for not being insured. It's for a bike I no longer use. It's always been kept in my "integral" garage - i.e. for the last 18 months or so. MOT expired last November. I think I must've neglected to keep the SORN current (brackets I naively assumed it was a once and done job - but it seems it has to be SORN every 12 months).

I could therefore understand if they were chasing me for not being SORN'd - but for insurance?? Wtf.

Thanks in advance everyone, and if this is the wrong fourm, could a mod/admin please chuck it in the correct one. Cheers.

[Mr E]

If it’s not SORN it must be insured I’m afraid. Been that way for a number of years now.

[Rex Orlkahz]

thanks for the quick reply - much appreciated

[junglie]

I’m no afraid so and easily done.

As the above poster has said; if not SORN then must be insured.

You would think that once the bike was SORN, it would stay that way until put back on the road. Alas, this is not the case.

As annoying as it might be, it is only £50 so probably best to pay it and sort out the admin from here going forward.

[carinaman]

I've never SORNed.

Is there a facility to set up a 'time to renew your SORN' Email reminder facility?

[monthou]

C4ME said:

Are the SORN rules different between bikes and cars? You do not have to keep renewing SORN on a car.

They're the same. You don't need to renew.

https://www.gov.uk/sorn-statutory-off-road-notific...

[Capitan Obvio]

C4ME said:

Are the SORN rules different between bikes and cars? You do not have to keep renewing SORN on a car.

Agreed, once its done, its done.

https://www.gov.uk/sorn-statutory-off-road-notific...

You do not need to renew a SORN.

[4Q]

I had one of these yesterday, my wife insures the car and it turns she hasn’t been insured since February!

Edited by 4Q on Tuesday 20th August 11:44

[Gericho]

Rex Orlkahz said:

Guys, eh up -
I think I must've neglected to keep the SORN current (brackets I naively assumed it was a once and done job - but it seems it has to be SORN every 12 months).

https://www.gov.uk/sorn-statutory-off-road-notification

It says in the bottom third of the page "You do not need to renew a SORN."

So if its SORN you don't need insurance.

[e-honda]

If the MOT runs out the tax will fail to renew, so at some point it will end up untaxed, but you still need to actually sorn it rather than just let it lapse. Unless something has gone wrong it must have been untaxed rather than sorn

[SkodaIan]

The amount of the fine is wrong, both for no insurance (£100 automatic fine) and not doing a SORN (£80 automatic fine).

I'm wondering whether the OP has received some kind of scam email which isn't from the DVLA at all.

Worth doing the online status checker on the DVLA website to see if the bike is still listed as SORN. If the bike is still correctly listed as SORN, the "fine" may well not be a fine at all.

[e-honda]

SkodaIan said:

The amount of the fine is wrong, both for no insurance (£100 automatic fine) and not doing a SORN (£80 automatic fine).

I'm wondering whether the OP has received some kind of scam email which isn't from the DVLA at all.

Worth doing the online status checker on the DVLA website to see if the bike is still listed as SORN. If the bike is still correctly listed as SORN, the "fine" may well not be a fine at all.

Good point could be a scam.

[4Q]

SkodaIan said:

The amount of the fine is wrong, both for no insurance (£100 automatic fine) and not doing a SORN (£80 automatic fine).

I'm wondering whether the OP has received some kind of scam email which isn't from the DVLA at all.

Worth doing the online status checker on the DVLA website to see if the bike is still listed as SORN. If the bike is still correctly listed as SORN, the "fine" may well not be a fine at all.

The letter we got said it was £100 fine reduced to £50 if paid by a certain date.

[Nurburgsingh]

Is it in here..

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vehicle...


otherwise - scam

[boyse7en]

4Q said:

The letter we got said it was £100 fine reduced to £50 if paid by a certain date.

Sounds dodgy to me. I don't think the DVLA does a discount for rapid payment.

[Petrus1983]

SkodaIan said:

The amount of the fine is wrong, both for no insurance (£100 automatic fine) and not doing a SORN (£80 automatic fine).

I'm wondering whether the OP has received some kind of scam email which isn't from the DVLA at all.

Worth doing the online status checker on the DVLA website to see if the bike is still listed as SORN. If the bike is still correctly listed as SORN, the "fine" may well not be a fine at all.

Good shout. Will be interesting to know if it is.

[boyse7en]

Actually, I stand corrected:


From the AA website:

Insurance advisory letter
If you're suspected of being the registered keeper of a vehicle without insurance or SORN you'll first get an official reminder – an 'Insurance Advisory Letter'.

If you ignore the letter and take no further action then you can expect:

A £100 fixed penalty (reduced to £50 if paid within 21 days).
A fine of up to £1000 if the case goes to court.
The vehicle being clamped, seized or destroyed.

[Rex Orlkahz]

Thanks guys - much appreciated.

I have now sussed out that the bike was taxed. I didn't know it needed to be insured as well. That seems wrong to me. I'm not riding the damn thing. It's in the garage, never moves. But I need to insure it?? Wtf. What's the thinking there then? Does anyone know? Cheers all.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

Rex Orlkahz said:

Thanks guys - much appreciated.

I have now sussed out that the bike was taxed. I didn't know it needed to be insured as well. That seems wrong to me. I'm not riding the damn thing. It's in the garage, never moves. But I need to insure it?? Wtf. What's the thinking there then? Does anyone know? Cheers all.

You don't need to insure it, you need to SORN it. If you don't SORN it, it's not unreasonable to think it needs insurance as it's being used on the road.

I can think of good reasons to insure a vehicle you aren't using on the road. I can't think of a reason to tax a vehicle you aren't using on the road.

[Donbot]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

You don't need to insure it, you need to SORN it. If you don't SORN it, it's not unreasonable to think it needs insurance as it's being used on the road.

I can think of good reasons to insure a vehicle you aren't using on the road. I can't think of a reason to tax a vehicle you aren't using on the road.

Yeah this. Worth SORNing just for the tax refund.