I was catching up on some admin the other week and thought I would just check that all the bikes we have here off the road are still SORN'd. Now, a majority of them were but I have 3 that I SORN'd last year, I have the printouts showing the SORN reference numbers from DVLA and I know it is now continuous , ie, the SORN will remain until either the bike is taxed of a change of owner is registered but they are showing as non SORN'd. So I SORN'd them again the other day, I was given a SORN reference number again but having just checked their status again, they still show as not SORN !!!!. I have been in touch with DVLA and this was their response
Thank you for your enquiry received on 25/2/2017.
Your case reference number is 00031380.
It might be helpful if I explain that on the 31 January 1998 the law changed. Keepers are now required to notify DVLA if their vehicles are to be kept off the public road untaxed.
The scheme only applies to vehicles where the vehicle tax has expired on or after 31 January 1998. As your vehicle U*M***S was untaxed on this date, it does not fall into the Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN) scheme. It will only become liable to SORN if it is re-taxed and then subsequently taken off the road.
I have contacted DVLA again asking why on all their documentation it says a vehicle must be taxed or SORN and nowhere does it state the above. I have also asked them what is the point of going through the process and being issued with a SORN reference number, for no reason at all. I will let you know what comes back from them.
Now, I may be the only person on the forum, or indeed the UK that does not know about the above but I doubt it very much.