Getting a tax disc after declaring SORN isn't difficult - you can get one instantly from a Post Office with the V5, MOT and insurance details. I accept that you'll lose a good part of a months tax though.

The law on insuring cars that are kept off road is not likely to come in for at least 6 months and is more likely to be in around 18 months time. Your best bet would be to wait until the law is about to come in and there will be a number of Insurers who will have reacted and brought policies in for vehicles that need Insuring under this law

Nope. thegovernment in its wisdom is proposing making it illegal soon to have a taxed uninsured car, even if it's locked in your garage.

More importantly, they're doing it via database searches, so you can't just ignore it being illegal as nobody would know it's in your garage, a fixed penalty will pop through the door.

You can of course declare SORN - but this is totally impractical for short periods as it may take a week or more to regain the tax disk, and you waste the current months remaining tax.

I'm going to be using the car very seldom, and had hoped to simply insure it on days I use it (9.45), not all the time. (400)

The new legislation will make this illegal, I was wondering if there was a policy that would count as 'insured' for this legislation, but not in fact cover me for driving on the roads.

I'm just a bit depressed to learn at the - effectively - 200 quid/year tax I now have to pay to the insurance company, when before I could avoid it quite legally with no impact on anyone else.

Im asuming you want a policy that will prevent you from being being pulled over by the police when they scan your numberplate. Laid up insurance will not (when i last checked) add the vehicle to the motor insurance database (of which the police use with their ANPR cameras)

As a previous poster said - the new type of insurance is not in force at the moment so there is no need to find insurance at this time.

If you need to tax a car then you can get tempary cover (i.e. 1-2 days) that enables you to do this for about £20.

Smala01

SORN isn't appropriate, as it can't be turned on and off with no notice, and means at best you lose any non-entire months of your road tax.

I actually want a policy which will count as 'insured' from the point of view of the government, but not permit me to have the vehicle on the road or even to cover me against theft. Fire might be nice, but this is a tiny risk in this instance.

Any driving would be done on a policy which allowed me to drive unspecified cars.

I hadn't found 'laid up' as a keyword before - thanks - will ring round on monday.

ColinHall:

Is there insurance for a car that will not be driven, kept in a garage, that would meed the governments criteria for an insured car under the proposed regulations, but not allow you to drive?

The SORN system for declaring the car off-road will still apply.

If you want to cover the car in the garage, for fire and theft, there are laid up policies available. Contact a good local insurance broker (not swinton) to find the best policy to suit your requirements.

Huckster

The requirement for cars that are kept off road to have Insurance are proposals that are not expected to come into place for a long time.

If you do need cover for the vehicle while its off road, there are policies available, mainly to classic type vehicles. Is your car a classic / unusual vehicle or what are the circumstances?

Is there insurance for a car that will not be driven, kept in a garage, that would meed the governments criteria for an insured car under the proposed regulations, but not allow you to drive?