DVLA little-known ‘5 year’ rule on number plates explained – what to know

Need to know

The DVLA has issued guidance clarifying the rules around the process for motorists in the UK

Need to know: DVLA clarifies ‘five-year’ rule for many vehicles affecting licence plates and MOT requirements

• The DVLA has explained a ‘five-year’ rule affecting licence plates that could require vehicle owners to obtain an MOT.
• The agency issued clarification this month over retaining licence plates, following parliamentary questions that prompted the Department for Transport to release an official statement. The rule specifically affects vehicles with a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN), which millions of UK vehicles currently have.
• A SORN is required when taking a vehicle ‘off the road’ to stop taxing and insuring it. Freedom of Information data shows the UK now has more than 6.6 million vehicles with a SORN – more than double the 2014-15 figure.
• The issue emerged after Labour MP Anna Gelderd questioned whether the government would review DVLA guidance on transferring registration plates from SORN vehicles. Justin Madders, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Transport, responded that strict requirements must be met before registration numbers can be retained or transferred.
• “Where a vehicle is subject to a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN), an application will only be considered in specific circumstances, including where the SORN has been in place for less than five years,” he said. “If the SORN has been in place for five years or more, an MOT test is required.”
• The minister added that where an MOT test isn’t feasible, the DVLA may arrange an inspection to confirm the vehicle can move under its own power. The clarification aims to ensure vehicle owners understand all requirements for retaining their registration plates whilst complying with legal obligations.
• READ THE FULL STORY: DVLA ‘five year’ MOT licence plate rule that could affect millions explained