Driving a SORN car to MOT - how far???

[VAGslag]

Does anyone have any experience with driving a SRON car to an MOT over any sort of distance?

I'm looking at buying a car which is currently SORN. It's about 2hrs/120miles away from me, am I okay to drive it to an MOT appointment at a trusted test centre near me? Or could I potentially get in trouble for that?

I've looked online and on the DVLA website, and all it says is "you can drive to a pre-arranged MOT appointment under SORN".

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Does anyone have any experience of this?

TIA!

[ARHarh]

As far as I m aware you can drive as far as you like. But a policeman may think you are taking the piss. Why not book it into an MOT place near where you are getting it from, or trailer it home.

Why is it being sold without an MOT?

[Panamax]

ARHarh said:

Why is it being sold without an MOT?

That's very much the question. It's against the law to drive a car that's not "roadworthy" whether or not it needs or has a current MOT certificate.

If you do decide to give it a go it's not enough just to say you're on your way to an MOT. You'll need to have written proof with you of the appointment.

[healeyneil]

I did a 90 mile journey recently, from Whitehaven to Glasgow. The mot fails weren’t for anything you might call dangerous. I arranged day insurance, and had booked the car into my local garage for its mot. Drove home and no questions/stops/ letters through the post. Quite handy as it proved the engine and gearbox are fit for further use. I didn’t turn up for the mot

[E63eeeeee...]

Panamax said:

That's very much the question. It's against the law to drive a car that's not "roadworthy" whether or not it needs or has a current MOT certificate.

If you do decide to give it a go it's not enough just to say you're on your way to an MOT. You'll need to have written proof with you of the appointment.

Really? I can't remember the last time I had written proof of an MOT booking. Pretty sure showing the email confirmation on your phone will suffice. It is 2024, after all.

[ARHarh]

E63eeeeee... said:

Really? I can't remember the last time I had written proof of an MOT booking. Pretty sure showing the email confirmation on your phone will suffice. It is 2024, after all.

Most emails are written

[Pica-Pica]

ARHarh said:

E63eeeeee... said:

Really? I can't remember the last time I had written proof of an MOT booking. Pretty sure showing the email confirmation on your phone will suffice. It is 2024, after all.

Most emails are written

… badly.

[E63eeeeee...]

ARHarh said:

E63eeeeee... said:

Really? I can't remember the last time I had written proof of an MOT booking. Pretty sure showing the email confirmation on your phone will suffice. It is 2024, after all.

Most emails are written

[dan98]

I've made in excess of 1000 mile journey across 4 countries and 5 English counties to an MOT appointment - presumably picked up via apnr several times, UK customs etc. with no comeback.
I expect you'll be fine;)

[Cold]

SORN done by the previous owner becomes void once the car is sold.

[ARHarh]

Cold said:

SORN done by the previous owner becomes void once the car is sold.

Good point, but you can sorn it when you buy it.

[driveaway]

So as long your on the way to an MOT/MOT repairs (this is what a clerk at the DVLA/DVSA confirmed for me over the phone), there is nothing legally wrong with you driving it to one.
That is, said that you are comfortable enough that you believe the car can do the drive to wherever you are going.

Anyhow, if the police do stop you, tell them that you're on the way to the MOT place (and if it's in middle of the night, no difference, many people who have a trusty garage like me, drop the car off and stick the keys through the letter box etc), and if the officer does not believe you, tell them you're more than happy to offer them to escort you all the way down to your garage!
I mean, I'd love a free police escort....

[marksx]

ARHarh said:

Good point, but you can sorn it when you buy it.

When is it 'sold' though? When the database updates?

[ARHarh]

Just like when you buy a car you tax it when you buy it, just sorn it instead of taxing it. Do it all.online at the place you buy it, along with change of keeper stuff.

[driveaway]

I'm assuming that just as you can tax it with the new keepers slip, you can sorn it as well...

[ARHarh]

Yep all done on he same web page.

[VAGslag]

To be clear, the car never failed an MOT, it just expired and was subsequently SORN'd... I'm also in the trade and have trade insurance so all good there. And I'm qualified enough to judge whether something is "road worthy" or not... I'm just trying to avoid getting done unnecessarily :/

Additionally, in my 20 years of being in the trade, I have never once received "written confirmation" of an MOT booking ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Thanks for all your answers though people!

[VAGslag]

driveaway said:

So as long your on the way to an MOT/MOT repairs (this is what a clerk at the DVLA/DVSA confirmed for me over the phone), there is nothing legally wrong with you driving it to one.
That is, said that you are comfortable enough that you believe the car can do the drive to wherever you are going.

Anyhow, if the police do stop you, tell them that you're on the way to the MOT place (and if it's in middle of the night, no difference, many people who have a trusty garage like me, drop the car off and stick the keys through the letter box etc), and if the officer does not believe you, tell them you're more than happy to offer them to escort you all the way down to your garage!
I mean, I'd love a free police escort....

Thanks, possibly one of the more intelligent answers here... Or maybe just more along the lines of what I wanted to hear lol