The DVLA site describes Date of Liability as the 'vehicle tax due date - the expiry date of the current licence disc or SORN declaration.'

But does anybody know how the Date of Liability applies to a vehicle that has been off-road since before SORN was introduced and therefore is neither licensed or SORNed?

My A7 falls into this category but has a Date of Liability later this year. Assuming I haven't finished rebuilding it by then and so won't be able to license it, do I have to start a SORN declaration?

Incidentally, according to my V5C, my car was originally manufactured/first registered in 1933, but re-registered in 1984.

Thanks
John

If your car has not been taxed before the sorn started, I wouldn’t expect to see any details mentioned as a date of liability, My Fabric saloon has not been on the road since 1988, it just comes up as ‘no details available’. I do however have the latest logbook for it. Is someone using a car with the same number as yours? Sounds as though this is a possibility, tread very carefully!

John,

See my post Oct 23 - 2006 10:15PM Re DVLA Enquiry Website.

I too noticed this strange anomaly on the DVLA site. I haven't had my vehicle on the road since the late 1970's, therefore pre SORN, when I took it off the road it was Taxed, MOT'd and Insured. It has a current V5 together with all the old logbooks, but I haven't as yet upgraded it to a V5C - I will be doing this very soon, obviously it's un-licenced and not SORN'd at the moment.

You certainly won't need to SORN your vehicle later this year just because of the date on the DVLA website. SORN only kicks in having first taxed and MOT'd your car following its restoration. Obviously once it's back on the road, if you subsequently decide to take it off the road again, then and only then will you need to follow the SORN regime for as long as you own the car. The Date of Liability numbers bear no relationship in my case to the exact day or month my car was last taxed in the 1970's - also see all the other comments on this topic - re the DVLA have apparently lost track of many vehicle details despite their huge computer system, so I think these dates are purely fictitious and have no real meaning, unless someone can offer a better sugestion.

Re your car being re-registered in 1984, I can only assume that your car is not carrying the registration number it originally had in 1933. This could happen for many reasons, perhaps the vehicle was a barn find in 1984, but had no logbook / paperwork / evidence to re-claim the original number, so was re-registered. It may have spent time abroad and been re-registered on its return to the UK. Alternatively the original registration number could have been sold off by a previous owner. Is your registration number an age related plate and therefore possibly marked as non-transferable?

Jeff

John,

Also see my previous post to the one above, Oct 23 2006 - 4:49PM DVLA Enquiry website.

Jeff

I wouldn't take too much notice of the data on the dvla site, I was checking the RN register on their site a couple of years ago and found about 30% of the cars were "details not available" etc which agreed with the dvla statement of 2005 that they cannot identify the owners of 32% of the cars on our roads. I continued working through the register until I entered a car I knew was taxed, and it came up "details not available". I then entered our 3 sevens (2 taxed since 2001 and 1 sorned) 2 came up with the details and one of the taxed cars came "details not available" so I phoned the dvla and they reported that all the details were available. I've just checked again and it still comes up details not available. Dave

Thanks to everybody for your replies and advice, and for the reference to the earlier posts. I guess I'll just sit tight.

In reply to your question, Jeff, the number plate is 2 letters & 4 numbers, but I cannot see anything on the V5C about it being non-transferable. Although it was re-registered in Basingstoke, it carries a VG registration mark which I think is Norwich. I have copies of the previous registration documents and of the 1984 re-registration application, but this gives no further clues towards an explanation.

As regards your concern about their being 2 cars with the same number, Ian, all the other details are correct, including colour.

The Date of Liability given on the DVLA site for this car, by the way, is exactly 23 years from the date of re-registration. I bought it in August last year, so perhaps the issuing of a new v5C sparked the entry in the records.

John

If you need to call the DVLA by phone use the no.01792782341, not the very expensive 0870 no.Incidently there is now a web site that will give you alteratives to most 0870 nos. they are a rip off! it is saynoto0870.com