Whether you own a classic, a treasured sports car or simply a vehicle that enjoys a quieter life than the daily traffic grind, there may come a time when it makes sense to take it off the road. Perhaps it’s undergoing a long-awaited restoration, or tucked away to avoid the worst of the winter weather, or resting in a professional storage facility like Racing Green. Whatever the reason, if the car isn’t going to be driven, two terms inevitably crop up: SORN and laid-up insurance.

They sound bureaucratic – and in truth, they are – but understanding them is essential to properly safeguarding your car when it’s not seeing regular road use.

Both are relatively quick and easy to put in place, and doing so might save you money. After all, the existing insurer of a car being declared off the road faces considerably less exposure to a potential claim; after inputting all the details, often the 'system' will come back with a lower premium, and you'll be entitled to a partial refund.

Your existing insurer or broker will be more than up to speed on SORN and laid-up insurance, and will be able to update any existing policy accordingly. (Fora deeperdive on specialist car insurance, read our guide to specialist car insurance here.)

What exactly is SORN and what does it mean for insurance?

A Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN) is a formal declaration to the DVLA that your vehicle is being kept off public roads. It's relatively quick and straightforward – in less than a couple of minutes you'll have it done. To get started, visit gov.uk/make-a-sorn. All that's needed are either the 11-digit number from the vehicle's V5C document, or the 16-digit reference number from its tax reminder. And if you had any road tax paid beyond the date of declaring the car SORN, the DVLA will process a refund.

Once declared SORN, you no longer pay road tax and you are not legally required to have standard road insurance.

But unless you enjoy high-stakes gambling, that doesn’t mean your car no longer needs protection.

Even a car stored in a garage can still fall victim to risks: theft, fire, accidental damage, or that once-in-a-blue-moon incident no one ever thinks about until it happens. Many owners assume that because their car isn’t being driven, nothing can happen to it but sadly the real world doesn’t work that way.

This is where laid-up insurance steps in.

Laid-up insurance: peace of mind for cars at rest

Laid-up insurance is designed specifically for cars that are off the road and declared SORN. Think of it as a tailored safety net: not for driving, but for everything else that matters.

What it does not include is road cover – you cannot legally drive the vehicle. What it does include is protection against the things that can still go wrong when your car is stored.

Below is what most good laid-up policies provide, and why it matters for owners of cherished vehicles.

Theft protection

Even gated driveways or the best-secured garages aren’t immune to determined criminals. Classic and performance cars have become increasingly desirable targets, especially those whose values continue to climb. Laid-up cover ensures that if the worst happens, you’re financially protected, which is particularly important if your car is rare and of sentimental value, modified or appreciating.

Fire & vandalism

Even vehicles stored outside at home aren’t immune to vandalism. A laid-up policy typically covers damage caused by fire or malicious acts, offering reassurance that your car’s downtime doesn’t become a costly setback.

Accidental damage

Accidental bumps and scrapes happen more often than people think. A tool slips from a workbench, a shelving unit gives way, or another vehicle is manoeuvred a little too close. In a garage environment, even with the best procedures, accidents can happen.

Storm and flood damage

You might imagine everything's okay once the car's tucked up in a friend's garage, but with more severe weather incidents putting properties at risk, knowing a car is covered against storm and flood damage is a one less thing to lose sleep over.

Transportation

If the car will need to be moved about on a trailer or truck, a laid-up policy should cover it. That said, any reputable company transporting a vehicle professionally should have insurance cover of their own.

Flexibility for cars of all types

One of the advantages of laid-up insurance is how flexible it can be. Policies can often be tailored to match the type of vehicle and how it’s being stored, notably in important areas such as agreed valuation and limited annual mileage.

Owners of cars declared off the road for the purposes of restoration or mechanical work can usually include cover for transportation (such as being taken from a workshop where it might be stripped back to a bare shell then moved onto a bodyshop, or being transported to an interior trimmer) as well as replacement parts needed for the restoration project.

Why having laid-up insurance matters – even if your car is in professional storage

At Racing Green Car Storage, the world's first carbon conscious car storage provider, we pride ourselves on offering a secure, climate-controlled environment designed specifically for cherished vehicles. And we include an agreed sum of insurance for each client's car – yet we always recommend laid-up insurance to clients storing their car with us.

Why? Because even the most carefully managed facilities cannot foresee every possible scenario — and your car deserves protection that runs deep enough to cover those rare, unpredictable events. Having everything in place ensures no quibbling.

Laid-up cover is inexpensive compared with road insurance, and for many owners it’s part and parcel of sensible stewardship.

When should you switch to laid-up insurance?

Laid-up or SORN insurance is particularly useful if:

• Your car will be off the road for three months or more
• It’s undergoing major restoration or mechanical work
• You’re storing it over winter, or while travelling abroad
• It’s a collector vehicle, rarely driven but highly valuable

Put simply, if your car is taking a break from normal use, laid-up insurance is worth the modest investment.

SORN removes your legal obligation to insure your car but leaving it uninsured is a risky gamble. Laid-up insurance protects the investment, history and emotional value of a special car.

It keeps you covered against the real-world risks that don’t disappear just because your car is parked. For enthusiasts, collectors and owners who simply take pride in doing things properly, it’s a smart addition to any period of planned storage or downtime.