Can You Keep Uninsured Cars on Driveways?

Friday, 27 March 2026

There are several reasons why you might want to let your car insurance lapse – you might not be using your vehicle for an extended period of time, or cannot afford the insurance premiums. But if your car is uninsured, you are committing a crime if it is parked on a driveway and it is not covered with a SORN. In fact, did you know that it can be towed, clamped, impounded or destroyed?

Two parked cars in front of terraced houses

Where can you keep an uninsured car?

If your car is not currently insured then it is illegal to park it on the road, on a private driveway or garage. Since 2011 the police have had powers to impound or clamp uninsured vehicles on driveways, so it is an offence to keep an uninsured car anywhere. The DVLA keeps track of uninsured vehicles via the Motor Insurance Database. To park a car either on the public highway or private land requires it to have at least third party insurance cover.

The only option for a driver who wants to keep an uninsured or untaxed car is to apply for a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN). A SORN is valid indefinitely, but a car with a SORN can still only be parked on private property – not on the road or a public car park.

If you are unsure of the law for uninsured vehicles, find out more.

Car parked without insurance – what happens?

If a car is suspected to be uninsured, it can be reported to the police. A range of penalties can be imposed. The owner can be issued with a fixed penalty notice, and the vehicle clamped, impounded or destroyed. Court action can lead to fines of up to £1,000, and a driving ban for the owner. The owner’s insurance premiums are likely to increase and a minimum of six points added to their driving licence.

If I have a SORN, can I park anywhere?

No, even if you have a SORN in place this doesn’t mean you can park on a public road. You can only park on a private driveway, garage or private road.

If I don’t want a SORN, what other options do I have?

You could take out a short-term insurance policy, which offer cover for days, weeks or months. This will enable you to legally drive and park a vehicle on a public road.

How do I check if my car is insured?

Occasionally insurance companies do make mistakes and fail to renew insurance on legitimate vehicles. It’s always worthwhile checking if insurance cover is in place for your vehicle, or if you are considering buying a second hand vehicle from a private seller. You can do this at Navigate, which contains the data on all insured vehicles in the UK.

How ASM helps to recycle impounded cars

If you no longer need your vehicle, you can get it scrapped at ASM Auto Recycling. If you have a SORN in place, you won’t need insurance for us to collect it.

Plus, we often collect salvage cars throughout Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, and Hertfordshire, for storage at our HQ in Thame. We currently stock over 2,500 vehicles on-site. Many of these vehicles are carefully dismantled at ASM to supply used car parts for almost any vehicle, anywhere in the world. Our existing used car parts department stocks over 100,000 recycled parts ready for use, each covered by our very own 90-day guarantee.

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