UK registration/change of keeper

[Fozzy2509]

Hi so basically bought a project bike 2 years ago and now I'm at the point of it being ready nearly for the road but I haven't registered it in my name yet. Is it frowned upon that I have had it 2 years and it's not been registered in my name? Have got new keeper part if V5.

[spencer2004]

I did a little research and it looks like you should have sent off your V5 along with a new SORN application when you first obtained this vehicle. Here is what I found.

If you are, or are about to become, the keeper of the vehicle and you are keeping it off the road, you need to make a SORN with this application. If you have recently bought the vehicle, SORN cannot be transferred from the previous keeper. You will need to make a new SORN. If you do not make a SORN, legal action could be taken against you.

Source

The DVLA will still assume that the previous owner is still in possesion of the vehicle as they have not been notified otherwise. Either send off your V5 now along with a SORN application or wait until the restoration on your bike is complete and it's road worthy and send off the V5 then.

If the DVLA finds out that you have had it for 2 years then you might get in to trouble, if there is a date on your V5 form from when you bought it then you will have to destroy it and request a new one by filling out a V62 form and pretend that you just bought it, it might be a good idea to discuss this with the previous owner just in case if he/she is required to give any information about the date of the purchase.