To complete a Connecticut vehicle registration, you file Form H-13B with the Department of Motor Vehicles along with proof of ownership, a Connecticut insurance identification card, a passed emissions test (when required), and payment for the registration fees, title fee, and 6.35% sales and use tax. Driving an unregistered vehicle is an infraction, and a Connecticut resident caught running out-of-state plates on a vehicle they own faces a $1,000 fine.1Justia. Connecticut General Statutes 14-12 – Motor Vehicle Registration
Documents You Need Before Going to the DMV
The core form is the Application for Registration and Title, Form H-13B, available on the DMV website or at any branch.2Department of Motor Vehicles. Connecticut Registration and Title Application – Form H-13B It asks for your personal information, the vehicle identification number, and lienholder details if the vehicle is financed. Check the VIN against your title carefully. One transposed digit will stall the application.
Proof of ownership comes next. For a titled vehicle, bring the original certificate of title signed over by the previous owner. For a private sale, add a Bill of Sale with the purchase price, both parties’ names, addresses, and signatures. Form H-31 fits the bill, but the DMV accepts any bill of sale containing the required information.3Department of Motor Vehicles. Get a Bill of Sale For a non-titled vehicle, you need the last owner’s registration together with a Supplemental Assignment of Ownership (Form Q-1). Bring your Connecticut driver’s license or state-issued ID as well.
Federal law also requires an odometer disclosure from the seller when a vehicle changes hands. Vehicles from model year 2011 onward are subject to this requirement until they are at least 20 years old; 2010 and older models are exempt after 10 years.4eCFR. Odometer Disclosure Requirements Vehicles over 16,000 pounds gross weight are exempt. If you bought used from a private seller, confirm the odometer reading is filled in on the title before you leave — the DMV will look for it.
Insurance
The DMV will not issue a registration without proof of Connecticut auto insurance. You present a Connecticut insurance identification card showing the insurer’s name, policy number, and coverage dates with your application.5Justia. Connecticut Code 14-12b – Presentation of Insurance Identification Card
Minimum coverage under Connecticut law is $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, plus $25,000 per accident for property damage. If your coverage lapses after registration, the DMV can suspend the registration until you provide proof of new coverage.
Emissions Testing
Most passenger vehicles must pass a biennial emissions test before the DMV will issue or renew a registration. The test applies to vehicles more than four model years old but fewer than twenty-five model years old.6Justia. Connecticut Code 14-164c – Motor Vehicle Emissions Systems Vehicles four years old or newer skip the test but still pay a $40 emissions exemption fee at registration.7Department of Motor Vehicles. DMV Fees Vehicles twenty-five years or older are fully exempt. The inspection fee is capped at $20 per test, and authorized testing stations can be found by zip code through the state’s emissions program site. A failing vehicle must be repaired and retested before the DMV will process registration.
VIN Verification for Out-of-State Vehicles
If the vehicle was previously registered in another state, Connecticut requires a VIN verification to confirm the vehicle’s identity matches its title. Most vehicles can be verified at official inspection stations operated by a third-party contractor.8Department of Motor Vehicles. Get a VIN Verification
Some vehicles must go to the DMV’s own inspection lane in Wethersfield: salvage vehicles, homemade or kit cars, grey-market imports, former military vehicles, and motorcycles with model years 1980 or older. If the VIN is missing, altered, or unreadable, you must contact the DMV by email before bringing the vehicle in. You can also complete the verification before you move using Form AE-81, which must be signed by a law enforcement agency, state police, or motor vehicle authority in the state where the vehicle is located.9Department of Motor Vehicles. Out-of-State VIN Verification Form AE-81
What It Costs
DMV Fees
Connecticut registers passenger vehicles on a three-year cycle. The base registration fee is $120 for that three-year period.10FindLaw. Connecticut General Statutes 14-49 – Fees for Miscellaneous Registration Residents 65 and older can opt instead for a one-year registration at a prorated fee. On top of the base, expect:7Department of Motor Vehicles. DMV Fees
- Passport to the Parks fee: $24 (covers three years of free parking at state parks and beaches)
- Clean Air Act fee: $15
- Title fee: $25
- Administrative fee: $10
- Plate fee: $5
- Lien fee: $10, if the vehicle is financed
- Emissions exemption fee: $40, if the vehicle is four model years old or newer
- Greenhouse gas fee: $15, if the vehicle has a certificate of origin (meaning it is brand new)
A new, financed passenger vehicle runs roughly $265 in DMV fees before taxes. A used vehicle bought outright and old enough to require emissions testing comes in closer to $200.
Sales and Use Tax
Connecticut charges a 6.35% sales and use tax on the purchase price. For vehicles with a sales price over $50,000, the rate jumps to 7.75% on the entire purchase price, not just the amount above $50,000.
Municipal Property Tax Holds
Your town assesses an annual property tax on registered vehicles based on assessed value, at a rate that varies by municipality. If you fall behind, the town issues a tax hold blocking any new registration or renewal until the balance is paid and the town releases the hold to the DMV.11Department of Motor Vehicles. Compliance Issues Before you schedule anything, run your plate or name through the DMV’s online compliance tool.12Department of Motor Vehicles. Register a New Vehicle or Boat in CT
At the DMV
Branches operate by appointment. Use the online scheduling portal to pick a location and time slot. Walk-ins are not guaranteed service. Bring every document, your insurance card, and payment covering the full amount. The DMV accepts checks, money orders, and credit or debit cards.
An agent reviews your paperwork, verifies insurance, processes payment, and enters the vehicle into the state registration system. If everything checks out, you leave with plates and a registration certificate. Keep the certificate in the vehicle. It shows your expiration date and plate information, and you need to produce it at any traffic stop.
Temporary Registration
If you bought a vehicle but cannot finish the full process immediately, Connecticut issues temporary registrations in 10-day increments. The fee is $21 per 10 days for a standard passenger vehicle.13Department of Motor Vehicles. Get a Temporary Registration Commercial vehicles cost more: $27 per 10 days at or under 6,000 pounds gross vehicle weight rating, and $49 per 10 days above that. A temporary registration lets you drive legally while you finish the remaining requirements.
New Connecticut Residents
You have 90 days from establishing residency to transfer your out-of-state registration.14Department of Motor Vehicles. Transfer Your Vehicle Registration From Out of State The process mirrors a new registration: Form H-13B, your out-of-state title, proof of Connecticut insurance, a valid Connecticut driver’s license, and a VIN verification. If the vehicle has never been titled in Connecticut, you also pay the title fee and any sales and use tax owed on its current value.
Active-duty military members stationed in Connecticut who maintain legal residency in another state are not required to re-register under the federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, and the vehicle is exempt from Connecticut’s municipal property tax as long as any vehicle-related taxes owed in the home state are current.
Renewing a Registration
Connecticut mails a renewal notice before expiration. For a straightforward renewal with no compliance issues, you can renew online through the DMV portal.15Department of Motor Vehicles. Renew Vehicle Registration Enter your plate number, verify your information, pay, and new stickers arrive by mail. If the vehicle is due for an emissions test, you must pass it first or the system will not let you renew.
Renewal is the same $120 base for three years, plus the Passport to the Parks and Clean Air Act surcharges. Residents 65 and older on the one-year cycle pay a prorated amount.10FindLaw. Connecticut General Statutes 14-49 – Fees for Miscellaneous Registration The most common block on a renewal is unpaid municipal property tax, so clear anything outstanding with your town first.