CT Change of Address: DMV, Voter Registration, and IRS

A CT change of address starts at the DMV, and the clock is short: if you hold a Connecticut driver’s license, non-driver ID, or vehicle registration, state law gives you 48 hours after moving to notify the Department of Motor Vehicles.¹ The update itself is free, but skipping it is an infraction under state law.² The DMV is only the first stop. A move in Connecticut also touches your voter registration, state and federal tax records, mail forwarding, Social Security if you receive benefits, and your auto insurance policy.

Update Your DMV Address

You have two options. The online change-of-address portal is the fastest: it walks you through identity verification, takes your new address, and posts the update to DMV records quickly. To use it, have your full name as it appears on your license or ID, date of birth, license or non-driver ID number, current street number on file, and Social Security number ready.¹ If you own vehicles, you also need every registration plate number titled in your name.

If you prefer paper, download Form B-58, fill in your previous and new residential addresses, check whether the update applies to your license, registration, or both, sign it, and mail it to the DMV Change of Address Unit, 60 State Street, Wethersfield, CT 06161-1015.³ Each adult in the household submits a separate form. Mailed forms take several business days to process.

What Happens to Your License and Registration

The DMV does not send you a new license or ID card just because you moved. Instead, you print Form B-159 (an address label) from the DMV website, or pick one up at any Connecticut police department, and stick it on the back of your current card.¹ That label is your official proof of address until your card next expires.

If you have a registered vehicle, the DMV will mail a new registration certificate to your updated address automatically. The new certificate reflects your current tax town, which matters more than most people expect.

Vehicle Property Tax and the October 1 Cutoff

Connecticut taxes motor vehicles at the local level, and rates vary significantly from town to town. When you move between municipalities, the rule is simple: whichever town you lived in on October 1 bills you for that year’s vehicle property tax. There is no proration between Connecticut towns. Move on September 28 and the new town bills you for the full year; move on October 3 and the old town does.

Updating your DMV address promptly puts your vehicle on the correct town’s grand list. If you moved before October 1 but never told the DMV, you can end up with a bill from the wrong town and have to work with both assessors’ offices to sort it out.

Voter Registration

Here’s a shortcut worth knowing: when the DMV processes your address change, it shares the new residence with your town’s registrar of voters and updates your voter registration automatically if you were already registered.³ For most movers, the DMV filing handles the voter side without a second step.

If you want to register for the first time, change party affiliation, or confirm the update yourself, submit a voter registration application through the Secretary of the State’s online portal or mail one to the registrar of voters in your new town. You’ll need your Connecticut license number or the last four digits of your Social Security number. The pre-election registration cutoff is 18 days before Election Day.⁴

Connecticut Department of Revenue Services

The DMV update does not reach your state tax records. File Form CT-8822 with the Department of Revenue Services separately so refunds, billing notices, and audit correspondence reach your new address. The form asks for your Social Security number so the department can match the update to your tax account. Mail it to the Department of Revenue Services, Registration Unit, PO Box 2937, Hartford, CT 06104-2937.⁵

Update Your Address With the IRS

Federal tax records need their own update. File IRS Form 8822 to notify the Internal Revenue Service of your new home address. Connecticut residents mail it to the Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, Ogden, UT 84201-0023.⁶ Processing takes four to six weeks, and the form cannot be filed online.

Skipping this step has real consequences. If the IRS sends a deficiency notice or a demand for tax to your old address and you never receive it, penalties and interest keep accruing.⁶ A refund check going to the wrong address creates its own delays.

USPS Mail Forwarding

A permanent change of address filed with the U.S. Postal Service reroutes your first-class mail from the old address to the new one for 12 months. You can file online at the USPS website for a $1.25 identity verification fee charged to a credit or debit card, or free in person at any post office with a valid photo ID.⁷ Treat forwarding as a safety net, not a substitute for updating each agency, bank, insurer, and credit card company directly. Once the 12 months end, anything still going to your old address stops.

Social Security and Medicare

If you receive Social Security benefits or are enrolled in Medicare, update your address through the Social Security Administration. Log into your “my Social Security” account at ssa.gov, open the “My Profile” tab, and select “Update Contact Information.” You can even schedule the effective date to line up with your move.⁸ Updating with the SSA automatically updates your Medicare records. To speak with someone, call 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. The SSA does not accept address changes by mail.

Auto Insurance

This is the one people forget. Your auto insurance premium is based in part on the zip code where your car is parked overnight. A move across town or to a different Connecticut municipality can shift that rate in either direction depending on local accident frequency, theft rates, and the number of uninsured drivers. Contact your insurer as soon as your new address is confirmed. Most policies require prompt notification of a garaging address change, and an outdated address on your policy can create coverage disputes if you have to file a claim.

1
Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles. Update a Driver’s License, Learner’s Permit, or Non-Driver ID
2
Justia Law. Connecticut Code Title 14 Chapter 246 – Section 14-45
3
Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles. Individual Change of Address, Organ and Tissue Donor Status, Voter Registration Application
4
Connecticut Secretary of the State. Voter Registration Information
5
Connecticut Department of Revenue Services. Form CT-8822 Change of Address
6
Internal Revenue Service. Form 8822 Change of Address
7
USPS. Standard Forward Mail and Change of Address
8
Social Security Administration. How Can I Change My Address or Direct Deposit Information for My Social Security Benefits or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Payments