How to Fill Out the CT DMV Registration and Title Application (H-13B)

Connecticut’s CT DMV Form H-13B is the combined registration and title application you complete to put a new or newly purchased vehicle on the road. Download the PDF from the DMV website, fill it out by hand or on-screen, and bring it to an in-person appointment at a DMV hub or branch office. A participating dealer can also submit it for you. There is no online filing option for a new registration.1CT.gov. Register a New Vehicle or Boat2CT.gov. Make or Change DMV Appointment

What to Have in Front of You Before You Start

Every field on H-13B ties back to a document. Gather these first so nothing on the form is a guess:

  • The 17-character VIN from the driver’s side dashboard or door jamb. One wrong digit will get the application rejected.
  • Proof of ownership. For a brand-new vehicle, that’s the manufacturer’s certificate of origin from the dealer. For a private-party purchase, it’s the signed title from the seller plus a bill of sale showing the price.3Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles. Connecticut Registration and Title Application (Form H-13B)
  • Your Connecticut driver’s license or ID. The name and address on H-13B must match it exactly.
  • A Connecticut insurance card. The policy needs the state minimums of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, plus $25,000 for property damage. The DMV agent verifies coverage in real time through the state database.4Connecticut Insurance Department. Auto Insurance
  • The current odometer reading. Federal law requires a written odometer disclosure at every transfer unless the vehicle is model year 2010 or older.5NHTSA. Odometer Fraud
  • Lienholder name and address if you’re financing. The lien is recorded on the title for a $10 fee.

Check for Compliance Holds First

Connecticut will refuse to register any vehicle in your name if you have outstanding vehicle property taxes, insurance violations, or unpaid parking tickets with a Connecticut town.6CT.gov. Comply With Insurance, Tax, and Registration Laws The DMV runs a free online compliance lookup, and it’s worth using before your appointment.7Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles. Check for Compliance Issues If something is flagged, only the municipality that issued it can clear it. Finding out at the counter means going home and rebooking.

If the Vehicle Is Coming From Out of State

A vehicle previously titled elsewhere needs a VIN verification before H-13B can be processed. Most verifications happen at an official emissions inspection station.8Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles. Verify a Vehicle Identification Number Vehicles imported from outside the United States, including Canada, must be verified at the DMV Inspection Lane at 60 State Street in Wethersfield.

An emissions test is usually required as well. Vehicles fewer than four model years old and vehicles from model year 2001 or older are exempt from the test itself, but the VIN verification step still applies.9CT Emissions. Explore Program Information10Department of Motor Vehicles. Transfer Your Vehicle Registration From Out of State

Working Through the Form

H-13B is a single double-sided page. Work top to bottom.

Owner Information

Enter your full legal name, residential address, and date of birth exactly as they appear on your Connecticut license or ID. If two people will own the vehicle, list both. You’ll also pick between “and” or “or” ownership. With “and,” both owners must sign for any future transfer. With “or,” either owner can act alone.11CT.gov. Update Your DMV Registration That choice prints on the title and is hard to change later.

Vehicle Information

Fill in the year, make, model, body style, and VIN. Check the VIN character by character. Enter the odometer reading and indicate miles or kilometers. If a gross vehicle weight rating is listed on the door sticker, include it, because weight class drives fee calculations for trucks and commercial vehicles.

Tax Exemptions

Complete this section only if the vehicle is a gift or qualifies for a specific sales tax reduction. Enter the applicable exemption code and attach any required supporting document, such as a gift affidavit. If you’re paying sales tax at the standard rate, leave the section blank. Entering a code you don’t qualify for will delay the application.

Signature

Sign the form. Your signature certifies the information is accurate under Connecticut’s false statement penalty, so it must match the name on the ID you present at the counter.12Connecticut General Assembly. Connecticut Code Chapter 246 – Motor Vehicles13Justia Law. Connecticut General Statutes 53a-157b

What You’ll Pay

Connecticut stacks several fees on top of the base registration charge. For a standard passenger car or SUV, expect:14CT.gov. DMV Fees

  • Registration: $120 for three years. Residents age 65 and older can choose a one-year prorated registration instead.15Justia Law. Connecticut Code 14-49 – Fees for Miscellaneous Registration and Other Fees
  • Title: $25.
  • Plate: $5.
  • Administrative: $10.
  • Clean Air Act: $15.
  • Greenhouse gas: $15 when the vehicle has a certificate of origin (new vehicles).
  • Passport to the Parks: $24, effective July 1, 2025.
  • Lien: $10, if financed.
  • Emissions exemption: $40, if the vehicle is fewer than four model years old and therefore exempt from testing.

For a financed new passenger car, that runs about $264 in DMV fees before sales tax. It catches people off guard who arrived expecting to pay only the $120 registration line.

Sales tax on a private-party purchase is 6.35% of the purchase price or the NADA book value, whichever is higher. Purchase prices above $50,000 are taxed at 7.75%.16Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles. Sales Tax on First Time Vehicle Registrations Dealers collect sales tax at the time of sale, so you won’t pay it again at the DMV.

Filing the Application

Book a DMV appointment before you go. New vehicle registrations run by appointment at hub and branch offices or through a participating dealership.1CT.gov. Register a New Vehicle or Boat Walk-in service exists at some locations on weekdays, but not at Cheshire, Putnam, or Stamford, and never on Saturdays.2CT.gov. Make or Change DMV Appointment

Bring the completed H-13B, all supporting documents, your ID, your insurance card, and payment for fees and any applicable sales tax. The agent verifies insurance electronically and checks compliance. If everything clears, you leave the counter with license plates and a registration certificate.

After You Leave the Counter

Keep the registration certificate in the vehicle whenever it’s on the road. Driving without it is an infraction carrying a $50 fine.17Justia Law. Connecticut General Statutes 14-13 Mount the plates and expiration decals right away. Plates propped in the rear window are a common ticket.

The permanent certificate of title is mailed separately, roughly 30 days after registration.18CT.gov. Make Changes to a Car Title at the DMV If the vehicle is financed, the title goes to the lienholder instead of you. If several weeks pass with nothing in the mail, contact the DMV’s Title Unit to check for address errors or processing delays.

If You’re Military and Stationed in Connecticut

Active-duty service members stationed in Connecticut who keep legal residence in another state are not required to register their vehicles here. Under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, military members hold the domicile they had when they entered service, and Connecticut cannot treat them as residents for registration or vehicle tax purposes as long as they meet their home state’s requirements. Military spouses who moved to Connecticut solely because of a permanent change of station and who claim the same home state are covered by the Military Spouses Residency Relief Act.