How to Register a Car in Connecticut From Out of State

To register a car in Connecticut from out of state, you have 90 days from the day you establish residency to gather your title, proof of Connecticut insurance, and a completed vehicle inspection, then bring everything to a DMV office in person along with payment for registration fees and sales tax.1Justia Law. Connecticut General Statutes 14-12 – Motor Vehicle Registration The paperwork is where people get stuck, so line it up before you book the appointment.

The 90-Day Deadline

Connecticut lets you drive on your out-of-state plates for up to 90 days after you become a resident. After that, driving with those plates carries a $250 fine. First-time violators can have the fine suspended by showing proof they registered before it was imposed, but that grace is not something to plan around.1Justia Law. Connecticut General Statutes 14-12 – Motor Vehicle Registration

Documents to Gather

Most of the work happens before you set foot in a DMV office. You will need:

  • The original out-of-state title. Photocopies are not accepted. If a lienholder holds the title, you must notify them to mail the original directly to the DMV at 60 State Street, Wethersfield, CT 06161. The DMV provides a notification form. After the DMV confirms receipt, allow five business days before you schedule your appointment.2DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES. Register a Vehicle Purchased Out of State
  • Proof of identity: a valid driver’s license, U.S. passport, or military ID.
  • Proof of a Connecticut-specific insurance policy meeting state minimums: $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, $25,000 per accident for property damage, and $25,000/$50,000 in uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. Contact your insurer to switch coverage before your DMV visit.3CT.gov. Auto Insurance
  • A bill of sale if you recently purchased the vehicle. Form H-31 works, or your own document showing both parties’ names and addresses, a vehicle description, the sale price, the date, and the seller’s signature.4DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES. Sell Your Vehicle
  • The Application for Registration and Title, Form H-13B, from the DMV website. Write the purchase price on it; the DMV uses that figure to calculate sales tax.5CT.gov. Connecticut Registration and Title Application H-13B
  • A Vehicle Inspection Report from your VIN verification and, where required, emissions testing.

If your lienholder cannot get the original title to the DMV before your appointment, bring a photocopy of the front and back. The DMV will issue a courtesy registration valid for up to six months, giving the lienholder time to mail the original.6DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES. Transfer Out-of-State Registration to Connecticut

If Your Vehicle Is Leased

Leased vehicles carry extra requirements. The leasing company must have a leasing license on file with the Connecticut DMV, and you should confirm that before your appointment. You need an original Power of Attorney from the leasing company authorizing you to sign on its behalf; faxed copies are not accepted. On Form H-13B, the applicant is the leasing company, not you, and the person named in the Power of Attorney signs.7CT.gov. Register a Leased Vehicle

VIN Verification and Emissions

Every out-of-state vehicle needs a VIN verification before it can be registered. Most are handled at official inspection stations run by a third-party contractor. Vehicles with altered or missing VIN plates go to the DMV Inspection Lane at 60 State Street in Wethersfield, where the check is free.8DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES. Verify a Vehicle Identification Number

An emissions test is required for most gasoline and diesel vehicles, but the testing window covers a specific range of model years. Vehicles newer than four model years and vehicles from model year 2001 or older are exempt, as are fully electric vehicles, motorcycles, vehicles over 10,001 pounds gross weight, farm vehicles, and composite-titled vehicles.9DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES. CT Emissions Testing Program Overview If your vehicle falls inside the window, any licensed emissions station can perform the test and issue the Vehicle Inspection Report you bring to the DMV. Vehicles exempt because they are newer than four model years still pay a $40 emissions exemption fee at registration.10DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES. DMV Fees

What It Costs

For a standard passenger car, registration fees come to roughly $216 before sales tax, and the registration covers three years:

  • Registration fee: $120
  • Title fee: $25
  • Plate fee: $7 for standard plates
  • Administrative fee: $10
  • Greenhouse gas fee: $15
  • Clean Air Act fee: $15
  • Passport to the Parks fee: $24

Add a $10 lien fee if the vehicle has a lien.10DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES. DMV Fees

Sales and Use Tax

Connecticut charges 6.35% sales and use tax on vehicle purchases, or 7.75% on vehicles with a purchase price over $50,000. The DMV calculates tax on the NADA average trade-in value or the bill of sale price, whichever is higher, so understating the price on your paperwork will not reduce the bill.11DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES. Sales Tax on Registrations

If you already paid sales tax in another state, Connecticut gives you credit for that amount when you bring your purchase invoice and tax receipt. If what you paid was less than Connecticut’s rate, you pay the difference. Without documentation, you pay the full Connecticut rate.11DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES. Sales Tax on Registrations

At the DMV Appointment

Registration is done in person. Book an appointment online and choose the appointment type for transferring an out-of-state registration.12CT.gov. Make or Change DMV Appointment Walk-in service is available at most offices on weekdays, but not at Cheshire, Putnam, or Stamford, and no location takes walk-ins on Saturdays.

Bring Form H-13B, the original title (or the photocopy plus lienholder notification for a courtesy registration), proof of Connecticut insurance, the bill of sale if applicable, and the Vehicle Inspection Report. The clerk reviews your documents, takes payment, and issues Connecticut plates and a temporary registration certificate on the spot. Your permanent registration and title arrive by mail at the address on your application.

Annual Municipal Property Tax

Connecticut municipalities levy an annual property tax on motor vehicles, and it catches new residents from states that do not. Vehicles are assessed at 70% of their value, with the value drawn from Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price reduced by a set depreciation schedule; vehicles 20 years or older are assessed at a minimum of $500.13Connecticut General Assembly Office of Legislative Research. Personal Motor Vehicle Property Tax Assessments and Rates Each municipality sets its own mill rate (one mill equals $1 per $1,000 of assessed value), and the combined rate from all local taxing authorities cannot exceed 32.46 mills.

The assessment date is October 1. Vehicles registered on that date appear on the October 1 Grand List with a bill due the following July 1. Vehicles registered between October 2 and July 31 go on a supplemental list, with payment due January 1. Some towns allow installments, so check with your local tax collector after you register.11DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES. Sales Tax on Registrations

Your Driver’s License Has the Same Deadline

Connecticut also requires new residents to transfer an out-of-state driver’s license within 90 days of establishing residency.14CT.gov. Transfer Your Out-of-State License to CT The DMV does not require you to transfer the license before you register the vehicle, but the deadlines run together, and a single trip covers both if you book the separate license appointment type and bring the documentation that transfer requires.