To transfer license plates in CT, you have to go to a DMV office in person with your documents; the DMV lists plate transfers as an online service, but the transaction itself is not fully online.1CT.gov. Transfer Your License Plate From One Car to Another You can move your current plates to a replacement vehicle you own, or in limited cases to an immediate family member’s vehicle. For a standard three-year passenger registration, expect to pay at least $120 plus a $24 Passport to the Parks surcharge.
Who Can Receive the Plates
Connecticut treats plates as belonging to the person, not the car. When you buy or lease a replacement vehicle, you can move your current plates to it instead of surrendering them for new ones. That matters most if you have vanity plates or a low number you want to keep.1CT.gov. Transfer Your License Plate From One Car to Another
You can also transfer plates to an immediate family member who is taking over your vehicle. Connecticut defines immediate family narrowly: mother, father, sister, brother, son, daughter, husband, or wife. Cousins, in-laws, and grandparents are not included.2CT.gov. Transfer Vehicle Ownership The family member still has to register the vehicle in their own name, carry their own insurance, and meet every standard registration requirement. A written permission letter from the original plate holder is part of the paperwork.
Documents to Bring
Gather everything before your appointment. Missing one item usually means a second trip.
- Form H-13B, the Connecticut Registration and Title Application, filled out with vehicle details, owner information, and odometer reading.3CT.gov. Connecticut Registration and Title Application H-13B
- The original Certificate of Title for the vehicle receiving the plates, plus a lien release if there is a lien.
- A Connecticut insurance card in your name for the specific vehicle. State minimums are 25/50/25 liability ($25,000 per person for bodily injury, $50,000 per accident, $25,000 property damage) with uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage of 25/50.4DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES. Register Your New Vehicle or Vessel in CT
- A driver’s license, U.S. passport, or similar government-issued ID for each owner listed.
- A bill of sale if you recently bought the car from a private party or dealer.
Fees and What Happens to Your Old Registration
The base registration fee for a standard passenger vehicle is $120 for three years.5Connecticut General Assembly. Chapter 246 – Motor Vehicles, Section 14-49 Every non-commercial registration, renewal, or plate transfer also carries the Passport to the Parks fee, which funds free parking at state parks and beaches. As of July 1, 2025, that fee is $24 for three years ($8 per year). Drivers 65 and older who choose a one-year renewal pay $5 per year.6CT.gov. Passport to the Parks Electric vehicles pay a lower base registration fee of $57 for three years.
Any unused time on your old registration is not lost. The DMV calculates equity month by month, so 14 remaining months carry over as credit toward the new registration. The transfer resets your expiration date, giving you a full new registration period from the transfer date.1CT.gov. Transfer Your License Plate From One Car to Another
If you need to drive before emissions or other prerequisites are cleared, a temporary registration costs $21 per 10-day period.7CT.gov. Get a Temporary Registration
Before You Go: Appointment, Emissions, and VIN
Schedule an appointment through the CT DMV website. Walk-in service is available at most offices on weekdays, but wait times can be long. Cheshire, Putnam, and Stamford do not accept walk-ins at all, and no office offers walk-in service on Saturdays.1CT.gov. Transfer Your License Plate From One Car to Another
Most vehicles need to pass an emissions test before registration. You are exempt if the vehicle is newer than four model years, is model year 2001 or older, weighs more than 10,000 pounds, is fully electric, or is a motorcycle.8CT Emissions. Exempt Vehicles If your vehicle needs a test, get it done before your DMV appointment so you can hand over the results with your paperwork.
A separate VIN verification is required for certain vehicles: salvage, homemade or composite, grey market imports, former military, motorcycles from model year 1980 or older, and three-wheeled vehicles. The DMV Inspection Lane in Wethersfield handles these at no charge. Standard VIN verifications at any official inspection station cost $10. If the VIN is missing or altered, you must email the DMV first and wait for a response before bringing the vehicle in.9DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES. Verify a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
The Family Transfer Sales Tax Exemption
When a vehicle changes hands between immediate family members, Connecticut charges no sales tax on the transaction. Ordinary vehicle sales are taxed at 6.35%, or 7.75% above $50,000, so the savings can be significant.10CT.gov. Learn About Sales Tax on First Time Vehicle Registrations
To qualify, the vehicle must have been registered in the transferring family member’s name for at least 60 days, and Section 5 of Form H-13B has to be completed. The vehicle also cannot carry delinquent property taxes, unpaid parking tickets, or a suspended registration. Clear those first, or the DMV will reject the transaction.2CT.gov. Transfer Vehicle Ownership
Don’t Forget Your Town Assessor
Connecticut charges an annual local property tax on motor vehicles, and the DMV does not tell your town when you dispose of a vehicle. Your assessor bases the tax on what you owned as of October 1. If you transferred plates from an old car to a replacement between October 2 and September 30, you still owe the full July tax bill on the old vehicle, and the credit for the replacement appears on the December supplemental bill.
If you sold, junked, or donated the old car rather than simply swapping plates onto a new one you kept, contact the assessor’s office yourself. Bring a DMV-issued marker cancellation receipt and documentation of how you disposed of the vehicle. Miss that step and you can keep getting taxed on a car you no longer own.