Estimated total
Example for a $30,000 car. Enter your own price to update it.
- Registration (3 yrs)CT DMV · checked Oct 16, 2026$120.00
- License plate$5.00
- Title fee$25.00
- Administrative fee$10.00
- Clean Air Act feeCT DMV · checked Oct 16, 2026$15.00
- Passport to the Parks feeCT Office of Legislative Research · checked Oct 17, 2026$24.00
- Emissions exemption feeFour years old or newerCT DMV · checked Oct 16, 2026$40.00
- Greenhouse gas feeCertificate of originCT DMV · checked Oct 16, 2026$15.00
- Sales tax6.35% of priceCT DMV · checked Oct 16, 2026$1,905.00
Total excludes items marked "not available".
What you'll pay later
Renewal: not available in this calculator.
Estimate only. Rates checked October 16, 2026 · Connecticut. Confirm with the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).SOURCE-CITED
How we calculate each line
| Fee | How it's worked out | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Registration | $120 for three years. | CT DMV – FeesChecked October 16, 2026 |
| Plate, title, administrative | $5, $25 and $10 on a first registration. | CT DMV – FeesChecked October 16, 2026 |
| Clean Air Act fee | $15; not for electric cars. | CT DMV – FeesChecked October 16, 2026 |
| Passport to the Parks | $24 for three years since July 1, 2025 (PA 24-81, § 43). | CT Office of Legislative Research – 2024 Acts Affecting TransportationChecked October 17, 2026 |
| Emissions exemption | $40 for a car four years old or newer, not electric. | CT DMV – Register a car or SUVChecked October 16, 2026 |
| Greenhouse gas fee | $15 for a new car, $7.50 for a used one. | CT DMV – Register a car or SUVChecked October 16, 2026 |
| Sales tax | 6.35% (7.75% over $50,000) of the price minus trade-in at a dealer, or of the higher of price and NADA value in a private sale. | CT DMV – Sales tax on first-time vehicle registrationsChecked October 16, 2026 |
| New resident tax | $0 after 30 days' registration in your name elsewhere; otherwise the Connecticut rate minus the rate you paid. | CT DMV – Sales tax on first-time vehicle registrationsChecked October 16, 2026 |
Totals add up every line that has an amount; lines marked "not available" are left out. More on our method: how we calculate.
Connecticut vehicle fees at a glance (2026)
| Registration (passenger car) | $120 for 3 years |
|---|---|
| Plate / title / administrative | $5 / $25 / $10 |
| Clean Air Act fee (not electric) | $15 |
| Passport to the Parks fee | $24 |
| Emissions exemption (4 years old or newer) | $40 |
| Greenhouse gas fee | $15 new, $7.50 used |
| Sales tax | 6.35% (7.75% over $50,000) |
| Electric vehicle fee | none |
Connecticut fee history
Past, current and already-scheduled amounts, only where an official source prints them. The calculator uses the row marked "now".
Passport to the Parks fee (three-year registration)
| In effect | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Until Jun 30, 2025 | $15 | CT Office of Legislative Research – 2024 Acts Affecting TransportationChecked October 17, 2026 |
| From Jul 1, 2025 (now) | $24 | CT Office of Legislative Research – 2024 Acts Affecting TransportationChecked October 17, 2026 |
What this estimate does and does not include
- This calculator covers a first Connecticut registration of a passenger car: after buying one, receiving one from family, or moving here. The DMV's fee list shows $120 for a three-year registration; the law also allows a two-year registration at $80 (Public Act 19-165).
- The DMV's car and SUV registration page still gives a $190 total. That total is outdated: it uses the old $15 Passport to the Parks fee. Public Act 24-81, § 43 raised the fee to $24 for a three-year registration ($16 for two years, $8 for one) from July 1, 2025, as the DMV's fee list also shows, so the calculator uses $24.
- Cars four years old or newer pay a $40 emissions exemption fee instead of an emissions test. The greenhouse gas fee is $15 for a new car (certificate of origin) and $7.50 for a used car with an existing title. Electric cars pay neither the emissions exemption fee nor the Clean Air Act fee.
- Sales tax: 6.35%, or 7.75% when the car costs more than $50,000. Dealers give full credit for your trade-in; manufacturer rebates are taxable. Private sales are taxed on the price or the NADA average trade-in value, whichever is higher.
- No sales tax on a car from your spouse or civil union partner, parent, child, brother or sister, if it was registered in their name for at least 60 days and taxed on its last sale; no tax on a true gift either (Form AU-463).
- New residents pay no sales tax if the car was registered in their name in another state for at least 30 days before they moved. Otherwise Connecticut credits tax paid in the other state and collects the difference.
- Not included: your town's yearly motor vehicle property tax, which is billed separately by the town where the car is registered, and convenience fees at DMV Express locations (up to $8).
- CT DMV – Fees: passenger car $120 registration, $5 plate, $25 title, $10 administrative, $15 Clean Air Act, Passport to the Parks $24 from July 1, 2025, $40 emissions exemption (4 years old or newer), $15 greenhouse gas fee (certificate of origin), $10 lien; electric cars no Clean Air Act fee · checked October 16, 2026
- CT Office of Legislative Research – 2024 Acts Affecting Transportation (2024-R-0109): Passport to the Parks fee raised to $24 triennial / $16 biennial / $8 annual, from $15 / $10 / $5 (PA 24-81, § 43, effective July 1, 2025) · checked October 17, 2026
- CT DMV – Register a car or SUV: greenhouse gas fee $15 with a certificate of origin, $7.50 with an existing title; emissions exemption $40 if four years old or newer (the page's $190 registration total is outdated: it still uses the old $15 parks fee from before PA 24-81) · checked October 16, 2026
- CT DMV – Sales tax on first-time vehicle registrations: 6.35% (7.75% over $50,000); private sales on the higher of NADA average trade-in value or bill of sale; full trade-in credit at dealers; immediate family and gifts exempt; new residents exempt after 30 days' registration elsewhere; credit for tax paid out of state · checked October 16, 2026
- CT DMV – Vehicle sales tax calculator: 7.75% when the vehicle costs $50,000.01 or more; trade-ins not taxable; manufacturer rebates taxable · checked October 16, 2026
- Connecticut General Assembly, Office of Legislative Research – Public Act 19-165 summary: passenger registrations for two years ($80) or three years ($120) from January 1, 2020 · checked October 16, 2026
Connecticut registration questions
How much does it cost to register a car in Connecticut?
$120 for a three-year registration. A first registration also pays a $5 plate fee, a $25 title fee, a $10 administrative fee, the $15 Clean Air Act fee (gasoline cars) and the $24 Passport to the Parks fee, plus a $40 emissions exemption fee and a greenhouse gas fee for newer cars.
What is the sales tax on a car in Connecticut?
6.35% of the price, or 7.75% if the car costs more than $50,000. At a dealer your trade-in is deducted first. On a private sale the tax is on the price or the NADA average trade-in value, whichever is higher.
Do I pay sales tax on a car from a family member in Connecticut?
No, if it comes from your spouse or civil union partner, parent, child, brother or sister, was registered in their name for at least 60 days and was taxed on its last sale. True gifts are also tax-free with a signed gift declaration (Form AU-463).
Do new residents pay sales tax on their car in Connecticut?
Not if the car was registered in your name in your old state for at least 30 days before you moved. Otherwise you pay the difference between Connecticut's rate and the tax you paid there.
Do electric cars pay extra to register in Connecticut?
No. Connecticut has no electric vehicle fee, and electric cars skip the $15 Clean Air Act fee and the $40 emissions exemption fee.
Is there a yearly car tax in Connecticut?
Yes, your town charges a yearly motor vehicle property tax based on the car's value. It's billed by the town, not paid at the DMV, so it isn't included in this calculator.
Connecticut guides
- ConnecticutConnecticut Car Title Transfer Fees: $25 Title Fee, $120 Three-Year Registration and 6.35% TaxConnecticut title transfer: $25 title fee, $199 in DMV fees with a three-year registration, 6.35% sales tax (7.75% over $50,000), family and gift rules.Read guide →
- PenaltiesCar registration late fees in all 50 statesLate registration renewal fees by state from official sources: $5 in Missouri, $10 in Michigan and Virginia, $20 in Illinois, none in Maryland or Pennsylvania.Read guide →
- RankingsCheapest and most expensive states to register a car in 2026The 50 states we cover, ranked by what it costs to register a $30,000 car in 2026: fees alone and with sales tax, from official rates.Read guide →
- PenaltiesGot a ticket for expired registration? What it costs and how to fix itExpired registration ticket fines from official sources: NY $40 to $300, TX up to $200, FL $30, CA fix-it ticket with a $25 fee. Plus late renewal fees.Read guide →
- Electric vehiclesEV registration fees by state in 202641 states charge an extra yearly fee to register an electric car in 2026, from $50 to $270. See every state's EV, plug-in hybrid and hybrid fee, with sources.Read guide →
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