How to Title a Private Car Sale in Connecticut
Last verified: October 2026 against Connecticut DMV and DRS sources
When you buy a car from a private seller in Connecticut, you register it by appointment at a DMV office and pay the sales tax there.
Here is the order to do it in, what it costs, and what to bring.
Step by step
- 1
Get the assigned title and a bill of sale
The seller assigns the Certificate of Title to you. Get a bill of sale (Form H-31) with the price.
- 2
Complete Form H-13B
Fill out the Application for Registration and Title (Form H-13B) and write the purchase price on it.
- 3
Get Connecticut insurance
You need a current Connecticut insurance card for the vehicle and acceptable identification.
- 4
Register by appointment and pay
The tax is 6.35% (7.75% for a vehicle over $50,000) on the NADA average trade-in value or the price, whichever is higher.
The title is $25. Registration is $120 for three years, plus a $15 Clean Air Act fee, $24 Passport to the Parks fee, and $10 administrative fee. New plates add $5, and vehicles four model years old or newer pay a $40 emissions exemption fee.
- 5
Get the emissions test
If the car was registered in Connecticut before, you can register it first and then have it emissions tested within 30 days to avoid a late fee. You will not get a reminder.
Town property tax
- Connecticut vehicles are subject to local property tax, whether or not they are registered.
- Your town’s tax collector computes and bills it each year.
- A vehicle with delinquent property tax cannot be transferred tax-free within a family.
What to bring
- The Certificate of Title, assigned to you by the seller
- Bill of sale (Form H-31)
- Application for Registration and Title (Form H-13B), with the price
- Connecticut insurance card
- Acceptable identification
- Payment for sales tax, the title fee, and registration