Cost to Register a Car After Moving to Connecticut
Moving to Connecticutmeans re-titling and re-registering your vehicle as a new resident. Here's what that actually costs, computed from the state's current fee schedule.
One-time costs when you arrive
- Title fee$25.00
- One-time total$25.00
Your ongoing annual cost
For a typical three-year-old gas vehicle, expect about $40.00 per year. Connecticut bills passenger registration at $120 per three-year cycle (shown annualized at $40), plus statutory add-ons per cycle: $5 plate, $15 Clean Air, $15 Greenhouse Gas, and a $24 Passport to Parks fee (raised in July 2025). The bigger recurring cost is the municipal motor vehicle property tax — since late 2024 computed from depreciated MSRP at a 70% assessment ratio, capped at 32.46 mills. EVs pay no surcharge and skip the Clean Air fee.
Before you budget
- Town motor vehicle property tax is often several hundred dollars per year and is not yet itemized here.
- Statutory add-ons total about $59 per 3-year renewal on top of the $120.
Estimate your exact Connecticut cost
Your vehicle
- Registration fee$120.00
- Title fee$25.00
Estimate only — actual fees are set by your state and county at the time of registration. Data last reviewed 2026-07-16. This state's full local formula is not yet implemented; see the notes below the calculator.
All figures computed from official fee schedules — sources: https://portal.ct.gov/dmv/resources/dmv-fees — last reviewed 2026-07-16.