Cost to Register a Car After Moving to Connecticut
Moving to Connecticutmeans re-titling and re-registering your vehicle as a new resident — and usually transferring your license and passing any required inspection first. Here's the full cost and the order to do it in, computed from Connecticut'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 $533.00 per year. Connecticut registration is $120 per three-year cycle plus statutory add-ons, but the big recurring cost is the municipal motor-vehicle property tax: 70% of the car's value times your town's mill rate, capped at 32.46 mills. Pick your town and enter your MSRP for the full bill. EVs pay no surcharge.
Inspection you'll need before Connecticut will register it
Connecticut requires an emissions/smog test ($20). You must pass it before the state will issue or renew your registration, so budget the time as well as the fee. Biennial. Vehicles 4 model years and newer, and 25+ years old, are exempt.
Transfer your out-of-state driver's license
New residents also swap their license. In Connecticut a license runs $84.00 to transfer, then $72.00 to renew every 6 years, issued by the Connecticut DMV. A REAL ID-compliant license costs no extra. Do this before you register — most states want a local license or proof of residency on the registration application.
Before you budget
- The car value is estimated from your MSRP; the exact bill uses your town's assessed value.
Registering in Connecticut: common questions
How is the Connecticut car tax calculated?
70% of your car's value times your town's motor-vehicle mill rate (capped at 32.46). A $25,000 car in a capped town owes about $567/yr; in Greenville (12.0 mills) about $210.
Estimate your exact Connecticut cost
Your vehicle
- Registration fee$120 per 3-year cycle$120.00
- Municipal property tax32.46 mills (Bridgeport)$1,479.00
- Title fee$25.00
Estimate only — actual fees are set by your state and county at the time of registration. Data last reviewed 2026-07-21.
All figures computed from official fee schedules — sources: https://portal.ct.gov/dmv/resources/dmv-fees · https://portal.ct.gov/opm/igpp/publications/mill-rates — last reviewed 2026-07-21.