Short answer
Connecticut taxes vehicle sales at 6.35% (7.75% on most motor vehicles with a sales price over $50,000), no local add-ons. Connecticut taxes the price after the trade-in is deducted. Full trade-in credit applies only when the vehicle is purchased from a licensed dealership. Connecticut exempts out-of-state buyers only under specific conditions: The buyer must not be a Connecticut resident and must have no permanent place of abode in Connecticut, the vehicle must not be presented for registration with the Connecticut DMV, and a fully completed CERT-125 must be signed by both buyer and dealer on or before the time of delivery. Connecticut credits sales tax legally paid to another state, so the same dollars are not taxed twice. Everything here assumes a retail purchase from a dealer, since most states treat leases and private-party sales differently.
Connecticut car sales tax quick facts
Last verified August 27, 2026| Sales tax rate on vehicles | 6.35% (7.75% on most motor vehicles with a sales price over $50,000), no local add-ons[1] |
| Trade-in credit | Connecticut taxes the price after the trade-in is deducted. Full trade-in credit applies only when the vehicle is purchased from a licensed dealership.[1] |
| Selling to an out-of-state buyer | Connecticut exempts out-of-state buyers only under specific conditions: The buyer must not be a Connecticut resident and must have no permanent place of abode in Connecticut, the vehicle must not be presented for registration with the Connecticut DMV, and a fully completed CERT-125 must be signed by both buyer and dealer on or before the time of delivery.[2] |
| Credit for tax paid to another state | Connecticut credits sales tax legally paid to another state, so the same dollars are not taxed twice.[1] |
| Dealer doc fee | No statutory cap[3] · Taxability: Not yet verified against an official source. Confirm with the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services. Official site → |
| Temp tag for the drive home | Connecticut DMV issues an in-transit (special use) registration good for up to 30 days, solely to drive the car to the state where it will be registered and used. Taking one does not blow the CERT-125 nonresident exemption. (valid 30 days)[2] |
| Out-of-state buyer registration | Not yet verified against an official source. Confirm with the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services. Official site → |
From the desk
Connecticut runs one statewide rate with a luxury tier waiting above the threshold, so a loaded truck can jump brackets. No local math, but the desk needs to know exactly where the line sits this year.
Selling to an out-of-state buyer in Connecticut
Connecticut exempts out-of-state buyers only under specific conditions: The buyer must not be a Connecticut resident and must have no permanent place of abode in Connecticut, the vehicle must not be presented for registration with the Connecticut DMV, and a fully completed CERT-125 must be signed by both buyer and dealer on or before the time of delivery.[2]
What makes the exemption stick is CERT-125, completed at delivery. Without it, the assessment letter goes to the dealership, not the buyer.
Whatever the tax treatment, the desk owns what happens next: title in transit, tag on the car, registration filed in another state. Voltra's title tracking exists so none of it goes quiet.
Buying in Connecticut from out of state
If you live in another state and buy in Connecticut, the deciding rule is where the vehicle gets registered: your home state's tax applies at registration, and what happens at the Connecticut sale depends on the row above. Connecticut credits sales tax legally paid to another state, so the same dollars are not taxed twice.[1]
Registration and temp tags
Connecticut DMV issues an in-transit (special use) registration good for up to 30 days, solely to drive the car to the state where it will be registered and used. Taking one does not blow the CERT-125 nonresident exemption. Validity: 30 days.[2]
Bordering states
Cross-border deals from Connecticut most often involve Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island. The rules change with every pairing, so run yours through the out-of-state checker.
Vehicle-type exceptions
Price alone does not settle the rate. A vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating over 12,500 pounds never hits the luxury tier, and neither does a 12,500-pound-or-under vehicle that carries a commercial registration and hauls freight or people for a business, no matter what it stickers for.[4]
Sources
- portal.ct.gov/dmv/vehicle-services/sales-tax-registrations · verified 2026-08-27
- portal.ct.gov/drs/publications/informational-publications/2004/ip-200427-q--a-on-purchases-of-motor-vehicles-by-nonresidents · verified 2026-08-27
- www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_246.htm#sec_14-62 · verified 2026-08-27
- portal.ct.gov/drs/publications/special-notices/2011/sn-2011-10 · verified 2026-08-27