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. Connecticut exempts out-of-state buyers only under specific conditions. Connecticut credits sales tax legally paid to another state, so the same dollars are not taxed twice. The rules above cover retail dealer sales; most states handle leases and private-party sales separately.
Connecticut car sales tax quick facts
Last verified September 17, 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. Credit is capped at the Connecticut rate and requires paperwork: the buyer must produce the purchase invoice and the tax receipt. If the other state's rate was lower, DMV collects the difference at registration; if the documentation is insufficient, DMV collects the full Connecticut tax and the buyer has to chase a refund from DRS on Form CERT-106.[1] |
| Dealer doc fee | No statutory cap[3] · taxable[4] |
| 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.[2] |
| Out-of-state buyer registration | Connecticut registration follows residency, so the usual desk case is the buyer who moves in. A new Connecticut resident owes no Connecticut sales tax if the vehicle was already registered in the same name in another state for at least 30 days before residency started; the claim goes in section 5 of Form H-13B under code #4.[1] |
Connecticut car sales tax calculator
Enter the sale price and any trade-in to estimate Connecticut vehicle tax and the out-the-door total before title and registration. It applies the verified rate, trade-in rule and doc fee treatment from the quick facts above.
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]
None of it works without CERT-125, completed at delivery. Skip the form and the state looks to the dealer for the tax, not the buyer.
The desk's job doesn't end at the tax line. Somebody still has to chase the title, the temp tag, and the buyer's home-state registration until each one lands.
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 rule above. Connecticut credits sales tax legally paid to another state, so the same dollars are not taxed twice. Credit is capped at the Connecticut rate and requires paperwork: the buyer must produce the purchase invoice and the tax receipt. If the other state's rate was lower, DMV collects the difference at registration; if the documentation is insufficient, DMV collects the full Connecticut tax and the buyer has to chase a refund from DRS on Form CERT-106.[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.[2] Connecticut registration follows residency, so the usual desk case is the buyer who moves in. A new Connecticut resident owes no Connecticut sales tax if the vehicle was already registered in the same name in another state for at least 30 days before residency started; the claim goes in section 5 of Form H-13B under code #4.[1]
Bordering states
Cross-border deals from Connecticut most often involve Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island. Every pair works differently; run the exact combination in 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.[5]
Sources
- portal.ct.gov/dmv/vehicle-services/sales-tax-registrations · verified 2026-08-27
- portal.ct.gov/…/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/…/sales-tax-calculator · verified 2026-09-17
- portal.ct.gov/drs/publications/special-notices/2011/sn-2011-10 · verified 2026-08-27
“Connecticut Car Sales Tax & Out-of-State Rules.” Voltra. Last verified September 17, 2026. https://voltra.ai/car-sales-tax/connecticut/
More state-by-state guides: trade-in tax credit by state · recent rule changes · all states + the out-of-state checker