Connecticut car sales tax calculator
The sales and use tax in Connecticut is 6.35% of the taxable amount.
portal.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
By Mr. Voltage · Data checked Oct 3, 2026 · Page changed Oct 30, 2026
Where will you register the car?
Bridgeport, Fairfield County, Connecticut
Example quotes. Pick your place and type yours. Example: three quotes on one car in Harris County, Connecticut. Pick your own place and type your quotes.
Your deals at a glance
| Deal | Payment | All-in |
|---|---|---|
| $579.43a month | $39,765.66so far | |
| $523.34a month | $42,680.06so far | |
| $568.57a month | $39,114.01so far |
Estimate. Your dealer’s buyer’s order and your lender’s disclosures are the numbers that count. Check them against this.
Your numbers stay in this browser.
$579.43 a month · 60 payments
All-in $39,765.66 so far
$523.34 a month · 72 payments
All-in $42,680.06 so far
$568.57 a month · 60 payments
All-in $39,114.01 so far
Out-the-door $35,043.45 so far
so far: not including a doc fee yet. Enter your dealer’s.
Estimate. Your dealer’s buyer’s order and your lender’s disclosures are the numbers that count. Check them against this.
Out-the-door $35,782.58 so far
so far: not including a doc fee yet. Enter your dealer’s.
Estimate. Your dealer’s buyer’s order and your lender’s disclosures are the numbers that count. Check them against this.
Out-the-door $35,628.38 so far
so far: not including a doc fee yet. Enter your dealer’s.
Estimate. Your dealer’s buyer’s order and your lender’s disclosures are the numbers that count. Check them against this.
New · 2026 · Gas · change
New or used
The sheet starts with a new car; each deal sets its own
Model year
A new car is the current or next model year
Fuel
Gas car. An electric car skips the Clean Air Act and emissions fees
Sticker price (MSRP)
The research’s test car: the 2026 Tucson SEL FWD’s list price without the $1,400 destination. The town’s property tax is worked from it
Title history
A new car comes with the maker’s certificate of origin and no earlier title
New · 2026 · Gas · change
New or used
The sheet starts with a new car; each deal sets its own
Model year
A new car is the current or next model year
Fuel
Gas car. An electric car skips the Clean Air Act and emissions fees
Sticker price (MSRP)
The research’s test car: the 2026 Tucson SEL FWD’s list price without the $1,400 destination. The town’s property tax is worked from it
Title history
A new car comes with the maker’s certificate of origin and no earlier title
New · 2026 · Gas · change
New or used
The sheet starts with a new car; each deal sets its own
Model year
A new car is the current or next model year
Fuel
Gas car. An electric car skips the Clean Air Act and emissions fees
Sticker price (MSRP)
The research’s test car: the 2026 Tucson SEL FWD’s list price without the $1,400 destination. The town’s property tax is worked from it
Title history
A new car comes with the maker’s certificate of origin and no earlier title
Connecticut law sets no figure for this fee.
Connecticut calls it a dealer conveyance fee.
cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
Connecticut law sets no figure for this fee.
Connecticut calls it a dealer conveyance fee.
cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
Connecticut law sets no figure for this fee.
Connecticut calls it a dealer conveyance fee.
cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
- No city, town or county sales tax on a car in Connecticut.
cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
- No county fees: Connecticut has no county government.
portal.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
- No extra registration fee for an electric or hybrid car.
cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
- No minimum or maximum tax on a car.
cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
- No city, town or county sales tax on a car in Connecticut.
cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
- No county fees: Connecticut has no county government.
portal.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
- No extra registration fee for an electric or hybrid car.
cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
- No minimum or maximum tax on a car.
cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
- No city, town or county sales tax on a car in Connecticut.
cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
- No county fees: Connecticut has no county government.
portal.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
- No extra registration fee for an electric or hybrid car.
cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
- No minimum or maximum tax on a car.
cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
Your $5,000.00 down covers the $2,343.45 in tax and fees first; $2,656.55 goes toward the price.
Your $5,000.00 down covers the $2,387.58 in tax and fees first; $2,612.42 goes toward the price.
Your $5,000.00 down covers the $2,378.38 in tax and fees first; $2,621.62 goes toward the price.
Illustrative rate, not a quote. Your APR depends on your credit, the term, the vehicle and the lender.
Illustrative rate, not a quote. Your APR depends on your credit, the term, the vehicle and the lender.
Illustrative rate, not a quote. Your APR depends on your credit, the term, the vehicle and the lender.
60 payments, last $579.29
72 payments, last $522.92
60 payments, last $568.38
cash down plus every payment
cash down plus every payment
cash down plus every payment
Estimate. Your dealer’s buyer’s order and your lender’s disclosures are the numbers that count. Check them against this.
Estimate. Your dealer’s buyer’s order and your lender’s disclosures are the numbers that count. Check them against this.
Estimate. Your dealer’s buyer’s order and your lender’s disclosures are the numbers that count. Check them against this.
Town motor vehicle property tax: $542.03 · due on your town’s supplemental bill for the grand list after you register, then each year · about
First bill, for 11 months; then $591.30 a year
cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 · figures pulled Oct 13, 2026
Town motor vehicle property tax: $542.03 · due on your town’s supplemental bill for the grand list after you register, then each year · about
First bill, for 11 months; then $591.30 a year
cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 · figures pulled Oct 13, 2026
Town motor vehicle property tax: $542.03 · due on your town’s supplemental bill for the grand list after you register, then each year · about
First bill, for 11 months; then $591.30 a year
cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 · figures pulled Oct 13, 2026
4 charges this total leaves out
4 charges this total leaves out
4 charges this total leaves out
What’s different in Connecticut
Connecticut calls it the sales and use tax.
cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
A trade-in comes off the amount taxed at its full value, so only the difference is taxed.
cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
Negative equity rolled into the new loan is not taxed.
portal.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
Connecticut’s law sets no figure for the dealer conveyance fee.
cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
Above $50,000, the 7.75% rate applies to the whole sales price, not just the part above it. A sale at $50,000.01 pays about $700 more tax than one at $50,000.00.
cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
Worked examples
Each line below is worked by the same engine as the calculator, on the day this page was built (Nov 11, 2026).
A new car with a trade-in and negative equity
A new car at $32,700.00, with a trade-in allowed at $10,000.00 and $13,000.00 still owed, $5,000.00 down, financed at 5.90% for 60 months, bought from a dealer and registered in Connecticut’s example market.
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Price | $32,700.00 |
| Trade-in allowance | $10,000.00 |
| Still owed on the trade-in | $13,000.00 |
| Equity (negative if you owe more than it is worth) | −$3,000.00 |
| Taxable amount cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 | $22,700.00 |
| Connecticut sales tax cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 | $1,441.45 |
| Title fee cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 | $25.00 |
| Lien recording cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 | $10.00 |
| Registration (passenger) cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 | $120.00 |
| Plate fee cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 | $5.00 |
| Administrative fee (VIN inspection) cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 | $10.00 |
| Federal Clean Air Act fee cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 | $15.00 |
| Passport to the Parks fee cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 | $24.00 |
| Greenhouse gas reduction fee (new vehicle) cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 | $15.00 |
| Emissions exemption fee cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 | $40.00 |
| Lemon Law surcharge cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 | $3.00 |
| Out-the-door price | $34,408.45 |
| Cash down | $5,000.00 |
| Amount financed | $32,408.45 |
| Monthly payment | $625.04 |
| Interest over the loan | $5,093.95 |
| Total paid, interest included | $42,502.40 |
A used car from a dealer
A used car, model year 2022, at $21,500.00, $5,000.00 down, financed at 5.90% for 60 months, bought from a dealer and registered in Connecticut’s example market.
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Price | $21,500.00 |
| Taxable amount cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 | $21,500.00 |
| Connecticut sales tax cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 | $1,365.25 |
| Title fee cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 | $25.00 |
| Lien recording cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 | $10.00 |
| Registration (passenger) cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 | $120.00 |
| Plate fee cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 | $5.00 |
| Administrative fee (VIN inspection) cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 | $10.00 |
| Federal Clean Air Act fee cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 | $15.00 |
| Passport to the Parks fee cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 | $24.00 |
| Greenhouse gas reduction fee cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 | $7.50 |
| Out-the-door price | $23,081.75 |
| Cash down | $5,000.00 |
| Amount financed | $18,081.75 |
| Monthly payment | $348.73 |
| Interest over the loan | $2,842.08 |
| Total paid, interest included | $25,923.83 |
The rules in Connecticut
| Rule | What it says |
|---|---|
| Name of the tax | sales and use tax cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 |
| Connecticut sales tax | worked by the calculator from the rule of the taxable amount cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 |
| Connecticut sales tax on service contracts | 6.35% of the amount it taxes portal.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 |
| What is taxed | Taxed: the vehicle price, the doc fee, other dealer fees on the order, accessories fitted before delivery, protection packages and loose items sold with the car. Not taxed: service contracts, prepaid maintenance, GAP and government fees. cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 |
| Trade-in | A trade-in comes off the amount taxed at its full value, so only the difference is taxed. cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 |
| Maker’s rebate | A maker’s rebate does not lower the amount taxed. portal.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 |
| Dealer discount | A dealer discount lowers the amount taxed. cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 |
| Negative equity | Negative equity rolled into the loan is not taxed. portal.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 |
| Doc fee | The law sets no figure for the dealer conveyance fee. cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 |
| Title fee | $25.00 cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 |
| Registration (passenger) | $40.00 a year cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 |
| Private-party purchase | 6.35%, or 7.75% over $50,000, paid by the buyer at DMV. No trade-in credit. Transfers between family members are exempt. portal.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 |
| Private-party value | The tax is on the bill-of-sale price or the NADA average trade-in value, whichever is higher. portal.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 |
| Tax paid to another state | A credit for sales tax paid to another state, up to Connecticut’s rate. You pay the difference. cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 |
| New resident | No sales tax if the car was registered in the same name in another state for at least 30 days before you moved. portal.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 |
| Electric and hybrid fees | None. An electric car skips the Clean Air Act fee and emissions testing and pays the same $120 registration. cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 |
| Emissions test | $20 at a test station, once the car is four model years old. Paid when due, not at signing. portal.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 |
| Finance rate ceiling | On a dealer’s retail installment contract: 15% APR on a new car, 17% on a used car up to 2 model years old, 19% on an older one. cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 |
What has changed
· Watching: The towns’ motor vehicle mill rates for bills on the October 1, 2026 grand list (fiscal 2028), Set by each town in spring 2027 and published by OPM; until then the estimate uses each town’s latest rate.
cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
· The rules on this page start here. Nothing earlier is loaded.
Questions people ask
How does Connecticut tax a car?
Connecticut charges its sales and use tax: 6.35% of the sales price, the same everywhere in the state. There is no local sales tax. The sales price includes the destination charge, the dealer’s conveyance fee and dealer-installed extras, less a trade-in. A dealer discount lowers it. A maker’s rebate does not: Connecticut taxes the price before the rebate. A service contract or extended warranty is taxed too, always at 6.35%. At a dealer, the tax is paid at signing. Your town also bills a yearly property tax on the car later, a separate tax.
cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
portal.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
portal.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
portal.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
When does a higher Connecticut sales tax rate apply to a car?
When the sales price is more than $50,000, the rate is 7.75% on the entire sales price, not just the part above $50,000. So a sale at $50,000.01 pays about $700 more tax than a sale at $50,000.00. The price for the test is measured before the trade-in, and it includes the doc fee and taxable extras. A service contract does not count toward it. The higher rate does not apply to a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating over 12,500 lb, a business vehicle with commercial registration, or a sale at the 4.5% military rate.
cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
portal.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
Is the Connecticut dealer conveyance fee capped?
No. We found no dollar limit in Connecticut law. The law defines the dealer conveyance fee or processing fee as a fee to recover reasonable costs for processing documents and closing the sale, and the state Supreme Court has read it as a disclosure rule only, not a limit on the amount. From October 1, 2026, any price a dealer quotes must include the fee and state its amount separately, with the words that it is negotiable. The order and invoice may not be printed with the fee before you talk. Advertised prices must include it too. The order and invoice must say, in at least 10-point bold type, that the fee is not payable to the state. If you take the registration papers to DMV yourself, the dealer must reduce the fee by a proportional amount. The fee is taxed. Complaints go to the DMV’s Consumer Complaint Center.
cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
portal.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
portal.ct.gov · checked Oct 14, 2026
Does a trade-in lower Connecticut sales tax?
Yes, in full, when you buy from a licensed dealer. The tax is only on the difference between the price and the amount allowed on the trade-in, with no dollar cap. The trade-in does not lower the price used for the $50,000 test, so a car priced above $50,000 pays 7.75% on the price after the trade-in. Negative equity rolled into the new loan is not taxed: the credit is the full allowance, not your equity. There is no trade-in credit on a private sale.
cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
portal.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
portal.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
What property tax will I pay on a car in Connecticut?
Your town bills a yearly property tax on the car, apart from the sales tax. The value is a share of the maker’s suggested retail price that falls with age: 85% up to year one, 80% in year two, 75%, 70%, 65%, and on down to 15% in years 15 to 19. The town taxes 70% of that value at its motor vehicle mill rate. The state caps that rate at 32.46 mills. Bridgeport’s rate for fiscal 2027 is 31.75 mills. A car registered after October 1 goes on the town’s supplemental list. Registered before November 1, it pays a full year; later, it pays for the months to the next October 1. Our figure is an estimate, shown after you buy. It assumes the standard schedule and a price without the destination charge. A town may vote a modified schedule that starts at 90%, and which towns did is not confirmed.
cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
data.ct.gov · checked Oct 12, 2026
portal.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
I bought a car out of state. What do I pay in Connecticut?
A Connecticut resident pays Connecticut use tax at DMV when the car is registered, less sales tax paid to the other state. If you paid less than 6.35%, or 7.75% for a car over $50,000, you pay the difference. To get the credit, bring the purchase invoice and the tax receipt. Without them you pay the full tax and claim a refund on form CERT-106. A new resident pays no sales tax if the car was registered in the same name in another state for at least 30 days before moving. Registration, title and other fees still apply, and the town property tax starts.
portal.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
cga.ct.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026