Connecticut Car Sales Tax Calculator (2026)

• Connecticut taxes dealer vehicle sales at 6.35%, or 7.75% for vehicles over $50,000.
• Taxable add-ons count toward the $50,000 threshold, and the threshold is tested before a trade-in is applied.

Sales and use tax

6.35% up to $50,000.00; 7.75% over $50,000.00 (rate applies to the full price)

Local tax

None on vehicles

Trade-in

Full credit: reduces the taxable price

Manufacturer rebate

Taxed: tax is figured before the rebate

Figured with Connecticut's rules for a buyer from a dealer.

• Used car, no trade-in$1,143

  $18,000 price. Taxed on $18,000.

• New car with a trade-in$1,588

  $35,000 price, $10,000 trade-in. Taxed on $25,000. The trade-in saves $635.

• New car with a trade-in and a rebate$1,905

  $45,000 price, $15,000 trade-in, $2,000 rebate. Taxed on $30,000. The trade-in saves $953. The rebate does not lower the tax.

These examples treat the agreed price as the taxable price. Where a state uses a book value instead, the tax can differ.

Connecticut has no local tax on vehicles, so buyers in Bridgeport, Stamford and New Haven and everywhere else in Connecticut are figured at the same state rate: $1,905 on a new $30,000 car. Whether the tax applies to your purchase still depends on the rules above.

The calculator covers a car bought from a dealer. These rules apply to other ways of buying or bringing a car to Connecticut.

Buying from a private seller

A car bought from a private owner is taxed at 6.35%, or 7.75% for a car over $50,000. The tax is figured on the NADA average trade-in value or the bill of sale price, whichever is higher. (portal.ct.gov, checked Nov 10, 2026)

A car received as a gift

No sales and use tax is due on a car received as a gift, with a gift declaration (Form AU-463) signed by the donor; the donor may receive nothing in return, including taking over a loan. Separately, a car sold or transferred between spouses or civil union partners, parents and children, or siblings is exempt if it was registered to the family member for at least 60 days and was taxed on its last sale. (portal.ct.gov, checked Nov 10, 2026)

Moving to Connecticut with your car

A new Connecticut resident pays no sales tax on a car that was registered in the same name in another state for at least 30 days before the owner established Connecticut residency. The exemption is claimed in section 5 of Form H-13B. (portal.ct.gov, checked Nov 10, 2026)

Buying outside Connecticut

Sales tax paid to another state is credited if you show the purchase invoice and tax receipt. If that tax was less than 6.35% (7.75% for a car over $50,000), you pay the difference to DMV at registration. (portal.ct.gov, checked Nov 10, 2026)

Active-duty military

Connecticut residents in the U.S. armed forces pay the regular 6.35% or 7.75% tax. A nonresident on full-time active duty in Connecticut, alone or jointly with a spouse, can buy a car from a licensed Connecticut dealer at a reduced 4.5% rate with DRS Form CERT-135. (portal.ct.gov, checked Nov 10, 2026)

Paying late

Use tax not paid on time carries a penalty of 10% of the tax due plus interest of 1% per month from the return's due date. Willful failure to file can bring criminal sanctions, and failing to report use tax due can bring a penalty of up to $5,000, imprisonment for up to 5 years, or both. (portal.ct.gov, checked Nov 10, 2026)

Connecticut is tied for 35th lowest of all 50 states and the District of Columbia for tax on a $30,000 car. See all states.

Tax on a $30,000 car before trade-in, in nearby states. You generally pay tax based on where you register the car.

• Massachusetts$1,875
• Connecticut$1,905
• New York$2,100 – $2,663
• Rhode Island$2,100

• All car calculators
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