Out-the-door price in Connecticut
How Connecticut works
- Connecticut's sales tax on a car is 6.35%, the same in every town. There is no city or county sales tax. When the price before your trade-in is over $50,000 the rate is 7.75% on the whole amount, not only the part above $50,000.
- Your trade-in reduces the taxable amount with no dollar cap, on new and used cars. It does not change which rate applies: the $50,000 test looks at the price before the trade-in.
- A manufacturer's rebate does not lower the tax, even when it is applied at the sale. A discount from the dealer does.
- The dealer's conveyance fee (its doc fee) is taxed, and so are accessories, freight and a service contract. A service contract is always taxed at 6.35%, even on a car over $50,000.
- Connecticut does not cap the conveyance fee in dollars. The dealer must show it separately, say that it is negotiable and not payable to the state, and post a sign with the amount.
- Most dealers file the title and registration with the DMV for you. If you would rather register the car yourself, the dealer has to lower its conveyance fee by a proportional amount.
- The registration, plate, title and other DMV charges in the total are the amounts the DMV collects for a three-year registration.
Rules last verified Oct 11, 2026. Our methodology.
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What a Connecticut advertised price has to include
Since October 1, 2026, Connecticut requires a dealer's advertised price to include the dealer conveyance fee (its doc fee), delivery, dealer preparation and any add-on goods or services, with the conveyance fee's amount stated next to the phrase "Dealer Conveyance Fee." The FTC expects the same: every fee the dealer requires belongs in the advertised price, so only government charges like sales tax, title and registration go on top. That still isn't your out-the-door number; the calculator above adds the rest.
Federal law comes first
The FTC requires a dealer's advertised price to include every fee the dealer charges. Only charges the government requires you to pay, like tax, title and registration, can be left out. Where a state's rules let a dealer leave a fee out, the dealer still has to follow the federal rule, so the fee goes in. The FTC says a state's doc-fee rules can add disclosures, but they don't change the price that has to be advertised. Read the FTC's guidance.
Has to be in the advertised price
- The dealer conveyance fee (Connecticut's doc fee; no dollar cap)
- Delivery (freight) and dealer preparation charges
- Any add-on goods or services the dealer has put on the car
- Federal taxes built into the price
- Any other charge of any nature the dealer requires
Can still be added on top
- Sales tax: 6.35%, or 7.75% when the price before trade-in is over $50,000
- Registration fees, and the title fee and other DMV charges
- The town's property tax bill that follows the sale
- Optional products you choose to buy, such as a service contract or GAP coverage
- What changed on October 1, 2026: until then, Connecticut let a dealer leave the conveyance fee out of an advertised price if the ad said so in bold type and showed the amount. Public Act 26-24 ended that. Older guides and some ads still use the earlier rule.
- The ad must state in at least eight-point bold type that state and local tax and registration fees are excluded, show the conveyance fee next to the words "Dealer Conveyance Fee," and show any add-on charges next to "Additional Fees, Charges and Costs."
- A price quoted to you has to include the conveyance fee and any optional add-on, each shown separately and labeled as negotiable (the conveyance fee) or optional (an add-on). A dealer may not print the order or invoice form in advance with those amounts.
- A dealer may not put a preparation charge in the price for work the manufacturer reimburses or for anything you did not order and see itemized on the invoice.
- A violation can cost a dealer a fine of up to $1,000 and its license. The Attorney General can also act under the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act.
More in our guide: Do dealers have to put fees in the advertised price? What actually changed for 2026
Connecticut in detail
Connecticut OTD questions, answered
Does a trade-in reduce sales tax in Connecticut?
Yes — Connecticut taxes the difference: your trade-in's value is subtracted before tax is computed.
Are manufacturer rebates taxed in Connecticut?
Effectively yes — tax is computed before the rebate is applied, so you pay tax on the pre-rebate price.
Is the doc fee capped in Connecticut?
No — doc fees are uncapped in Connecticut; buyers report a typical $751.00. It's negotiable as part of your total OTD.
What does a Connecticut dealer's advertised price have to include?
The conveyance fee, delivery, dealer preparation, any add-on goods or services and any other charge the dealer requires. Only sales tax, registration fees and other government charges go on top. Connecticut has required the conveyance fee in the price since October 1, 2026; the FTC's staff guidance says the same.
Is there a cap on Connecticut dealer doc fees?
Not in dollars. The law defines the conveyance fee as recovering a dealer's reasonable costs, and Connecticut's Supreme Court has held that the disclosure rules do not limit the amount. The dealer must say the fee is negotiable and is not payable to the state. Published surveys put the typical fee near $750.
How much sales tax do I pay on a car in Connecticut?
6.35% statewide, with no local tax. If the price before your trade-in is over $50,000, the rate is 7.75% on the whole price. Your trade-in lowers the taxable amount; a manufacturer's rebate does not.
Do I pay property tax on my car in Connecticut?
Yes, every year, to your town. The bill is based on the car's original sticker price and age, 70% of that, times your town's mill rate, which the state caps at 32.46 mills. It is not part of the out-the-door price.