Connecticut requires a bill of sale alongside acceptable ownership documents when registering a privately purchased vehicle. Buyers can use Form H-31 or a properly completed custom bill of sale, but neither replaces a required title. Complete KarKiosk’s free vehicle bill of sale PDF with the vehicle details, actual price, sale date and signatures before submitting the registration paperwork.

Connecticut Bill of Sale Quick Facts

These requirements are detailed in Connecticut DMV’s bill-of-sale, ownership, registration-tax and temporary-registration instructions.

Is a Connecticut Bill of Sale Required?

Yes. A completed title alone does not eliminate Connecticut’s separate sale-document requirement for a new registration.

The Connecticut DMV proof-of-ownership requirements state:

“A Bill of Sale document is always required along with proof of ownership to process a new vehicle registration.”

The bill of sale records the transaction. The assigned title—or accepted documents for a title-exempt vehicle—establishes the ownership history.

Keep the names, VIN, selling price and sale date consistent across the documents. A receipt containing only the price and the seller’s signature leaves out information DMV requests.

What Information Should the Bill of Sale Include?

Connecticut DMV’s Get a Vehicle Bill of Sale instructions allow a custom document containing:

• Vehicle identification: Year, make, model and complete VIN.

• Odometer reading: The mileage displayed at the sale.

• Buyer information: Full name, address and signature.

• Seller information: Full name, address and signature.

• Transaction details: Actual selling price and date sold.

Form H-31 also includes fields for the vehicle’s color and body style. Complete the applicable fields rather than leaving identification details unresolved.

The official H-31 has a seller-certification section. When using a custom document, follow DMV’s custom-form checklist and obtain both parties’ signatures.

Which Documents Does the Buyer Need?

Connecticut DMV’s passenger-vehicle registration checklist calls for:

• Form H-13B: Completed Application for Registration and Title.

• Ownership evidence: Properly assigned title or accepted documents for a title-exempt vehicle.

• Bill of sale: H-31 or a complete custom sale record.

• Identification: Acceptable identification for the applicant.

• Connecticut insurance card: Insurance documentation identifying the vehicle.

• Supporting documents: Applicable lien releases, emissions or VIN-verification records, and documents supporting any claimed exemption.

Resolve registration holds before the appointment. Unpaid vehicle taxes, insurance problems or emissions noncompliance can prevent completion even when the title and bill of sale are correct.

What Changes When the Vehicle Is More Than 20 Model Years Old?

Connecticut DMV’s ownership instructions exempt vehicles more than 20 model years old from the title requirement.

The exemption does not eliminate ownership documentation. Obtain the last owner’s registration and the required sale or assignment documents, such as H-31 and, where applicable, Q-1 Supplemental Assignment of Ownership.

Do not confuse a title-exempt older vehicle with a newer vehicle whose title has simply been lost. Those situations use different procedures.

Does Connecticut Require the Bill of Sale to Be Notarized?

The standard H-31 form does not require a notarial acknowledgment. It contains the seller’s certification and signature rather than a notary section.

Notarizing a receipt does not fix a missing title, incomplete ownership assignment or unresolved lien. Separate documents used for an estate, representative or special transaction must still satisfy their own requirements.

Complete the actual ownership-transfer paperwork rather than treating a notary stamp as a substitute.

How Much Tax Applies to a Connecticut Private Car Sale?

The Connecticut DMV vehicle sales-tax guidance sets the standard private-purchase rate at 6.35%, increasing to 7.75% for vehicles over $50,000.

For passenger vehicles and light-duty trucks, DMV uses the higher of the bill-of-sale price or its recognized average trade-in value.

For example, a car purchased for $8,000 with a recognized value of $10,000 produces $635 in tax, before other charges. Negotiating a lower price does not necessarily reduce the taxable value.

The higher rate is not charged only on the amount above $50,000.

Which Registration Fees Are Separate From Tax?

Connecticut DMV’s fee schedule lists these standard passenger-vehicle charges:

• Registration: $120.

• Certificate of title: $25 when required.

• Standard plate: $5.

These are not an all-inclusive registration total. Administrative, Clean Air Act, Passport to the Parks, lien and applicable emissions-related charges can also apply.

The Passport to the Parks charge is $24, effective July 1, 2025. An older registration estimate using the previous $15 charge will understate that portion of the total.

A title-exempt vehicle may avoid the title charge, but that does not exempt it from registration fees or purchase tax.

Can the Buyer Drive Home With the Bill of Sale?

A bill of sale is not a temporary registration. Arrange valid registration or an appropriate temporary registration before driving the purchased vehicle.

Connecticut DMV’s Get a Temporary Registration instructions provide a passenger-vehicle temporary registration costing $21 for each 10-day period. It can be used to complete required safety or emissions inspections before permanent registration.

The application still requires ownership documents, a bill of sale, H-13B, identification and Connecticut insurance. Purchase tax is collected when applicable.

The 10-day period is the validity of an issued registration—not an automatic grace period beginning when the seller signs the receipt.

Does the Vehicle Need Emissions Testing or VIN Verification?

For an incoming out-of-state vehicle, determine whether Connecticut requires an emissions test or, when exempt, a separate VIN verification.

A car purchased from a Massachusetts owner should arrive with the ownership documents identified in the Massachusetts bill of sale and title guide. Those documents do not replace Connecticut’s inspection or registration requirements.

Connecticut DMV’s emissions-program overview lists a $20 test fee. Exemptions include fully electric vehicles, motorcycles and specified newer or older model years.

A title exemption and an emissions exemption are different rules. An older vehicle can qualify for one without automatically qualifying for the other.

DMV’s VIN-verification instructions list a $10 charge at a licensed verification station; verification at a DMV inspection lane has no fee.

What Must the Seller Do With the Plates and Insurance?

Connecticut DMV’s Sell Your Vehicle instructions give the seller a specific sequence:

• Remove the license plates from the sold vehicle.

• Cancel the Connecticut registration and save the cancellation receipt.

• Cancel the vehicle’s insurance only after registration cancellation.

Do not let the buyer drive away using the seller’s plates. Also, do not cancel insurance first while leaving an active registration in the seller’s name.

For a buyer registering the car in Rhode Island, the Rhode Island bill of sale and registration guide covers the destination-state paperwork. The Connecticut seller must still complete the Connecticut cancellation process.

How Does the Seller Correct the Property-Tax Record?

A sale receipt alone does not automatically update the town’s vehicle-tax records.

DMV directs sellers seeking a prorated property-tax adjustment to present the registration-cancellation receipt and bill of sale to the local tax assessor. Keep both documents after the vehicle leaves your possession.