New to Connecticut? Your Checklist for the DMV, Car Tax, Voting and Utilities

Moving to Connecticut comes with a short list of official tasks and a few have deadlines. This checklist puts them in order. Print it or download our relocation checklist PDF at the end of the page.

First two weeks

• Change your address with the US Postal Service, your bank, your employer and your insurers.
• Set up utilities before you arrive if you can: electricity, gas or heating oil, water and sewer, internet and trash (in some towns trash is a private contract).
• Find the town hall. The town clerk, assessor, tax collector and registrar of voters are all there and most have websites.
• Check health coverage. If your coverage is ending, moving to Connecticut can open a special enrollment period for marketplace plans¹.

Driver’s licence

New residents have 90 days to transfer an out-of-state licence, according to the CT DMV’s transfer page². You will need to visit a DMV office or partner location with proof of identity, Social Security number and Connecticut residence, plus your current licence. Book early, because appointments can fill up. If you hold a licence from outside the US, check the DMV’s rules for your country³.

Vehicle registration, emissions and insurance

You must register your vehicle in Connecticut within 90 days of becoming a resident⁴. Before you do, switch your auto insurance to a Connecticut policy, because the DMV checks for it. Many vehicles also need a Connecticut emissions test; the DMV explains which ones and where to go³. The CT Insurance Department has guides to auto coverage⁵.

The car tax

Connecticut towns tax cars like property. Each year, the town assesses your car and applies its motor vehicle mill rate. State law caps that rate and for FY2027 the cap is 32.46 mills⁶. Your first bill may be prorated for the months you owned the car in town. The tax is billed by the town where the car is registered, so update your address with the DMV whenever you move.

Utilities

Electricity in most of Connecticut is delivered by Eversource; the New Haven and Bridgeport area is served by United Illuminating. You can buy power from the utility’s standard offer or a third-party supplier. The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority regulates utilities and has consumer information⁷. Many older homes heat with oil or propane, which you buy from a local dealer; ask the seller or landlord who delivers.

Voting

Register online through the Secretary of the State or at your town’s registrar of voters⁸. You will need your Connecticut licence number or the last four digits of your Social Security number.

Schools

Public schools are run by your town or a regional district. Call the district’s central office for enrollment. Expect to show proof of residence (a lease or closing documents plus a utility bill), immunization records and prior school records. If you are moving mid-year, ask about placement testing and transportation. The school district guide explains how to compare districts, and school choice in Connecticut covers magnet and technical schools.

Health coverage

If you are not covered through an employer, Access Health CT is the state’s marketplace⁹. Moving is a qualifying life event for a special enrollment period, which has a deadline after your move¹.

Property and taxes

• Property tax: if you bought a home, the town will bill you, usually in installments. Escrow through your lender is common. See Connecticut property taxes explained.
• Income tax: you will likely file a part-year resident return for the year you move. See Connecticut taxes for new residents.

Before you move

A few tasks are easier before you arrive. Gather the documents you will need for the DMV: passport or birth certificate, Social Security card or proof of your number and two proofs of your Connecticut address². A lease or closing statement and a utility bill usually work; check the DMV’s current list.

Request school records, medical records and prescriptions for everyone in the household. Ask your doctors for referrals in Connecticut if you need specialist care.

If you are moving from outside the United States, check the rules for bringing household goods across the border¹⁰ and keep your immigration documents together. The moving from Toronto guide covers the Canadian side.

The first month at your new home

Learn where the main water shutoff, the electrical panel and the heating system controls are. If the home has oil heat, find the tank and the name of the delivery company the seller used and set up an account before the tank runs low.

Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and replace batteries. Change the locks or at least have them rekeyed.

If the home has a private well, schedule a water test if one was not done at purchase and plan to retest regularly¹¹. If it has a septic system, find out when it was last pumped.

If you are in a flood-prone area, keep your insurance documents and an inventory of your belongings somewhere safe outside the house. See our guide to homeowners insurance and flood risk.

Town services worth knowing

Every Connecticut town runs its own services and they differ more than newcomers expect. Find your town’s website and look for these.

Trash and recycling. Some towns collect curbside, some contract with a hauler and some rely on a transfer station that needs a permit. Ask the town hall which applies to your street.

Beach and park passes. Shoreline towns often sell resident passes for beaches and parks. Deadlines and prices are set by each town.

Station parking. If you plan to commute by train, ask about permits and waitlists right away. Our Metro-North parking guide explains how they work.

Dog licences. Connecticut dogs are licensed through the town clerk each year.

Emergency alerts. Most towns have an alert system for storms, road closures and emergencies. Sign up with your phone number.

Recreation and senior centers. Parks and recreation departments run programs for all ages, and senior centers offer classes, trips and rides.

Getting to know your town

Visit the library. Many Connecticut libraries offer far more than books, including museum passes, events and local history.

Walk or drive the town center at different times of day. Find the nearest grocery store, pharmacy, urgent care and hardware store before you need them.

Attend a town meeting or read the minutes. Local government in Connecticut is very hands-on and decisions about budgets, schools and zoning are made close to home. The budget process each spring is when the next year’s mill rate is set⁶.

The first year

Your first car tax bill will arrive after your car is registered in town. Your first full property tax bill depends on the town’s billing schedule. Your first Connecticut tax return will be a part-year return.

Put these on a calendar so none of them is a surprise. The cost of moving calculator and the costs and money hub help you plan the amounts.

Still choosing a town?

If you are renting first and still deciding where to buy, the town guides for Stamford, Norwalk, Milford, New Haven, West Hartford and Southbury compare prices, taxes and commutes. Our Stamford vs Norwalk and Westport vs Fairfield comparisons look at pairs of towns side by side.

When you are ready, get matched with a licensed Connecticut agent who works in the towns you like.

Printable checklist

1. Address changes and mail forwarding
2. Utilities, internet and trash
3. Health coverage confirmed
4. Connecticut auto insurance
5. Driver’s licence transferred (within 90 days)
6. Vehicle registered and emissions test if required (within 90 days)
7. Voter registration
8. School enrollment
9. Town hall: assessor, tax collector, dump or transfer station permit
10. Station parking permit or waitlist, if you will commute

Our free relocation checklist, offered at the end of this page, covers the whole move. Want help with the housing side? We can introduce you to one licensed Connecticut agent.

Internet and phones

Home internet options vary by street. Check the FCC National Broadband Map for the address you are buying or renting¹², then call providers for current speeds and prices. Rely on a quote for that address rather than advertised speeds.

Keep your phone number if you can. Most carriers let you keep a New York or other out-of-state number after you move. Update your address with the carrier so any local outages and billing reach you.

Emergency numbers and services

Save your town’s non-emergency police number, the nearest urgent care and the hospital emergency room. Dial 911 for emergencies. Know the nearest 24-hour pharmacy.

If your home is on a private road or a long driveway, ask the town how snow plowing and emergency access work. See Milford and Guilford and Madison for shoreline towns where storms matter.

Banking, credit and paperwork

Update your address with every bank, card issuer and investment account. Your credit history follows you within the United States, but a new address may trigger identity checks, so expect a few extra steps.

If you are moving from Canada, your Canadian credit history does not transfer to U.S. credit bureaus. Some banks offer accounts and cards for newcomers. See the Toronto guide for details.

Keep a single folder, paper or digital, with your closing documents or lease, DMV paperwork, insurance policies and utility account numbers. You will need them more than once in the first year.

Settling in

Give yourself time. Most newcomers say the first year is when a town starts to feel like home. Meet neighbors, join a group and explore the region on weekends: the shoreline, the hills of Litchfield County and the cities of New Haven and Hartford are all within reach.