Motor Vehicle Tax Questions

Motor vehicles are assessed as of October 1st and due in full July 1st of the following year.

Q. I sold this car - why am I getting a tax bill on it?

A. If you have disposed of a vehicle prior to the end of the assessment period and not transferred license plates to another vehicle, you will need to provide proof of this to the Assessor's Office  If you transferred the license plates to another vehicle, credits will automatically be issued against the newer vehicle.

Q. I moved from Bridgeport to another town in Connecticut, why is Bridgeport sending me a motor vehicle tax bill?

A. Taxes are assessed on October 1st. If your vehicle was still registered in Bridgeport at that time, you will receive a bill from Bridgeport and you will not receive one from the town where you currently live until the following year. This is because municipalities within Connecticut do not apportion motor vehicle tax bills for portions of a tax year.

Q. I moved out of Connecticut, why is Bridgeport sending me a motor vehicle tax bill?

A. If your vehicle was still registered in Connecticut on October 1st and you have since reregistered in another state you will need to provide information to the Assessor's Office to have the bill prorated for the time that you were in Connecticut.

Q. I am being improperly billed for a motor vehicle, what should I do?

A. Contact the  Assessor's Office at 203 576-7241. Do not ignore the bill. Even if the vehicle has been sold, the plates returned to DMV, stolen and not recovered, declared a total loss or if you have moved from Bridgeport or from Connecticut. If any of these situations applies, you may be entitled to a credit.

Q. What is a supplemental motor vehicle bill?

A. Vehicles registered between October 2, and the following July 31, will appear on a supplemental motor vehicle list provided to the assessor by the DMV. The assessed value of each vehicle is prorated based upon the month of registration. If you traded in a vehicle on a new vehicle, all taxes must be paid on the vehicle traded in. You will receive a credit on the supplemental bill based on the total taxes billed on the original vehicle. Supplemental motor vehicle bills are due in one installment on January 1.

Q. I have moved. Who do I tell?

A. Per Connecticut law, all Connecticut residents are required to notify the DMV of a change of address within 48 hours. This applies to your license and your registration. You should also inform our office of the change so that we can send future billings to the correct location.