Mission statement
The Connecticut DMV’s mission is to promote and advance public safety, security, and service through the regulation of drivers, their motor vehicles, and vehicle-related businesses.
About the Commissioners
Commissioner Sibongile Magubane
A lifelong Connecticut resident, Commissioner Magubane is best known in the business community from her years of service working at Aetna, first from 1979 to 1994, and then again from 2000 to 2011. She gained a reputation at Aetna for technical knowledge and leadership attitude in information technology strategic planning and helped the company execute its enterprise strategic plan. She has also held leadership positions at Cigna, Keane, Inc., and at Specialty Transportation, Inc., in Hartford.
In addition to her professional work, Commissioner Magubane volunteers her time in several leadership positions within community groups in Hartford and has recently been appointed to the American Association of Motor Vehicles Administration’s (AAMVA) Board of Directors. She earned a bachelor of science degree in mathematics from UConn.
Deputy Commissioner Tony Guerrera
Also, a lifelong resident of Connecticut, Deputy Commissioner Guerrera brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to DMV. Prior to joining the agency, he served in the state legislature for 20 years, represented the 29th district and was the long-time Co-Chair of the Legislature’s Transportation Committee while also being a self-employed local business owner.
During his time as Transportation Committee Co-Chair, he championed sweeping changes to the state’s teen driving laws in 2008 that led to dramatic reductions in fatal crashes involving this age group. The changes included a required two-hour safety information class for both parents and teens, improved training requirements, extended curfew and passenger restrictions and other requirements aimed to increase safety among teen drivers. Prior to his service in the General Assembly, he was Mayor of Rocky Hill and served on the town council.
Contact & Careers
How to reach us
Our DMV Success Team is ready to help you get what you need! Here's how to reach us:
Email: Fill out this simple form to email us your question.
Phone: Live support is available Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET:
- 800-842-8222 (for all other parts of Connecticut)
- 860-263-5700 (outside of Connecticut)
Visiting us in person? Find the DMV office closest to you.
Additional tips
- If you call after hours, our 24-hour automated help line can answer most of your questions.
- Here are our branch holiday operating hours.
- Need info on a suspended driver’s license? Email us at dmv.suspension@ct.gov or please call 860-263-5720.
- For insurance compliance suspension information, please call 860-263-5725.
- If you need to request a specific DMV record, here’s how to do it.
- To write to a specific person or department in the DMV, please send all correspondence to:
Department of Motor Vehicles
60 State Street
Wethersfield, CT 06161
Career opportunities with DMV
The DMV is an equal opportunity employer operating under an approved affirmative action plan. The DMV encourages women, minorities, and persons with disabilities to apply for job openings.
Glossary
A-I
Administrative per se: Any person who operates a motor vehicle in Connecticut is presumed to have given their consent to a chemical analysis of their breath, blood and urine. Any person who fails an analysis test or refuses to take a chemical test is subject to an administrative suspension, following due process, of their operator's license.
Assignment of ownership: Refers to the transfer of a claim, right, interest, or property for the purpose of registering or titling a motor vehicle.
Bill of sale: Refers to a written exchange of a motor vehicle, from a seller to a buyer, for an amount of money or its equivalent.
CDL: Refers to a commercial driver’s license issued by DMV to an individual and it allows that individual to drive a commercial motor vehicle.
Class codes: Refers to a collection of motor vehicle categories that stipulate the types of registrations issued for motor vehicles.
Combination registration/plates: Means the type of registration and plates issued to a motor vehicle that are used for both private passenger and commercial purposes, if that vehicle does not have a gross vehicle weight rating in excess of 12,500 pounds.
Early American plates (also known as antique plates): Refers to a license plate that is given only to a motor vehicle 20 years old or older, is being preserved because of the historic interest, and is not altered or modified from the original manufacturer’s specification.
Emissions test: Refers to the Connecticut Inspection and Maintenance (I/M) program test, which is conducted at official test stations. Emissions for vehicles that are 1995 and older are measured by analyzing pollutant concentrations in tailpipe exhaust. Some vehicles are driven on a dynamometer, a treadmill-type simulator of real-world driving conditions. For vehicles model year 1996 or newer, a scan tool is plugged into the vehicle’s On-Board Diagnostic Second Generation (OBDII) computer system to download data to determine if emissions components are malfunctioning.
Go-karts: Motor vehicles of a class not eligible for registration and would therefore be prohibited from both roads and sidewalks.
Go-peds: Fall under the same provisions as "bicycle with helper motors". See moped definition.
H-13: Refers to a form entitled "application for registration and certificate of title." This form is used to register any motor vehicle for the first time.
Immediate family: Refers to a direct relation as in brother, sister, mother, father, child or spouse.
Interstate: Means a connection between two or more states.
In-transit registration: Refers to a temporary registration issued to an out-of-state resident by DMV, solely for the purpose of transporting a motor vehicle out of Connecticut with the intent of registering that motor vehicle in another state.
Intrastate: Refers to existing within the boundaries of a state.
J-R
Marker plates: Refers to a registration (license) plate that is required on a registered motor vehicle.
Minor filing (financial responsibility): Refers to insurance filing for a motor vehicle registered to a minor.
Mopeds: A "motor-driven cycle" (also known as a moped) means any motorcycle, motor scooter, or bicycle with an attached motor with a seat height of not less than 26 inches and a motor that produces five brake horsepower or less. A "motor-driven cycle" is not required to be registered.
However, it does require that the operator have a valid driver’s license to operate on the road. If you are 16 or 17 years old, you must wear a helmet while operating a moped. The motor-driven cycle is prohibited from operation on sidewalks, limited-access highways, and turnpikes under Connecticut State Law Title 14 Sec. 14-286.
Motorcycle: Means a motor vehicle, with or without a side car, having not more than three wheels in contact with the ground and a saddle or seat on which the rider sits or a platform on which the rider stands and includes bicycles having a motor attached, except bicycles propelled by means of a helper motor (moped) as defined in Connecticut State Law Title 14 Sec 14-286, but does not include a vehicle having a completely or partially enclosed driver’s seat and a motor which is not in the enclosed area.
Motor scooters: Many motor scooters are motorcycles and require a registration and driver's license with an "M" endorsement to operate on the road. Some motor scooters fall under the definition of a "motor-driven cycle" (moped) as found in Connecticut State Law Title 14 Sec. 14-286. A "motor-driven cycle" is not required to be registered. However, it does require that the operator have a valid driver’s license to operate on the road. The legal age to obtain a driver’s license in Connecticut is 16 years of age.
For any scooter to be operated on the street, it must have all the statutory equipment such as brakes, lights, horn, and mirrors. Motorcycle-class motor scooters are motor vehicles that are prohibited from sidewalks under the provisions of Connecticut State Law Title 14 Sec. 14-250a.
Odometer: Refers to an instrument located on a motor vehicle’s dashboard, or a motorcycle’s instrumentation panel, that indicates the distance traveled by that motor vehicle.
Operator number: Refers to the nine-digit number assigned by DMV to an individual upon successful completion of a driver’s test. The number is found in the upper center of the operator’s photo license.
Passenger registration: The type of registration and plates issued to private passenger motor vehicle unless a more specific type of registration is authorized and issued for such class of vehicle.
Q-1: Refers to a supplemental assignment of ownership form. The Q-1 is used when the back of the title is already completed and the vehicle still requires a transfer of ownership or can be used as a bill of sale.
Record transfer: Refers to adding or deleting of information contained on a motor vehicle registration.
Restoration: Refers to the reinstatement of a suspended operator’s license or registration.
Revoke: An administrative action taken by the DMV to render a credential null and void.
S-Z
Safety Inspection: An inspection of a motor vehicle to ensure the proper working condition of a vehicle’s mechanical equipment.
Salvage vehicle: Refers to a motor vehicle composed of discarded or damaged material. Also, any vehicle that has been assigned to an insurance company is considered salvaged.
Special interest plates: Refers to license plates that are specially designed for a qualified, nonprofit organization and displays the organization’s unique logo. There are certain eligibility requirements that a non-profit organization must meet. Please go here for more information.
Sub-registration (subreg): Refers to the replacement of a current plate with another license plate. This procedure allows a customer to retain time on the existing plate and transfer that time to the newly issued plate.
Suspension: Refers to an administrative action disallowing continued use of an operator license or registration credential for a period of time.
Temporary registration plates: Refers to temporary plates issued by DMV to a customer for a limited amount of time. In many instances, temporary registrations and plates are used to bring a motor vehicle in for a safety inspection.
Vanity plates: Refers to an automobile license plate bearing a combination of letters and/or numbers selected by a purchaser.
Vehicle transfer: Refers to the transferring of marker plates from one vehicle to another.
Work permit: Refers to a license issued by DMV for work purposes only and is given to an individual who has been suspended and who meets DMV’s criteria. This license is to be used only for the purpose of allowing an individual to travel to and from their respective workplace.
