Does Connecticut require a front license plate?

Yes. Vehicles issued two plates must display them on the front and the rear.

What does a Connecticut plate number look like?

Two letters and five numbers, like AB 12345.

What do I do with my Connecticut plates when I sell my car?

Remove them and cancel the registration with the DMV, online, by mail or in person. You can move the plates to another vehicle you own, or discard them.

What is a marker plate?

It is the Connecticut DMV’s term for a license plate, used on forms such as the Marker Plate Notice for canceling a registration.

Can I get a VIN from a Connecticut license plate?

Yes. Enter the license plate number with Connecticut selected and the lookup returns the VIN of the vehicle it is registered to, with the year, make, model and trim.

Can I find the owner of a Connecticut license plate?

Not through a public lookup. Owner details in Connecticut vehicle records are protected by the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act and released only for purposes the law allows, such as by court order or to an insurer handling a claim.

Connecticut License Plate Lookup

Enter a Connecticut plate number to get the vehicle’s VIN, year, make, model and trim.

Connecticut puts plates on the front and the back, and the standard number is two letters followed by five numbers. The DMV’s own forms still call them marker plates, and a car’s registration is tied to local car tax in the town where it is registered.

Connecticut plate to VIN

A Connecticut platenumber points to one current registration, and the registration records the vehicle’s 17-character VIN. Enter the plate above to get the VIN with the year, make, model, trim, body and engine. It is the quickest way to get the VIN of a car you are not standing next to: one in a listing, one you are quoting a repair for, or your own when the title is in a drawer somewhere.

Connecticut license plate formats

Standard passenger plates use these formats. Personalized, specialty, commercial and motorcycle plates follow their own rules, and every format works in the lookup.

Format	What it is
AB 12345	Seven characters: two letters and five numbers, the standard format since 2015.
123 ABC	Three numbers and three letters, issued from 2000 to about 2013.

Connecticut requires plates on the front and the rear.

Who issues plates in Connecticut

Plates and registrations in Connecticut come from the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles, and people go in person to DMV offices. Plate Decoder is an independent service and is not affiliated with the DMV or any other government agency.

Temporary tags in Connecticut

When you buy from a Connecticut dealer and already have a car registered in the state, the dealer can issue a 60-day temporary transfer of that registration to the new car while the permanent registration is processed.

Personalized and specialty plates

Vanity plates can have up to seven characters on cars and up to six on motorcycles, and can be ordered online for passenger registrations. Plates with only one, two or three digits are not issued.

Cancel the registration, stop the car tax

Until you cancel the registration with the DMV, a car stays subject to property tax in its town of record, even after you sell it. Keep the cancellation receipt in case you get a tax bill.

What a Connecticutplate lookup can and can’t show

You get the vehicle: VIN, year, make, model, trim, body and engine. You do not get the person. See what a plate lookup shows for the full list.

What we don’t show, and why

No owner names, addresses, phone numbers or photos. Owner details in DMV records are protected by the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act, and looking someone up out of curiosity is not a purpose it allows. Any site that promises the owner of a plate for a few dollars is either breaking that law or not going to deliver.

Who can get owner records, and what to do instead

FAQ

Connecticut plate lookup questions

Does Connecticut require a front license plate?: Yes. Vehicles issued two plates must display them on the front and the rear.
What does a Connecticut plate number look like?: Two letters and five numbers, like AB 12345.
What do I do with my Connecticut plates when I sell my car?: Remove them and cancel the registration with the DMV, online, by mail or in person. You can move the plates to another vehicle you own, or discard them.
What is a marker plate?: It is the Connecticut DMV’s term for a license plate, used on forms such as the Marker Plate Notice for canceling a registration.
Can I get a VIN from a Connecticut license plate?: Yes. Enter the license plate number with Connecticut selected and the lookup returns the VIN of the vehicle it is registered to, with the year, make, model and trim.
Can I find the owner of a Connecticut license plate?: Not through a public lookup. Owner details in Connecticut vehicle records are protected by the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act and released only for purposes the law allows, such as by court order or to an insurer handling a claim.