How to apply for a business license
Using the tabs below, find the instructions and documents needed for the type of license you need.
Using the tabs below, find the instructions and documents needed for the type of license you need.
It’s illegal to repair or sell motor vehicles to consumers in Connecticut without a Connecticut dealer license. It’s also illegal to repair or sell motor vehicles within Connecticut if you only have an out-of-state dealer license.
Anyone found selling or repairing motor vehicles in Connecticut illegally is committing a class B misdemeanor and is subject to arrest. Anyone operating a "motor vehicle recycler's yard" (aka junkyard) without a Connecticut recycler's license is committing a class C misdemeanor.
If you know of someone operating an unlicensed dealership, repair shop or recycler business, send a detailed, written complaint to:
Department of Motor Vehicles
Dealer Enforcement Unit, Room 145
60 State Street
Wethersfield, CT 06161
You should also send a copy of the complaint to the local zoning authority and police department of the town in which the business is located.
Complaints against active licensed dealerships and repair shops should be sent in writing to the DMV's Consumer Complaint Center.
An employee of a dealership or repair shop may use a dealer or repairer plate if ALL of the following criteria is met:
Connecticut does not regulate the cost of parts or labor charged by vehicle dealerships or repair shops, but a dealership or repair shop needs to post their hourly labor rates on a sign at their place of business.
Repair rate requirements
Connecticut law requires that a dealership or repair shop:
If you feel you’ve been improperly charged for a repair, you can file a written complaint. The DMV determines if a statutory violation has occurred.
Please follow these steps to file a complaint:
All Connecticut motor vehicle dealers, repairers, leasing companies and manufacturers must be licensed by the DMV.
Please select on one of the following links below to view the business license list issued by DMV. The list is arranged by license number, DBAs (doing business as), business name, business address/location, expiration of license and type of license:
This list changes on a weekly basis. Licensees can be added or removed at any given time.
Manufacturer's License
You may also check the manufacturer’s license status in a regularly updated list of manufacturers:
When searching to verify if a dealer, repairer, leasing company or manufacturer is on this list, search by license number (N123, U12, R45 etc.) or business location (123 Main Street or Hartford). If you are searching the list in Excel, you may have to save it to your computer before this feature will work.
License numbers include specific letters to indicate type of business:
Note: Many dealership and repair shop licenses are issued in a business name but the facility may be doing business in another name (have a DBA = Doing Business As). For example, XYZ Corporation may be doing business as Joe’s Garage. The address of Joe’s Garage will be on the list but the license will be in the XYZ Corporation name.