Motor Vehicle Valuation & Assessment The basis of the motor vehicle assessments used by the City of New Britain is the pricing procedure mandated in Section 12-71d of the General Statutes of the State of Connecticut. This state law requires that vehicles be assessed according to the standard of average retail price. Assessment values are based on the average retail price for a given model as determined by the Office of Policy and Management of the State of Connecticut. The Office of Policy and Management has chosen the National Automobile Dealers Association price guides for vehicles from 1989 to the present as the source of the average retail price to be used as the basis for motor vehicle assessments for property tax. We do not, and we cannot, assess vehicles according to individual condition, mileage or specific problems with the vehicle. The assessment method for vehicles from 1988 and older is not mandated by the state. For more than twenty years we have used the following method. In order to establish the value of older vehicles (1987 vehicles and earlier), considerable research has been done to determine an equitable general methodology. We have obtained and used for many years national price guides which consider vehicles of every age. Our method of valuation for older model vehicles is most conservative. For 1988 and earlier, each model is looked up in four price sources. Those models which are valued as special interest vehicles (value of at least $1,500) in these four pricing sources, for the lowest value for an operable vehicle, are valued at the lowest price for an operable vehicle that we can find in any of these four price guides. All other older vehicles which are not valued as special interest vehicles in the four price guides are assessed at a minimum value of $200. This does not include commercial motor vehicles. We will not vary from the state method or change an assessment for vehicles from 1988 to the present. If there are any special interest vehicles from 1987 and earlier which are inoperable or in very poor condition, we may consider an assessment change. Please contact the Assessor's Office. In no case will an automobile assessment be less than the $200 minimum. It is also important to note that most vehicles which are twenty-five years of age or older can be registered with a special plate at the Motor Vehicle Department. This type of registration limits the assessment on the vehicle to $500. (Confer Connecticut General Statutes 14-20 and 12-71.) Motor Vehicle Corrections Motor Vehicle Property Tax Credits Application for Motor Vehicle Property Tax Adjustment (Documents with the icon require the free Adobe Acrobat Reader. Click here to download the software.)