Sec. 14-1. *(See end of section for amended version and effective date.) Definitions. Terms used in this chapter shall be construed as follows, unless another construction is clearly apparent from the language or context in which the term is used or unless
the construction is inconsistent with the manifest intention of the General Assembly:
(1) "Activity vehicle" means a student transportation vehicle that is used to transport
students in connection with school-sponsored events and activities, but is not used to
transport students to and from school;
(2) "Agricultural tractor" means a tractor or other form of nonmuscular motive
power used for transporting, hauling, plowing, cultivating, planting, harvesting, reaping
or other agricultural purposes on any farm or other private property, or used for the
purpose of transporting, from one farm to another, agricultural implements and farm
products, provided the agricultural tractor is not used on any highway for transporting
a pay load or for some other commercial purpose;
(3) "Antique, rare or special interest motor vehicle" means a motor vehicle twenty
years old or older which is being preserved because of historic interest and which is not
altered or modified from the original manufacturer's specifications;
(4) "Apparent candle power" means an illumination equal to the normal illumination in foot candles produced by any lamp or lamps, divided by the square of the distance
in feet between the lamp or lamps and the point at which the measurement is made;
(5) "Authorized emergency vehicle" means (A) a fire department vehicle, (B) a
police vehicle, or (C) a public service company or municipal department ambulance or
emergency vehicle designated or authorized for use as an authorized emergency vehicle
by the commissioner;
(6) "Auxiliary driving lamp" means an additional lighting device on a motor vehicle
used primarily to supplement the general illumination in front of a motor vehicle provided by the motor vehicle's head lamps;
(7) "Bulb" means a light source consisting of a glass bulb containing a filament or
substance capable of being electrically maintained at incandescence;
(8) "Camp trailer" includes any trailer designed for living or sleeping purposes and
used exclusively for camping or recreational purposes;
(9) "Camp trailer registration" means the type of registration issued to any trailer
that is for nonbusiness use and is limited to camp trailers and utility trailers;
(10) "Camp vehicle" means any motor vehicle that is regularly used to transport
persons under eighteen years of age in connection with the activities of any youth camp,
as defined in section 19a-420;
(11) "Camper" means any motor vehicle designed or permanently altered in such a
way as to provide temporary living quarters for travel, camping or recreational purposes;
(12) "Combination registration" means the type of registration issued to a motor
vehicle used for both private passenger and commercial purposes if such vehicle does
not have a gross vehicle weight rating in excess of twelve thousand five hundred pounds;
(13) "Commercial driver's license" or "CDL" means a license issued to an individual in accordance with the provisions of sections 14-44a to 14-44m, inclusive, which
authorizes such individual to drive a commercial motor vehicle;
(14) "Commercial driver's license information system" or "CDLIS" means the national database of holders of commercial driver's licenses established by the Federal
Motor Carrier Safety Administration pursuant to Section 12007 of the Commercial
Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1986;
(15) "Commercial motor vehicle" means a vehicle designed or used to transport
passengers or property, except a vehicle used for farming purposes in accordance with
49 CFR 383.3(d), fire fighting apparatus or an emergency vehicle, as defined in section
14-283, or a recreational vehicle in private use, which (A) has a gross vehicle weight
rating of twenty-six thousand and one pounds or more, or a gross combination weight
rating of twenty-six thousand and one pounds or more, inclusive of a towed unit or units
with a gross vehicle weight rating of more than ten thousand pounds; (B) is designed
to transport sixteen or more passengers, including the driver, or is designed to transport
more than ten passengers, including the driver, and is used to transport students under
the age of twenty-one years to and from school; or (C) is transporting hazardous materials
and is required to be placarded in accordance with 49 CFR 172, Subpart F, as amended,
or any quantity of a material listed as a select agent or toxin in 42 CFR Part 73;
(16) "Commercial registration" means the type of registration required for any motor vehicle designed or used to transport merchandise, freight or persons in connection
with any business enterprise, unless a more specific type of registration is authorized
and issued by the commissioner for such class of vehicle;
(17) "Commercial trailer" means a trailer used in the conduct of a business to transport freight, materials or equipment whether or not permanently affixed to the bed of
the trailer;
(18) "Commercial trailer registration" means the type of registration issued to any
commercial trailer;
(19) "Commissioner" includes the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles and any assistant to the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles who is designated and authorized by, and
who is acting for, the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles under a designation; except that
the deputy commissioners of motor vehicles and the Attorney General are deemed,
unless the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles otherwise provides, to be designated and
authorized by, and acting for, the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles under a designation;
(20) "Controlled substance" has the same meaning as in section 21a-240 and the
federal laws and regulations incorporated in chapter 420b;
(21) "Conviction" means an unvacated adjudication of guilt, or a determination that
a person has violated or failed to comply with the law in a court of original jurisdiction
or an authorized administrative tribunal, an unvacated forfeiture of bail or collateral
deposited to secure the person's appearance in court, the payment of a fine or court cost,
or violation of a condition of release without bail, regardless of whether or not the penalty
is rebated, suspended or probated;
(22) "Dealer" includes any person actively engaged in buying, selling or exchanging
motor vehicles or trailers who has an established place of business in this state and who
may, incidental to such business, repair motor vehicles or trailers, or cause them to be
repaired by persons in his or her employ;
(23) "Disqualification" means a withdrawal of the privilege to drive a commercial
motor vehicle, which occurs as a result of (A) any suspension, revocation, or cancellation
by the commissioner of the privilege to operate a motor vehicle; (B) a determination
by the Federal Highway Administration, under the rules of practice for motor carrier
safety contained in 49 CFR 386, as amended, that a person is no longer qualified to
operate a commercial motor vehicle under the standards of 49 CFR 391, as amended;
or (C) the loss of qualification which follows any of the convictions or administrative
actions specified in section 14-44k;
(24) "Drive" means to drive, operate or be in physical control of a motor vehicle,
including a motor vehicle being towed by another;
(25) "Driver" means any person who drives, operates or is in physical control of a
commercial motor vehicle, or who is required to hold a commercial driver's license;
(26) "Driver's license" or "operator's license" means a valid Connecticut motor
vehicle operator's license or a license issued by another state or foreign jurisdiction
authorizing the holder thereof to operate a motor vehicle on the highways;
(27) "Employee" means any operator of a commercial motor vehicle, including
full-time, regularly employed drivers, casual, intermittent or occasional drivers, drivers
under contract and independent owner-operator contractors, who, while in the course
of operating a commercial motor vehicle, are either directly employed by, or are under
contract to, an employer;
(28) "Employer" means any person, including the United States, a state or any political subdivision thereof, who owns or leases a commercial motor vehicle, or assigns a
person to drive a commercial motor vehicle;
(29) "Farm implement" means a vehicle designed and adapted exclusively for agricultural, horticultural or livestock-raising operations and which is not operated on a
highway for transporting a pay load or for any other commercial purpose;
(30) "Felony" means any offense as defined in section 53a-25 and includes any
offense designated as a felony under federal law;
(31) "Fatality" means the death of a person as a result of a motor vehicle accident;
(32) "Foreign jurisdiction" means any jurisdiction other than a state of the United
States;
(33) "Fuels" means (A) all products commonly or commercially known or sold as
gasoline, including casinghead and absorption or natural gasoline, regardless of their
classification or uses, (B) any liquid prepared, advertised, offered for sale or sold for
use, or commonly and commercially used, as a fuel in internal combustion engines,
which, when subjected to distillation in accordance with the standard method of test for
distillation of gasoline, naphtha, kerosene and similar petroleum products by "American
Society for Testing Materials Method D-86", shows not less than ten per cent distilled
(recovered) below 347° Fahrenheit (175° Centigrade) and not less than ninety-five per
cent distilled (recovered) below 464° Fahrenheit (240° Centigrade); provided the term
"fuels" shall not include commercial solvents or naphthas which distill, by "American
Society for Testing Materials Method D-86", not more than nine per cent at 176° Fahrenheit and which have a distillation range of 150° Fahrenheit, or less, or liquefied gases
which would not exist as liquids at a temperature of 60° Fahrenheit and a pressure of
14.7 pounds per square inch absolute, and (C) any liquid commonly referred to as "gasohol" which is prepared, advertised, offered for sale or sold for use, or commonly and
commercially used, as a fuel in internal combustion engines, consisting of a blend of
gasoline and a minimum of ten per cent by volume of ethyl or methyl alcohol;
(34) "Garage" includes every place of business where motor vehicles are, for compensation, received for housing, storage or repair;
(35) "Gross vehicle weight rating" or "GVWR" means the value specified by the
manufacturer as the maximum loaded weight of a single or a combination (articulated)
vehicle. The GVWR of a combination (articulated) vehicle commonly referred to as the
"gross combination weight rating" or GCWR is the GVWR of the power unit plus the
GVWR of the towed unit or units;
(36) "Gross weight" means the light weight of a vehicle plus the weight of any load
on the vehicle, provided, in the case of a tractor-trailer unit, "gross weight" means the
light weight of the tractor plus the light weight of the trailer or semitrailer plus the weight
of the load on the vehicle;
(37) "Hazardous materials" has the same meaning as in 49 CFR 383.5;
(38) "Head lamp" means a lighting device affixed to the front of a motor vehicle
projecting a high intensity beam which lights the road in front of the vehicle so that it
can proceed safely during the hours of darkness;
(39) "High-mileage vehicle" means a motor vehicle having the following characteristics: (A) Not less than three wheels in contact with the ground; (B) a completely
enclosed seat on which the driver sits; (C) a single or two cylinder, gasoline or diesel
engine or an electric-powered engine; and (D) efficient fuel consumption;
(40) "Highway" includes any state or other public highway, road, street, avenue,
alley, driveway, parkway or place, under the control of the state or any political subdivision of the state, dedicated, appropriated or opened to public travel or other use;
(41) "Imminent hazard" means the existence of a condition that presents a substantial likelihood that death, serious illness, severe personal injury or a substantial endangerment to health, property, or the environment may occur before the reasonably foreseeable completion date of a formal proceeding begun to lessen the risk of that death, illness,
injury or endangerment;
(42) "Intersecting highway" includes any public highway which joins another at an
angle whether or not it crosses the other;
(43) "Light weight" means the weight of an unloaded motor vehicle as ordinarily
equipped and ready for use, exclusive of the weight of the operator of the motor vehicle;
(44) "Limited access highway" means a state highway so designated under the provisions of section 13b-27;
(45) "Local authorities" includes the board of aldermen, common council, chief of
police, warden and burgesses, board of selectmen or other officials having authority for
the enactment or enforcement of traffic regulations within their respective towns, cities
or boroughs;
(46) "Maintenance vehicle" means any vehicle in use by the state or by any town,
city, borough or district, any state bridge or parkway authority or any public service
company, as defined in section 16-1, in the maintenance of public highways or bridges
and facilities located within the limits of public highways or bridges;
(47) "Manufacturer" means (A) a person, whether a resident or nonresident, engaged in the business of constructing or assembling new motor vehicles of a type required
to be registered by the commissioner, for operation upon any highway, except a utility
trailer, which are offered for sale in this state, or (B) a person who distributes new motor
vehicles to new car dealers licensed in this state;
(48) "Median divider" means an intervening space or physical barrier or clearly
indicated dividing section separating traffic lanes provided for vehicles proceeding in
opposite directions;
(49) "Modified antique motor vehicle" means a motor vehicle twenty years old or
older which has been modified for safe road use, including, but not limited to, modifications to the drive train, suspension, braking system and safety or comfort apparatus;
(50) "Motor bus" includes any motor vehicle, except a taxicab, as defined in section
13b-95, operated in whole or in part on any street or highway in a manner affording a
means of transportation by indiscriminately receiving or discharging passengers, or
running on a regular route or over any portion of a regular route or between fixed termini;
(51) "Motor home" means a vehicular unit designed to provide living quarters and
necessary amenities which are built into an integral part of, or permanently attached to,
a truck or van chassis;
(52) "Motor-driven cycle" means any motorcycle, motor scooter, or bicycle with
attached motor with a seat height of not less than twenty-six inches and a motor that
produces five brake horsepower or less;
(53) "Motor vehicle" means any vehicle propelled or drawn by any nonmuscular
power, except aircraft, motor boats, road rollers, baggage trucks used about railroad
stations or other mass transit facilities, electric battery-operated wheel chairs when operated by physically handicapped persons at speeds not exceeding fifteen miles per hour,
golf carts operated on highways solely for the purpose of crossing from one part of the
golf course to another, golf-cart-type vehicles operated on roads or highways on the
grounds of state institutions by state employees, agricultural tractors, farm implements,
such vehicles as run only on rails or tracks, self-propelled snow plows, snow blowers
and lawn mowers, when used for the purposes for which they were designed and operated
at speeds not exceeding four miles per hour, whether or not the operator rides on or
walks behind such equipment, motor-driven cycles as defined in section 14-286, special
mobile equipment as defined in section 14-165, mini-motorcycles, as defined in section
14-289j, and any other vehicle not suitable for operation on a highway;
(54) "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, but does not include a motor-driven
cycle, as defined in this section, or a vehicle having or designed to have a completely
enclosed driver's seat and a motor which is not in the enclosed area;
(55) "National Driver Registry" or "NDR" means the licensing information system
and database operated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and established pursuant to the National Driver Registry Act of 1982, as amended;
(56) "New motor vehicle" means a motor vehicle, the equitable or legal title to
which has never been transferred by a manufacturer, distributor or dealer to an ultimate
consumer;
(57) "Nonresident" means any person whose legal residence is in a state other than
Connecticut or in a foreign country;
(58) "Nonresident commercial driver's license" or "nonresident CDL" means a
commercial driver's license issued by a state to an individual who resides in a foreign
jurisdiction;
(59) "Nonskid device" means any device applied to the tires, wheels, axles or frame
of a motor vehicle for the purpose of increasing the traction of the motor vehicle;
(60) "Number plate" means any sign or marker furnished by the commissioner on
which is displayed the registration number assigned to a motor vehicle by the commissioner;
(61) "Officer" includes any constable, state marshal, inspector of motor vehicles,
state policeman or other official authorized to make arrests or to serve process, provided
the officer is in uniform or displays the officer's badge of office in a conspicuous place
when making an arrest;
(62) "Operator" means any person who operates a motor vehicle or who steers or
directs the course of a motor vehicle being towed by another motor vehicle and includes
a driver as defined in subdivision (25) of this section;
(63) "Out-of-service order" means an order (A) issued by a police officer, state
policeman, or motor vehicle inspector under the authority of section 14-8, or by an
authorized official of the United States Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
pursuant to any provision of federal law, to prohibit a commercial motor vehicle from
being operated on any highway, or to prohibit a driver from operating a commercial
motor vehicle, or (B) issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, pursuant to any provision of federal law, to prohibit any motor carrier, as defined in Section
386.2 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations, from engaging in commercial
motor vehicle operations;
(64) "Owner" means any person holding title to a motor vehicle, or having the legal
right to register the same, including purchasers under conditional bills of sale;
(65) "Parked vehicle" means a motor vehicle in a stationary position within the
limits of a public highway;
(66) "Passenger and commercial motor vehicle" means a motor vehicle used for
private passenger and commercial purposes which is eligible for combination registration;
(67) "Passenger motor vehicle" means a motor vehicle used for the private transportation of persons and their personal belongings, designed to carry occupants in comfort
and safety, with a capacity of carrying not more than ten passengers including the operator thereof;
(68) "Passenger registration" means the type of registration issued to a passenger
motor vehicle unless a more specific type of registration is authorized and issued by the
commissioner for such class of vehicle;
(69) "Person" includes any individual, corporation, limited liability company, association, copartnership, company, firm, business trust or other aggregation of individuals
but does not include the state or any political subdivision thereof, unless the context
clearly states or requires;
(70) "Pick-up truck" means a motor vehicle with an enclosed forward passenger
compartment and an open rearward compartment used for the transportation of property;
(71) "Pneumatic tires" means tires inflated or inflatable with air;
(72) "Pole trailer" means a trailer which is (A) intended for transporting long or
irregularly shaped loads such as poles, logs, pipes or structural members, which loads
are capable of sustaining themselves as beams between supporting connections, and (B)
designed to be drawn by a motor vehicle and attached or secured directly to the motor
vehicle by any means including a reach, pole or boom;
(73) "Recreational vehicle" includes the camper, camp trailer and motor home
classes of vehicles;
(74) "Registration" includes the certificate of motor vehicle registration and the
number plate or plates used in connection with such registration;
(75) "Registration number" means the identifying number or letters, or both, assigned by the commissioner to a motor vehicle;
(76) "Resident", for the purpose of registering motor vehicles, includes any person
who is a legal resident of this state, as the commissioner may presume from the fact that
such person occupies a place of dwelling in this state for more than six months in a year,
or any person, firm or corporation owning or leasing a motor vehicle used or operated
in intrastate business in this state, or a firm or corporation having its principal office or
place of business in this state;
(77) "School bus" means any school bus, as defined in section 14-275, including a
commercial motor vehicle used to transport preschool, elementary school or secondary
school students from home to school, from school to home, or to and from school-sponsored events, but does not include a bus used as a common carrier;
(78) "Second" violation or "subsequent" violation means an offense committed not
more than three years after the date of an arrest which resulted in a previous conviction
for a violation of the same statutory provision, except in the case of a violation of section
14-215 or 14-224 or subsection (a) of section 14-227a, "second" violation or "subsequent" violation means an offense committed not more than ten years after the date of
an arrest which resulted in a previous conviction for a violation of the same statutory
provision;
(79) "Semitrailer" means any trailer type vehicle designed and used in conjunction
with a motor vehicle so that some part of its own weight and load rests on or is carried
by another vehicle;
(80) "Serious traffic violation" means a conviction of any of the following offenses:
(A) Excessive speeding, involving a single offense in which the speed is fifteen miles
per hour or more above the posted speed limit, in violation of section 14-218a or 14-219; (B) reckless driving in violation of section 14-222; (C) following too closely in
violation of section 14-240 or 14-240a; (D) improper or erratic lane changes, in violation
of section 14-236; (E) typing, reading or sending text or a text message with or from a
mobile telephone or mobile electronic device while operating a commercial motor vehicle, in violation of subsection (e) of section 14-296aa; (F) operating a commercial motor
vehicle without a valid commercial driver's license in violation of section 14-36a or
14-44a; (G) failure to carry a commercial driver's license in violation of section 14-44a; (H) failure to have the proper class of license or endorsement, or violation of a
license restriction in violation of section 14-44a; or (I) a violation of any provision of
chapter 248, while operating a commercial motor vehicle, that results in the death of
another person;
(81) "Service bus" includes any vehicle except a vanpool vehicle or a school bus
designed and regularly used to carry ten or more passengers when used in private service
for the transportation of persons without charge to the individual;
(82) "Service car" means any motor vehicle used by a manufacturer, dealer or repairer for emergency motor vehicle repairs on the highways of this state, for towing or
for the transportation of necessary persons, tools and materials to and from the scene
of such emergency repairs or towing;
(83) "Shoulder" means that portion of a highway immediately adjacent and contiguous to the travel lanes or main traveled portion of the roadway;
(84) "Solid tires" means tires of rubber, or other elastic material approved by the
Commissioner of Transportation, which do not depend on confined air for the support
of the load;
(85) "Spot lamp" or "spot light" means a lighting device projecting a high intensity
beam, the direction of which can be readily controlled for special or emergency lighting
as distinguished from ordinary road illumination;
(86) "State" means any state of the United States and the District of Columbia unless
the context indicates a more specific reference to the state of Connecticut;
(87) "Stop" means complete cessation of movement;
(88) "Student" means any person under the age of twenty-one years who is attending
a preprimary, primary or secondary school program of education;
(89) "Tail lamp" means a lighting device affixed to the rear of a motor vehicle
showing a red light to the rear and indicating the presence of the motor vehicle when
viewed from behind;
(90) "Tank vehicle" means any commercial motor vehicle designed to transport
any liquid or gaseous material within a tank that is either permanently or temporarily
attached to the vehicle or its chassis which shall include, but not be limited to, a cargo
tank and portable tank, as defined in 49 CFR 383.5, as amended, provided it shall not
include a portable tank with a rated capacity not to exceed one thousand gallons;
(91) "Tractor" or "truck tractor" means a motor vehicle designed and used for drawing a semitrailer;
(92) "Tractor-trailer unit" means a combination of a tractor and a trailer or a combination of a tractor and a semitrailer;
(93) "Trailer" means any rubber-tired vehicle without motive power drawn or propelled by a motor vehicle;
(94) "Truck" means a motor vehicle designed, used or maintained primarily for the
transportation of property;
(95) "Ultimate consumer" means, with respect to a motor vehicle, the first person,
other than a dealer, who in good faith purchases the motor vehicle for purposes other
than resale;
(96) "United States" means the fifty states and the District of Columbia;
(97) "Used motor vehicle" includes any motor vehicle which has been previously
separately registered by an ultimate consumer;
(98) "Utility trailer" means a trailer designed and used to transport personal property, materials or equipment, whether or not permanently affixed to the bed of the trailer;
(99) "Vanpool vehicle" includes all motor vehicles, the primary purpose of which
is the daily transportation, on a prearranged nonprofit basis, of individuals between
home and work, and which: (A) If owned by or leased to a person, or to an employee
of the person, or to an employee of a local, state or federal government unit or agency
located in Connecticut, are manufactured and equipped in such manner as to provide a
seating capacity of at least seven but not more than fifteen individuals, or (B) if owned
by or leased to a regional ride-sharing organization in the state recognized by the Commissioner of Transportation, are manufactured and equipped in such manner as to provide a seating capacity of at least six but not more than nineteen individuals;
(100) "Vehicle" includes any device suitable for the conveyance, drawing or other
transportation of persons or property, whether operated on wheels, runners, a cushion
of air or by any other means. The term does not include devices propelled or drawn by
human power or devices used exclusively on tracks;
(101) "Vehicle identification number" or "VIN" means a series of Arabic numbers
and Roman letters that is assigned to each new motor vehicle that is manufactured within
or imported into the United States, in accordance with the provisions of 49 CFR 565,
unless another sequence of numbers and letters has been assigned to a motor vehicle
by the commissioner, in accordance with the provisions of section 14-149;
(102) "Wrecker" means a vehicle which is registered, designed, equipped and used
for the purposes of towing or transporting wrecked or disabled motor vehicles for compensation or for related purposes by a person, firm or corporation licensed in accordance
with the provisions of subpart (D) of part III of this chapter or a vehicle contracted for
the consensual towing or transporting of one or more motor vehicles to or from a place
of sale, purchase, salvage or repair.
(1949 Rev., S. 2350; 1953, S. 1278d, 1281d; 1955, S. 1279d, 1280d; 1959, P.A. 162; 283, S. 1; 1961, P.A. 233, S. 10;
1963, P.A. 560; February, 1965, P.A. 414, S. 1; 448, S. 1, 2, 3; 1967, P.A. 454, S. 1; 799; 821; 1969, P.A. 189; 569, S. 1;
1971, P.A. 355, S. 1, 2; 416, S. 2; 629; 740, S. 1; 848, S. 1, 2; 1972, P.A. 255, S. 1; P.A. 73-676, S. 1; P.A. 75-253, S. 1,
2; P.A. 76-250, S. 2, 3, 4; P.A. 77-67; P.A. 79-25, S. 1; 79-175, S. 2, 3; 79-244, S. 1, 5, 6; 79-627, S. 5, 6; P.A. 80-466, S.
2, 25; P.A. 81-394, S. 1; P.A. 82-460, S. 1, 2, 9; 82-472, S. 39, 183; P.A. 83-224, S. 1, 2; 83-278; 83-431, S. 2; 83-587, S.
67, 96; P.A. 84-429, S. 1; 84-546, S. 37, 173; P.A. 86-383, S. 1, 6; P.A. 88-245, S. 1, 7; P.A. 90-263, S. 1, 74; P.A. 91-272, S. 5, 8; P.A. 93-341, S. 1, 38; P.A. 95-79, S. 39, 189; 95-314, S. 4; P.A. 97-236, S. 23, 27; P.A. 99-268, S. 1, 2, 29;
P.A. 00-35, S. 1; 00-99, S. 44, 154; 00-169, S. 22, 35; P.A. 02-70, S. 1, 17; P.A. 03-265, S. 5; P.A. 04-199, S. 7; 04-217,
S. 1; P.A. 05-218, S. 2, 3, 15, 16, 42, 43; P.A. 06-130, S. 15; P.A. 07-167, S. 1-3, 38; P.A. 08-150, S. 1; P.A. 09-187, S.
34, 41, 49, 54; P.A. 10-32, S. 46; P.A. 11-213, S. 51.)
*Note: On and after July 1, 2012, this section, as amended by section 37 of public
act 10-110 and section 61 of public act 11-213, is to read as follows:
"Sec. 14-1. Definitions. Terms used in this chapter shall be construed as follows,
unless another construction is clearly apparent from the language or context in which
the term is used or unless the construction is inconsistent with the manifest intention of
the General Assembly:
(1) "Agricultural tractor" means a tractor or other form of nonmuscular motive
power used for transporting, hauling, plowing, cultivating, planting, harvesting, reaping
or other agricultural purposes on any farm or other private property, or used for the
purpose of transporting, from one farm to another, agricultural implements and farm
products, provided the agricultural tractor is not used on any highway for transporting
a pay load or for some other commercial purpose;
(2) "Antique, rare or special interest motor vehicle" means a motor vehicle twenty
years old or older which is being preserved because of historic interest and which is not
altered or modified from the original manufacturer's specifications;
(3) "Apparent candle power" means an illumination equal to the normal illumination in foot candles produced by any lamp or lamps, divided by the square of the distance
in feet between the lamp or lamps and the point at which the measurement is made;
(4) "Authorized emergency vehicle" means (A) a fire department vehicle, (B) a
police vehicle, or (C) a public service company or municipal department ambulance or
emergency vehicle designated or authorized for use as an authorized emergency vehicle
by the commissioner;
(5) "Auxiliary driving lamp" means an additional lighting device on a motor vehicle
used primarily to supplement the general illumination in front of a motor vehicle provided by the motor vehicle's head lamps;
(6) "Bulb" means a light source consisting of a glass bulb containing a filament or
substance capable of being electrically maintained at incandescence;
(7) "Camp trailer" includes any trailer designed for living or sleeping purposes and
used exclusively for camping or recreational purposes;
(8) "Camp trailer registration" means the type of registration issued to any trailer
that is for nonbusiness use and is limited to camp trailers and utility trailers;
(9) "Camp vehicle" means any motor vehicle that is regularly used to transport
persons under eighteen years of age in connection with the activities of any youth camp,
as defined in section 19a-420;
(10) "Camper" means any motor vehicle designed or permanently altered in such a
way as to provide temporary living quarters for travel, camping or recreational purposes;
(11) "Combination registration" means the type of registration issued to a motor
vehicle used for both private passenger and commercial purposes if such vehicle does
not have a gross vehicle weight rating in excess of twelve thousand five hundred pounds;
(12) "Commercial driver's license" or "CDL" means a license issued to an individual in accordance with the provisions of sections 14-44a to 14-44m, inclusive, which
authorizes such individual to drive a commercial motor vehicle;
(13) "Commercial driver's license information system" or "CDLIS" means the national database of holders of commercial driver's licenses established by the Federal
Motor Carrier Safety Administration pursuant to Section 12007 of the Commercial
Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1986;
(14) "Commercial motor vehicle" means a vehicle designed or used to transport
passengers or property, except a vehicle used for farming purposes in accordance with
49 CFR 383.3(d), fire fighting apparatus or an emergency vehicle, as defined in section
14-283, or a recreational vehicle in private use, which (A) has a gross vehicle weight
rating of twenty-six thousand and one pounds or more, or a gross combination weight
rating of twenty-six thousand and one pounds or more, inclusive of a towed unit or units
with a gross vehicle weight rating of more than ten thousand pounds; (B) is designed
to transport sixteen or more passengers, including the driver, or is designed to transport
more than ten passengers, including the driver, and is used to transport students under
the age of twenty-one years to and from school; or (C) is transporting hazardous materials
and is required to be placarded in accordance with 49 CFR 172, Subpart F, as amended,
or any quantity of a material listed as a select agent or toxin in 42 CFR Part 73;
(15) "Commercial registration" means the type of registration required for any motor vehicle designed or used to transport merchandise, freight or persons in connection
with any business enterprise, unless a more specific type of registration is authorized
and issued by the commissioner for such class of vehicle;
(16) "Commercial trailer" means a trailer used in the conduct of a business to transport freight, materials or equipment whether or not permanently affixed to the bed of
the trailer;
(17) "Commercial trailer registration" means the type of registration issued to any
commercial trailer;
(18) "Commissioner" includes the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles and any assistant to the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles who is designated and authorized by, and
who is acting for, the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles under a designation; except that
the deputy commissioners of motor vehicles and the Attorney General are deemed,
unless the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles otherwise provides, to be designated and
authorized by, and acting for, the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles under a designation;
(19) "Controlled substance" has the same meaning as in section 21a-240 and the
federal laws and regulations incorporated in chapter 420b;
(20) "Conviction" means an unvacated adjudication of guilt, or a determination that
a person has violated or failed to comply with the law in a court of original jurisdiction
or an authorized administrative tribunal, an unvacated forfeiture of bail or collateral
deposited to secure the person's appearance in court, the payment of a fine or court cost,
or violation of a condition of release without bail, regardless of whether or not the penalty
is rebated, suspended or probated;
(21) "Dealer" includes any person actively engaged in buying, selling or exchanging
motor vehicles or trailers who has an established place of business in this state and who
may, incidental to such business, repair motor vehicles or trailers, or cause them to be
repaired by persons in his or her employ;
(22) "Disqualification" means a withdrawal of the privilege to drive a commercial
motor vehicle, which occurs as a result of (A) any suspension, revocation, or cancellation
by the commissioner of the privilege to operate a motor vehicle; (B) a determination
by the Federal Highway Administration, under the rules of practice for motor carrier
safety contained in 49 CFR 386, as amended, that a person is no longer qualified to
operate a commercial motor vehicle under the standards of 49 CFR 391, as amended;
or (C) the loss of qualification which follows any of the convictions or administrative
actions specified in section 14-44k;
(23) "Drive" means to drive, operate or be in physical control of a motor vehicle,
including a motor vehicle being towed by another;
(24) "Driver" means any person who drives, operates or is in physical control of a
commercial motor vehicle, or who is required to hold a commercial driver's license;
(25) "Driver's license" or "operator's license" means a valid Connecticut motor
vehicle operator's license or a license issued by another state or foreign jurisdiction
authorizing the holder thereof to operate a motor vehicle on the highways;
(26) "Employee" means any operator of a commercial motor vehicle, including
full-time, regularly employed drivers, casual, intermittent or occasional drivers, drivers
under contract and independent owner-operator contractors, who, while in the course
of operating a commercial motor vehicle, are either directly employed by, or are under
contract to, an employer;
(27) "Employer" means any person, including the United States, a state or any political subdivision thereof, who owns or leases a commercial motor vehicle, or assigns a
person to drive a commercial motor vehicle;
(28) "Farm implement" means a vehicle designed and adapted exclusively for agricultural, horticultural or livestock-raising operations and which is not operated on a
highway for transporting a pay load or for any other commercial purpose;
(29) "Felony" means any offense as defined in section 53a-25 and includes any
offense designated as a felony under federal law;
(30) "Fatality" means the death of a person as a result of a motor vehicle accident;
(31) "Foreign jurisdiction" means any jurisdiction other than a state of the United
States;
(32) "Fuels" means (A) all products commonly or commercially known or sold as
gasoline, including casinghead and absorption or natural gasoline, regardless of their
classification or uses, (B) any liquid prepared, advertised, offered for sale or sold for
use, or commonly and commercially used, as a fuel in internal combustion engines,
which, when subjected to distillation in accordance with the standard method of test for
distillation of gasoline, naphtha, kerosene and similar petroleum products by "American
Society for Testing Materials Method D-86", shows not less than ten per cent distilled
(recovered) below 347° Fahrenheit (175° Centigrade) and not less than ninety-five per
cent distilled (recovered) below 464° Fahrenheit (240° Centigrade); provided the term
"fuels" shall not include commercial solvents or naphthas which distill, by "American
Society for Testing Materials Method D-86", not more than nine per cent at 176° Fahrenheit and which have a distillation range of 150° Fahrenheit, or less, or liquefied gases
which would not exist as liquids at a temperature of 60° Fahrenheit and a pressure of
14.7 pounds per square inch absolute, and (C) any liquid commonly referred to as "gasohol" which is prepared, advertised, offered for sale or sold for use, or commonly and
commercially used, as a fuel in internal combustion engines, consisting of a blend of
gasoline and a minimum of ten per cent by volume of ethyl or methyl alcohol;
(33) "Garage" includes every place of business where motor vehicles are, for compensation, received for housing, storage or repair;
(34) "Gross vehicle weight rating" or "GVWR" means the value specified by the
manufacturer as the maximum loaded weight of a single or a combination (articulated)
vehicle. The GVWR of a combination (articulated) vehicle commonly referred to as the
"gross combination weight rating" or GCWR is the GVWR of the power unit plus the
GVWR of the towed unit or units;
(35) "Gross weight" means the light weight of a vehicle plus the weight of any load
on the vehicle, provided, in the case of a tractor-trailer unit, "gross weight" means the
light weight of the tractor plus the light weight of the trailer or semitrailer plus the weight
of the load on the vehicle;
(36) "Hazardous materials" has the same meaning as in 49 CFR 383.5;
(37) "Head lamp" means a lighting device affixed to the front of a motor vehicle
projecting a high intensity beam which lights the road in front of the vehicle so that it
can proceed safely during the hours of darkness;
(38) "High-mileage vehicle" means a motor vehicle having the following characteristics: (A) Not less than three wheels in contact with the ground; (B) a completely
enclosed seat on which the driver sits; (C) a single or two cylinder, gasoline or diesel
engine or an electric-powered engine; and (D) efficient fuel consumption;
(39) "Highway" includes any state or other public highway, road, street, avenue,
alley, driveway, parkway or place, under the control of the state or any political subdivision of the state, dedicated, appropriated or opened to public travel or other use;
(40) "Imminent hazard" means the existence of a condition that presents a substantial likelihood that death, serious illness, severe personal injury or a substantial endangerment to health, property, or the environment may occur before the reasonably foreseeable completion date of a formal proceeding begun to lessen the risk of that death, illness,
injury or endangerment;
(41) "Intersecting highway" includes any public highway which joins another at an
angle whether or not it crosses the other;
(42) "Light weight" means the weight of an unloaded motor vehicle as ordinarily
equipped and ready for use, exclusive of the weight of the operator of the motor vehicle;
(43) "Limited access highway" means a state highway so designated under the provisions of section 13b-27;
(44) "Local authorities" includes the board of aldermen, common council, chief of
police, warden and burgesses, board of selectmen or other officials having authority for
the enactment or enforcement of traffic regulations within their respective towns, cities
or boroughs;
(45) "Maintenance vehicle" means any vehicle in use by the state or by any town,
city, borough or district, any state bridge or parkway authority or any public service
company, as defined in section 16-1, in the maintenance of public highways or bridges
and facilities located within the limits of public highways or bridges;
(46) "Manufacturer" means (A) a person, whether a resident or nonresident, engaged in the business of constructing or assembling new motor vehicles of a type required
to be registered by the commissioner, for operation upon any highway, except a utility
trailer, which are offered for sale in this state, or (B) a person who distributes new motor
vehicles to new car dealers licensed in this state;
(47) "Median divider" means an intervening space or physical barrier or clearly
indicated dividing section separating traffic lanes provided for vehicles proceeding in
opposite directions;
(48) "Modified antique motor vehicle" means a motor vehicle twenty years old or
older which has been modified for safe road use, including, but not limited to, modifications to the drive train, suspension, braking system and safety or comfort apparatus;
(49) "Motor bus" includes any motor vehicle, except a taxicab, as defined in section
13b-95, operated in whole or in part on any street or highway in a manner affording a
means of transportation by indiscriminately receiving or discharging passengers, or
running on a regular route or over any portion of a regular route or between fixed termini;
(50) "Motor home" means a vehicular unit designed to provide living quarters and
necessary amenities which are built into an integral part of, or permanently attached to,
a truck or van chassis;
(51) "Motor-driven cycle" means any motorcycle, motor scooter, or bicycle with
attached motor with a seat height of not less than twenty-six inches and a motor that
produces five brake horsepower or less;
(52) "Motor vehicle" means any vehicle propelled or drawn by any nonmuscular
power, except aircraft, motor boats, road rollers, baggage trucks used about railroad
stations or other mass transit facilities, electric battery-operated wheel chairs when operated by physically handicapped persons at speeds not exceeding fifteen miles per hour,
golf carts operated on highways solely for the purpose of crossing from one part of the
golf course to another, golf-cart-type vehicles operated on roads or highways on the
grounds of state institutions by state employees, agricultural tractors, farm implements,
such vehicles as run only on rails or tracks, self-propelled snow plows, snow blowers
and lawn mowers, when used for the purposes for which they were designed and operated
at speeds not exceeding four miles per hour, whether or not the operator rides on or
walks behind such equipment, motor-driven cycles as defined in section 14-286, special
mobile equipment as defined in subsection (i) of section 14-165, mini-motorcycles, as
defined in section 14-289j, and any other vehicle not suitable for operation on a highway;
(53) "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, but does not include a motor-driven
cycle, as defined in this section, or a vehicle having or designed to have a completely
enclosed driver's seat and a motor which is not in the enclosed area;
(54) "National Driver Registry" or "NDR" means the licensing information system
and database operated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and established pursuant to the National Driver Registry Act of 1982, as amended;
(55) "New motor vehicle" means a motor vehicle, the equitable or legal title to
which has never been transferred by a manufacturer, distributor or dealer to an ultimate
consumer;
(56) "Nonresident" means any person whose legal residence is in a state other than
Connecticut or in a foreign country;
(57) "Nonresident commercial driver's license" or "nonresident CDL" means a
commercial driver's license issued by a state to an individual who resides in a foreign
jurisdiction;
(58) "Nonskid device" means any device applied to the tires, wheels, axles or frame
of a motor vehicle for the purpose of increasing the traction of the motor vehicle;
(59) "Number plate" means any sign or marker furnished by the commissioner on
which is displayed the registration number assigned to a motor vehicle by the commissioner;
(60) "Officer" includes any constable, state marshal, inspector of motor vehicles,
state policeman or other official authorized to make arrests or to serve process, provided
the officer is in uniform or displays the officer's badge of office in a conspicuous place
when making an arrest;
(61) "Operator" means any person who operates a motor vehicle or who steers or
directs the course of a motor vehicle being towed by another motor vehicle and includes
a driver as defined in subdivision (24) of this section;
(62) "Out-of-service order" means an order (A) issued by a police officer, state
policeman, or motor vehicle inspector under the authority of section 14-8, or by an
authorized official of the United States Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
pursuant to any provision of federal law, to prohibit a commercial motor vehicle from
being operated on any highway, or to prohibit a driver from operating a commercial
motor vehicle, or (B) issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, pursuant to any provision of federal law, to prohibit any motor carrier, as defined in Section
386.2 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations, from engaging in commercial
motor vehicle operations;
(63) "Owner" means any person holding title to a motor vehicle, or having the legal
right to register the same, including purchasers under conditional bills of sale;
(64) "Parked vehicle" means a motor vehicle in a stationary position within the
limits of a public highway;
(65) "Passenger and commercial motor vehicle" means a motor vehicle used for
private passenger and commercial purposes which is eligible for combination registration;
(66) "Passenger motor vehicle" means a motor vehicle used for the private transportation of persons and their personal belongings, designed to carry occupants in comfort
and safety, with a capacity of carrying not more than ten passengers including the operator thereof;
(67) "Passenger registration" means the type of registration issued to a passenger
motor vehicle unless a more specific type of registration is authorized and issued by the
commissioner for such class of vehicle;
(68) "Person" includes any individual, corporation, limited liability company, association, copartnership, company, firm, business trust or other aggregation of individuals
but does not include the state or any political subdivision thereof, unless the context
clearly states or requires;
(69) "Pick-up truck" means a motor vehicle with an enclosed forward passenger
compartment and an open rearward compartment used for the transportation of property;
(70) "Pneumatic tires" means tires inflated or inflatable with air;
(71) "Pole trailer" means a trailer which is (A) intended for transporting long or
irregularly shaped loads such as poles, logs, pipes or structural members, which loads
are capable of sustaining themselves as beams between supporting connections, and (B)
designed to be drawn by a motor vehicle and attached or secured directly to the motor
vehicle by any means including a reach, pole or boom;
(72) "Recreational vehicle" includes the camper, camp trailer and motor home
classes of vehicles;
(73) "Registration" includes the certificate of motor vehicle registration and the
number plate or plates used in connection with such registration;
(74) "Registration number" means the identifying number or letters, or both, assigned by the commissioner to a motor vehicle;
(75) "Resident", for the purpose of registering motor vehicles, includes any person
who is a legal resident of this state, as the commissioner may presume from the fact that
such person occupies a place of dwelling in this state for more than six months in a year,
or any person, firm or corporation owning or leasing a motor vehicle used or operated
in intrastate business in this state, or a firm or corporation having its principal office or
place of business in this state;
(76) "School bus" means any school bus, as defined in section 14-275, including a
commercial motor vehicle used to transport preschool, elementary school or secondary
school students from home to school, from school to home, or to and from school-sponsored events, but does not include a bus used as a common carrier;
(77) "Second" violation or "subsequent" violation means an offense committed not
more than three years after the date of an arrest which resulted in a previous conviction
for a violation of the same statutory provision, except in the case of a violation of section
14-215 or 14-224 or subsection (a) of section 14-227a, "second" violation or "subsequent" violation means an offense committed not more than ten years after the date of
an arrest which resulted in a previous conviction for a violation of the same statutory
provision;
(78) "Semitrailer" means any trailer type vehicle designed and used in conjunction
with a motor vehicle so that some part of its own weight and load rests on or is carried
by another vehicle;
(79) "Serious traffic violation" means a conviction of any of the following offenses:
(A) Excessive speeding, involving a single offense in which the speed is fifteen miles
per hour or more above the posted speed limit, in violation of section 14-218a or 14-219; (B) reckless driving in violation of section 14-222; (C) following too closely in
violation of section 14-240 or 14-240a; (D) improper or erratic lane changes, in violation
of section 14-236; (E) typing, reading or sending text or a text message with or from a
mobile telephone or mobile electronic device in violation of subsection (e) of section
14-296aa while operating a commercial motor vehicle; (F) driving a commercial motor
vehicle without a valid commercial driver's license in violation of section 14-36a or
14-44a; (G) failure to carry a commercial driver's license in violation of section 14-44a; (H) failure to have the proper class of license or endorsement, or violation of a
license restriction in violation of section 14-44a; or (I) a violation of any provision of
chapter 248, while operating a commercial motor vehicle, that results in the death of
another person;
(80) "Service bus" includes any vehicle except a vanpool vehicle or a school bus
designed and regularly used to carry ten or more passengers when used in private service
for the transportation of persons without charge to the individual;
(81) "Service car" means any motor vehicle used by a manufacturer, dealer or repairer for emergency motor vehicle repairs on the highways of this state, for towing or
for the transportation of necessary persons, tools and materials to and from the scene
of such emergency repairs or towing;
(82) "Shoulder" means that portion of a highway immediately adjacent and contiguous to the travel lanes or main traveled portion of the roadway;
(83) "Solid tires" means tires of rubber, or other elastic material approved by the
Commissioner of Transportation, which do not depend on confined air for the support
of the load;
(84) "Spot lamp" or "spot light" means a lighting device projecting a high intensity
beam, the direction of which can be readily controlled for special or emergency lighting
as distinguished from ordinary road illumination;
(85) "State" means any state of the United States and the District of Columbia unless
the context indicates a more specific reference to the state of Connecticut;
(86) "Stop" means complete cessation of movement;
(87) "Student" means any person under the age of twenty-one years who is attending
a preprimary, primary or secondary school program of education;
(88) "Tail lamp" means a lighting device affixed to the rear of a motor vehicle
showing a red light to the rear and indicating the presence of the motor vehicle when
viewed from behind;
(89) "Tank vehicle" means any commercial motor vehicle designed to transport
any liquid or gaseous material within a tank that is either permanently or temporarily
attached to the vehicle or its chassis which shall include, but not be limited to, a cargo
tank and portable tank, as defined in 49 CFR 383.5, as amended, provided it shall not
include a portable tank with a rated capacity not to exceed one thousand gallons;
(90) "Tractor" or "truck tractor" means a motor vehicle designed and used for drawing a semitrailer;
(91) "Tractor-trailer unit" means a combination of a tractor and a trailer or a combination of a tractor and a semitrailer;
(92) "Trailer" means any rubber-tired vehicle without motive power drawn or propelled by a motor vehicle;
(93) "Truck" means a motor vehicle designed, used or maintained primarily for the
transportation of property;
(94) "Ultimate consumer" means, with respect to a motor vehicle, the first person,
other than a dealer, who in good faith purchases the motor vehicle for purposes other
than resale;
(95) "United States" means the fifty states and the District of Columbia;
(96) "Used motor vehicle" includes any motor vehicle which has been previously
separately registered by an ultimate consumer;
(97) "Utility trailer" means a trailer designed and used to transport personal property, materials or equipment, whether or not permanently affixed to the bed of the trailer;
(98) "Vanpool vehicle" includes all motor vehicles, the primary purpose of which
is the daily transportation, on a prearranged nonprofit basis, of individuals between
home and work, and which: (A) If owned by or leased to a person, or to an employee
of the person, or to an employee of a local, state or federal government unit or agency
located in Connecticut, are manufactured and equipped in such manner as to provide a
seating capacity of at least seven but not more than fifteen individuals, or (B) if owned
by or leased to a regional ride-sharing organization in the state recognized by the Commissioner of Transportation, are manufactured and equipped in such manner as to provide a seating capacity of at least six but not more than nineteen individuals;
(99) "Vehicle" includes any device suitable for the conveyance, drawing or other
transportation of persons or property, whether operated on wheels, runners, a cushion
of air or by any other means. The term does not include devices propelled or drawn by
human power or devices used exclusively on tracks;
(100) "Vehicle identification number" or "VIN" means a series of Arabic numbers
and Roman letters that is assigned to each new motor vehicle that is manufactured within
or imported into the United States, in accordance with the provisions of 49 CFR 565,
unless another sequence of numbers and letters has been assigned to a motor vehicle
by the commissioner, in accordance with the provisions of section 14-149;
(101) "Wrecker" means a vehicle which is registered, designed, equipped and used
for the purposes of towing or transporting wrecked or disabled motor vehicles for compensation or for related purposes by a person, firm or corporation licensed in accordance
with the provisions of subpart (D) of part III of this chapter or a vehicle contracted for
the consensual towing or transporting of one or more motor vehicles to or from a place
of sale, purchase, salvage or repair."
(1949 Rev., S. 2350; 1953, S. 1278d, 1281d; 1955, S. 1279d, 1280d; 1959, P.A. 162; 283, S. 1; 1961, P.A. 233, S. 10;
1963, P.A. 560; February, 1965, P.A. 414, S. 1; 448, S. 1, 2, 3; 1967, P.A. 454, S. 1; 799; 821; 1969, P.A. 189; 569, S. 1;
1971, P.A. 355, S. 1, 2; 416, S. 2; 629; 740, S. 1; 848, S. 1, 2; 1972, P.A. 255, S. 1; P.A. 73-676, S. 1; P.A. 75-253, S. 1,
2; P.A. 76-250, S. 2, 3, 4; P.A. 77-67; P.A. 79-25, S. 1; 79-175, S. 2, 3; 79-244, S. 1, 5, 6; 79-627, S. 5, 6; P.A. 80-466, S.
2, 25; P.A. 81-394, S. 1; P.A. 82-460, S. 1, 2, 9; 82-472, S. 39, 183; P.A. 83-224, S. 1, 2; 83-278; 83-431, S. 2; 83-587, S.
67, 96; P.A. 84-429, S. 1; 84-546, S. 37, 173; P.A. 86-383, S. 1, 6; P.A. 88-245, S. 1, 7; P.A. 90-263, S. 1, 74; P.A. 91-272, S. 5, 8; P.A. 93-341, S. 1, 38; P.A. 95-79, S. 39, 189; 95-314, S. 4; P.A. 97-236, S. 23, 27; P.A. 99-268, S. 1, 2, 29;
P.A. 00-35, S. 1; 00-99, S. 44, 154; 00-169, S. 22, 35; P.A. 02-70, S. 1, 17; P.A. 03-265, S. 5; P.A. 04-199, S. 7; 04-217,
S. 1; P.A. 05-218, S. 2, 3, 15, 16, 42, 43; P.A. 06-130, S. 15; P.A. 07-167, S. 1-3, 38; P.A. 08-150, S. 1; P.A. 09-187, S.
34, 41, 49, 54; P.A. 10-32, S. 46; 10-110, S. 37; P.A. 11-213, S. 51, 52, 61.)
History: 1959 acts added Subsecs. (21) and (51); 1961 act redefined "used or secondhand motor vehicle" in and added
definitions of "new motor vehicle" and "ultimate consumer" to Subsec. (55); 1963 act redefined "second" or "subsequent"
violation in Subsec. (44); 1965 acts added snow and lawn machines to Subsec. (26), "driver" to Subsec. (32) and Subsecs.
(6), (14), (23), (39), (48) and (54); 1967 acts added Subsecs. (57) and (58) defining "tractor" or "truck tractor" and "wrecker"
or "wrecker vehicle" and redefined "resident" in Subsec. (42) to delete persons carrying on business or engaged in occupation for more than six months a year; 1969 acts redefined "motor vehicle" in Subsec. (26) to exclude golf carts and added
Subsec. (59) defining "farm implements"; 1971 acts redefined "gross weight" in Subsec. (14) to include special provision
re tractor-trailer units, redefined "officer" in Subsec. (31) to include sheriffs and deputy sheriffs, redefined "manufacturer"
in Subsec. (22), redefined "vehicle" in Subsec. (56) to include vehicles operated on cushions of air and to delete requirement
that machine be suitable for use on highways and added Subsecs. (60) and (61) defining "tractor-trailer unit" and "limited
access highway"; 1972 act redefined "manufacturer" in Subsec. (22) to include distributor of vehicles to new car dealers;
P.A. 73-676 added Subsec. (62) defining "minibike" or "minicycle"; P.A. 75-253 redefined "motorcycle" to exclude
vehicles with wholly or partially enclosed drivers' seat with motor outside enclosed area; P.A. 76-250 excluded bicycles
with helper motors in Subsecs. (25) defining "motorcycle" and Subsec. (26) defining "motor vehicle"; P.A. 77-67 redefined
"motor vehicles" in Subsec. (26) to delete requirement that vehicle be suitable for operation on a highway, to exclude
vehicles used at mass transit facilities other than railroads and vehicles not suitable for operation on highway; P.A. 79-25
added Subsecs. (63) and (64) defining "antique, rare or special interest motor vehicle" and "modified antique motor vehicle";
P.A. 79-175 added Subsec. (65) defining "vanpool vehicle"; P.A. 79-244 also added Subsec. (65) re vanpool vehicles and
excluded vanpool vehicles from definitions of "public service motor vehicle" and "service bus" in Subsecs. (40) and (46);
P.A. 79-627 included gasohol in Subsec. (12) defining "fuels", effective July 1, 1979, and applicable to fuel sold on or
after that date; P.A. 80-466 amended definition of "motor vehicle registration" in Subsec. (27) to reflect use of single
license plate; P.A. 81-394 added Subdiv. (66) defining "high-mileage vehicle"; P.A. 82-460 redefined "passenger motor
vehicle" to specify applicability to vehicles capable of carrying not more than ten passengers, redefined "commercial
motor vehicle", deleting limitations re use in business of registrant and propulsion method and redefined "passenger and
commercial motor vehicle", deleting requirement that vehicles be "designed for use" for passenger and commercial purposes; P.A. 82-472 made technical corrections in definition of "high-mileage vehicle"; P.A. 83-224 amended Subdiv. (26)
to exclude from the definition of a motor vehicle, golf cart type vehicles operated by state employees on state institution
grounds; P.A. 83-278 amended Subdiv. (65) to include in definition of "vanpool vehicle" certain vehicles owned by or
leased to recognized regional ride-sharing organizations; P.A. 83-431 amended Subdiv. (26) to exclude from the definition
of a motor vehicle, special mobile equipment as defined in Sec. 14-165 (i); P.A. 83-587 made technical change in Subdiv.
(12); P.A. 84-429 deleted the definition of "curb" in Subsec. (9), "distributor" in Subsec. (11), "head light" in Subsec.
(15), "intersection" in Subsec. (18), "motor vehicle registration" in Subsec. (27), "rotary traffic island" in Subsec. (43),
"secondhand motor vehicle" in Subsec. (55) and "wrecker vehicle" in Subsec. (58), transferred definition of "head lamp"
from Subsec. (15) to (16), "registration" from Subsec. (27) to (45), "used motor vehicle" from Subsec. (55) to (62), "new
motor vehicle" from Subsec. (55) to (31), "ultimate consumer" from Subsec. (55) to (61) and "wrecker" from Subsec. (58)
to (65), added Subsec. (4) from Sec. 14-1a, renumbered the remaining Subsecs. as follows: (2) to (3), (3) to (5), (4) to (6),
(5) to (7), (6) to (8), (7) to (9), (8) to (10), (10) to (11), (12) to (13), (13) to (14), (14) to (15), (16) to (18), (17) to (19),
(19) to (20), (20) to (22), (21) to (23), (22) to (24), (23) to (25), (24) to (28), (25) to (29), (26) to (30), (28) to (32), (29) to
(33), (30) to (34), (31) to (35), (32) to (36), (33) to (37), (34) to (38), (35) to (40), (36) to (39), (37) to (41), (38) to (42),
(39) to (43), (40) to (44), (41) to (46), (42) to (47), (44) to (48), (45) to (49), (46) to (50), (47) to (51), (48) to (52), (49) to
(53), (50) to (54), (51) to (55), (52) to (56), (53) to (59), (54) to (60), (56) to (64), (59) to (12), (60) to (58), (61) to (21),
(62) to (2), (63) to (27), (64) to (63) and (66) to (17), and rephrased renumbered Subsec. (10) re definition of "commissioner";
P.A. 84-546 redefined "commissioner" to include deputy commissioner of motor vehicles, attorney general and any assistant
to motor vehicles commissioner, but did not take effect, P.A. 84-429 having taken precedence; P.A. 86-383 redefined
"commercial motor vehicle" in Subdiv. (9) to include vehicles transporting other passengers with their necessary personal
belongings; P.A. 88-245 made technical change to definition of "commissioner" in Subsec. (10); P.A. 90-263 subdivided
the section into Subsecs. (a) and (b), in Subsec (a) amending Subdiv. (7) to substitute recreational for pleasure purposes
and to delete phrase "used for the purpose of transporting personal property of the owner", amending Subdiv. (8) to redefine
"camper" as any motor vehicle designed or permanently altered in such a way as to provide temporary living quarters for
travel, camping or recreational purposes, amending Subdiv. (9) to delete definition of "commercial motor vehicle" and
insert definition of "combination registration", adding new definitions of "commercial driver's license" in Subdiv. (10),
"commercial motor vehicle" in Subdiv. (11), "commercial registration" in Subdiv. (12), "commercial trailer" in Subdiv.
(13), "controlled substance" in Subdiv. (15), "conviction" in Subdiv. (16), "disqualification" in Subdiv. (18), "drive" in
Subdiv. (19), "driver" in Subdiv. (20), "driver's license" in Subdiv. (21), "employee" in Subdiv. (22), "employer" in
Subdiv. (23), "felony" in Subdiv. (25), "foreign jurisdiction" in Subdiv. (26), "gross weight rating" in Subdiv. (29), "hazardous materials" in Subdiv. (31), "motor home" in Subdiv. (45), "nonresident commercial driver's license" in Subdiv. (50),
"out-of-service order" in Subdiv. (55), "passenger registration" in Subdiv. (60), "recreational vehicle" in Subdiv. (64),
"serious traffic violation" in Subdiv. (70), "state" in Subdiv. (76), "tank vehicle" in Subdiv. (79), "United States" in Subdiv.
(85), and "utility trailer" in Subdiv. (87) and renumbering the other Subdivs. accordingly, amending definition of "motor
bus" in Subdiv. (44), formerly Subdiv. (28), to include any motor vehicle, except a taxicab, deleting reference to public
service motor vehicle, amending definition of "operator" in Subdiv. (54), formerly Subdiv. (36), to include a driver,
amending definition of "passenger and commercial motor vehicle" in Subdiv. (58), formerly Subdiv. (39), to include
vehicles eligible for combination registration, amending definition of "passenger motor vehicle" in Subdiv. (59), formerly
Subdiv. (40), to delete former provisions and insert new provisions concerning use, design and capacity, amending definition
of "person" in Subdiv. (61), formerly Subdiv. (41), to specifically exclude the state or any political subdivision thereof,
amending definition of "pole trailer" in Subdiv. (63), formerly Subdiv. (43), to delete reference to commercial motor
vehicle, and deleting definition of "public service motor vehicle" in Subdiv. (44), and inserting new language in Subsec.
(b) re meaning of term "public passenger transportation permit"; P.A. 91-272 amended exception to definition of "commercial motor vehicle" in Subsec. (a)(11)(B) to include vehicles designed to transport "more than" 10 passengers and used to
transport students under 21 to and from school; P.A. 93-341 amended definition of "commercial driver's license" by
deleting the reference to a "Class 1" license and reference to Sec. 14-36a, redefined "commercial motor vehicle" to exclude
vehicles used "within one hundred fifty miles of a farm in connection with the operation of such farm" and recreational
vehicles "in private use", redefined "serious traffic violation" to add a new Subpara. (E) re accident resulting in death,
redefined "service bus" to include "school bus" and added definition of "school bus", renumbering previously existing
Subdivs. of Subsec. (a) as necessary and made technical change in Subsec. (b), effective July 1, 1994; P.A. 95-79 amended
Subsec. (a)(61) by redefining "person" to include a limited liability company, effective May 31, 1995; P.A. 95-314 amended
Subsec. (a)(69) to provide that a "second" or "subsequent" violation is one committed within "three" years after date of
arrest resulting in a previous conviction for the same offense, in lieu of 5 years, and to redefine term in the case of a violation
of Sec. 14-215, 14-224 or 14-227a(a); P.A. 97-236 redefined "service bus" to require that school bus be "regularly used"
to carry 8 or more persons, effective June 24, 1997; P.A. 99-268 redefined "motorcycle" in Subsec. (a)(46) to exclude a
vehicle "designed to have" a completely enclosed driver's seat in lieu of a vehicle having a completely "or partially"
enclosed driver's seat, redefined "serious traffic violation" in Subsec. (a)(71) by changing from a violation of "sections
14-230 to 14-237, inclusive" to a violation of "section 14-236" in Subpara. (D) and redefined "service bus" in Subsec.
(a)(72) to increase the minimum number of persons such vehicle may carry from "eight or more persons" to "ten or more
passengers"; P.A. 00-35 redefined "wrecker" in Subsec. (a)(91) to delete "exclusively" following "equipped and used"
and to add "by a person, firm or corporation licensed in accordance with the provisions of subdivision (D) of part III of
this chapter"; P.A. 00-99 replaced reference to sheriff and deputy sheriff in Subsec. (a)(53) with state marshal, effective
December 1, 2000; P.A. 00-169 redefined "person" in Subsec. (a)(61) to include a business trust and revised effective date
of P.A. 99-268 but without affecting this section; P.A. 02-70 amended Subsec. (a)(9) to add "rating", substituted "place
of residence" for "legal residence" and provide that such residence be occupied for more than six months in a year in
Subdiv. (67), added new Subdiv. (91) re definition of "vehicle identification number" or "VIN", redesignated existing
Subdiv. (91) as Subdiv. (92) and made technical changes in Subdivs. (4), (17), (40), (53) and (55), effective July 1, 2002,
and amended Subsec. (a)(40) to add "new" and replace "under section 14-12, who offers the motor vehicles" with "by the
commissioner, for operation upon any highway, which are offered" in Subpara. (A) and to make a technical change in
Subpara. (B) (Revisor's note: The reference in Subsec. (a)(92) to "subdivision (D)" was changed editorially by the Revisors
to "subpart (D)" for clarity of reference); P.A. 03-265 redefined "passenger motor vehicle" in Subdiv. (59); P.A. 04-199
defined "pick-up truck", made technical changes and renumbered subdivs. in Subsec. (a), effective July 1, 2004; P.A.
04-217 defined "activity vehicle", "commercial driver's license information system", "fatality", "imminent hazard" and
"National Driver Registry", redefined "disqualification", "school bus" and "serious traffic violation", made technical
changes and renumbered subdivs. in Subsec. (a), effective January 1, 2005; P.A. 05-218 amended Subsec. (a)(10) by
substituting "twelve thousand five hundred" for "ten thousand" and amended Subsec. (a)(67) by deleting "and having a
gross vehicle weight rating of less than ten thousand pounds" and, effective July 1, 2005, amended Subsec. (a)(3) by
changing "twenty-five" to "twenty", amended Subsec. (a)(44) by adding "except a utility trailer", amended Subsec. (a)(47)
by changing "twenty-five" to "twenty" and making a technical change, and added Subsec. (a)(99) defining "camp vehicle";
P.A. 06-130 amended Subsec. (a) by redefining "commercial motor vehicle" in Subdiv. (13), redefining "gross vehicle
weight rating" in Subdiv. (32), redefining "hazardous materials" in Subdiv. (34), deleting former Subdiv. (46) re definition
of "minibike or minicycle", renumbering Subdivs. (47) to (50) as (46) to (49), inclusive, adding "mini-motorcycle" to
definition of "motor vehicle" and renumbering it as Subdiv. (50), renumbering Subdivs. (52) to (97) as (51) to (96),
inclusive, redefining "wrecker" and renumbering it as Subdiv. (97) and renumbering Subdiv. (99) as (98), effective June
2, 2006; P.A. 07-167 made technical changes in Subsec. (a)(13), (24) and (50), effective June 25, 2007, and deleted Subsec.
(a) designator and former Subsec. (b) re definition of "public passenger transportation permit", effective July 1, 2007; P.A.
08-150 redefined "camp trailer" in Subdiv. (8), added new Subdiv. (9) defining "camp trailer registration", added new
Subdiv. (18) defining "commercial trailer registration", added new Subdiv. (52) defining "motor-driven cycle", redefined
"motorcycle" in existing Subdiv. (49) and renumbered said definition as new Subdiv. (54), redefined "resident" in existing
Subdiv. (72) and renumbered said definition as new Subdiv. (76), added new Subdiv. (88) defining "student", renumbered
existing Subdiv. (98) defining "camp vehicle" as new Subdiv. (10) and renumbered remaining Subdivs. and internal
references accordingly; P.A. 09-187 amended Subdiv. (53) to replace "bicycles with helper motors" with "motor-driven
cycles" in definition of "motor vehicle", Subdiv. (63) to redefine "out-of-service order", Subdiv. (80)(A) to replace "Speeding in excess of fifteen miles per hour or more over the posted speed limit" with "Excessive speeding, involving a single
offense in which the speed is fifteen miles per hour or more above the posted speed limit" in definition of "serious traffic
violation", and Subdiv. (98) to delete "with a manufacturer's GVWR of ten thousand pounds or less" in definition of
"utility trailer"; P.A. 10-32 made a technical change in Subdiv. (53), effective May 10, 2010; P.A. 10-110 deleted former
Subdiv. (1) re definition of "activity vehicle" and redesignated existing Subdivs. (2) to (102) as Subdivs. (1) to (101),
effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 11-213 changed effective date of P.A. 10-110, S. 37, from July 1, 2011, to July 1, 2012, and
redefined "serious traffic violation" in Subdiv. (79) of section as amended by P.A. 10-110, effective July 1, 2011, and
redefined "serious traffic violation" in Subdiv. (80) of present section, effective July 13, 2011.
| (Return to Chapter Table of Contents) | (Return to List of Chapters) | (Return to List of Titles) |
Sec. 14-3. Powers and duties of commissioner. The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles shall enforce the provisions of the statutes concerning motor vehicles and the
operators of such vehicles. The commissioner shall administer, coordinate and control
the operations of the department and shall be responsible for the overall supervision
and direction of all facilities and activities of the department. The commissioner shall
have the authority to contract for such services, programs and facilities other than the
purchase or lease of real property as may be necessary to carry out the commissioner's
responsibilities under and for the orderly administration of this chapter and chapters 247
to 255, inclusive. The commissioner may retain and employ consultants and assistants on
a contract or other basis for rendering professional, fiscal, engineering, technical or
other assistance and advice. The commissioner may enter into one or more agreements
with independent contractors authorizing such contractors to provide programs and services on behalf of the department, provided any such agreement shall specify that the
contractor may charge the department's customer a reasonable service fee, as established
by the commissioner, from which the contractor shall be compensated. The commissioner shall submit to the Governor an annual report of his official acts, as provided in
section 4-60. Said commissioner shall keep a record of proceedings and orders pertaining
to the matters under his jurisdiction and of all licenses and certificates granted, refused,
suspended or revoked by the commissioner and of all reports sent to the commissioner's
office. The commissioner shall furnish without charge, for official use only, certified
copies of certificates and licenses and documents relating thereto to officials of the state
or any municipality therein, to officials of any other state or to any court in this state.
Any certified copy of any document or record of the commissioner, attested as a true
copy by the commissioner, any deputy commissioner or chief of a division, shall be
competent evidence in any court of this state of the facts therein contained.
(1949 Rev., S. 2352; September, 1957, P.A. 11, S. 13; P.A. 73-661, S. 1; P.A. 88-245, S. 2, 7; P.A. 96-180, S. 36, 166;
P.A. 11-213, S. 4.)
History: P.A. 73-661 expanded duties of commissioner re administration of department, contracts and employment of
personnel; P.A. 88-245 made minor change in wording; P.A. 96-180 substituted "The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles"
for "Said commissioner", effective June 3, 1996; P.A. 11-213 authorized commissioner to enter into agreements with
independent contractors and made technical changes, effective July 1, 2011.
| (Return to Chapter Table of Contents) | (Return to List of Chapters) | (Return to List of Titles) |
Sec. 14-10. Definitions. Records. Disclosure of personal information and
highly restricted personal information. Penalty. Regulations. (a) For the purposes
of this section:
(1) "Disclose" means to engage in any practice or conduct to make available and
make known, by any means of communication, personal information or highly restricted
personal information contained in a motor vehicle record pertaining to an individual to
any other individual, organization or entity;
(2) "Motor vehicle record" means any record that pertains to an operator's license,
learner's permit, identity card, registration, certificate of title or any other document
issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles;
(3) "Personal information" means information that identifies an individual and includes an individual's photograph or computerized image, Social Security number, operator's license number, name, address other than the zip code, telephone number, electronic mail address, or medical or disability information, but does not include
information on motor vehicle accidents or violations, or information relative to the status
of an operator's license, registration or insurance coverage;
(4) "Highly restricted personal information" means an individual's photograph or
computerized image, Social Security number or medical or disability information; and
(5) "Express consent" means an affirmative agreement given by the individual who
is the subject of personal information that specifically grants permission to the department to release such information to the requesting party. Such agreement shall (A) be
in writing or such other form as the commissioner may determine in regulations adopted
in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, and (B) specify a procedure for the
individual to withdraw such consent, as provided in regulations adopted in accordance
with the provisions of chapter 54.
(b) A number shall be assigned to each motor vehicle registration and operator's
license and a record of all applications for motor vehicle registrations and operators'
licenses issued shall be kept by the commissioner at the main office of the Department
of Motor Vehicles.
(c) (1) All records of the Department of Motor Vehicles pertaining to the application for registration, and the registration, of motor vehicles of the current or previous
three years shall be maintained by the commissioner at the main office of the department.
Any such records over three years old may be destroyed at the discretion of the commissioner. (2) Before disclosing personal information pertaining to an applicant or registrant
from such motor vehicle records or allowing the inspection of any such record containing
such personal information in the course of any transaction conducted at such main office,
the commissioner shall ascertain whether such disclosure is authorized under subsection
(f) of this section, and require the person or entity making the request to (A) complete
an application that shall be on a form prescribed by the commissioner, and (B) provide
personal identification satisfactory to the commissioner. An attorney-at-law admitted
to practice in this state may provide his or her juris number to the commissioner in lieu
of the requirements of subparagraph (B) of this subdivision. The commissioner may
disclose such personal information or permit the inspection of such record containing
such information only if such disclosure is authorized under subsection (f) of this section.
(d) The commissioner may disclose personal information from a motor vehicle record pertaining to an operator's license or a driving history or permit the inspection or
copying of any such record or history containing such information in the course of any
transaction conducted at the main office of the department only if such disclosure is
authorized under subsection (f) of this section. Any such records over five years old
may be destroyed at the discretion of the commissioner.
(e) In the event (1) a federal court judge, federal court magistrate or judge of the
Superior Court, Appellate Court or Supreme Court of the state, (2) a police officer,
as defined in section 7-294a, or a member of the Division of State Police within the
Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, (3) an employee of the Department of Correction, (4) an attorney-at-law who represents or has represented the
state in a criminal prosecution, (5) a member or employee of the Board of Pardons and
Paroles, (6) a judicial branch employee regularly engaged in court-ordered enforcement
or investigatory activities, (7) an inspector employed by the Division of Criminal Justice,
(8) a federal law enforcement officer who works and resides in this state, (9) a state
referee under section 52-434, or (10) a lake patrolman appointed pursuant to subsection
(a) of section 7-151b engaged in boating law enforcement, submits a written request
and furnishes such individual's business address to the commissioner, such business
address only shall be disclosed or available for public inspection to the extent authorized
by this section.
(f) The commissioner may disclose personal information from a motor vehicle record to:
(1) Any federal, state or local government agency in carrying out its functions or
to any individual or entity acting on behalf of any such agency, or
(2) Any individual, organization or entity that signs and files with the commissioner,
under penalty of false statement as provided in section 53a-157b, a statement on a form
approved by the commissioner, together with such supporting documentation or information as the commissioner may require, that such information will be used for any of
the following purposes:
(A) In connection with matters of motor vehicle or driver safety and theft, motor
vehicle emissions, motor vehicle product alterations, recalls or advisories, performance
monitoring of motor vehicles and dealers by motor vehicle manufacturers, motor vehicle
market research activities including survey research, motor vehicle product and service
communications and removal of nonowner records from the original owner records of
motor vehicle manufacturers to implement the provisions of the federal Automobile
Information Disclosure Act, 15 USC 1231 et seq., the Clean Air Act, 42 USC 7401 et
seq., and 49 USC Chapters 301, 305 and 321 to 331, inclusive, as amended from time
to time, and any provision of the general statutes enacted to attain compliance with said
federal provisions;
(B) In the normal course of business by the requesting party, but only to confirm
the accuracy of personal information submitted by the individual to the requesting party;
(C) In connection with any civil, criminal, administrative or arbitral proceeding in
any court or government agency or before any self-regulatory body, including the service
of process, an investigation in anticipation of litigation by an attorney-at-law or any
individual acting on behalf of an attorney-at-law and the execution or enforcement of
judgments and orders, or pursuant to an order of any court provided the requesting party
is a party in interest to such proceeding;
(D) In connection with matters of motor vehicle or driver safety and theft, motor
vehicle emissions, motor vehicle product alterations, recalls or advisories, performance
monitoring of motor vehicles and motor vehicle parts and dealers, producing statistical
reports and removal of nonowner records from the original owner records of motor
vehicle manufacturers, provided the personal information is not published, disclosed or
used to contact individuals except as permitted under subparagraph (A) of this subdivision;
(E) By any insurer or insurance support organization or by a self-insured entity or
its agents, employees or contractors, in connection with the investigation of claims
arising under insurance policies, antifraud activities, rating or underwriting;
(F) In providing any notice required by law to owners or lienholders named in the
certificate of title of towed, abandoned or impounded motor vehicles;
(G) By an employer or its agent or insurer to obtain or verify information relating
to a holder of a passenger endorsement or commercial driver's license required under
49 USC Chapter 313, and sections 14-44 to 14-44m, inclusive;
(H) In connection with any lawful purpose of a labor organization, as defined in
section 31-77, provided (i) such organization has entered into a contract with the commissioner, on such terms and conditions as the commissioner may require, and (ii) the
information will be used only for the purposes specified in the contract other than campaign or political purposes;
(I) For bulk distribution for surveys, marketing or solicitations provided the commissioner has obtained the express consent of the individual to whom such personal
information pertains;
(J) For the purpose of preventing fraud by verifying the accuracy of personal information contained in a motor vehicle record, including an individual's photograph or
computerized image, as submitted by an individual to a legitimate business or an agent,
employee or contractor of a legitimate business, provided the individual has provided
express consent in accordance with subdivision (5) of subsection (a) of this section;
(K) Inclusion of personal information about persons who have indicated consent
to become organ and tissue donors in a donor registry established by a procurement
organization, as defined in section 19a-289a;
(L) By any private detective or private detective licensed in accordance with the
provisions of chapter 534, in connection with an investigation involving matters concerning motor vehicles;
(M) By a state marshal, for use in the performance of duties under the provisions
of section 6-38a. Such information may be requested by facsimile transmission, or by
such other means as the commissioner may require, and shall be provided by facsimile
transmission, or by such other means, within a reasonable time.
(g) Any person receiving personal information or highly restricted personal information from a motor vehicle record pursuant to subsection (f) of this section shall be
entitled to use such information for any of the purposes set forth in said subsection for
which such information may be disclosed by the commissioner. No such person may
resell or redisclose the information for any purpose that is not set forth in subsection (f)
of this section, or reasonably related to any such purpose.
(h) Notwithstanding any provision of this section, the disclosure of personal information from a motor vehicle record pursuant to subsection (f) of this section shall be
subject to the provisions of section 14-50a concerning (1) the fees that shall be charged
for copies of or information pertaining to motor vehicle records and (2) the authority
of the commissioner to establish fees for information furnished on a volume basis in
accordance with such terms and conditions regarding the use and distribution of such
information as the commissioner may prescribe.
(i) Notwithstanding any provision of this section that restricts or prohibits the disclosure of personal information from a motor vehicle record, the commissioner may disclose personal information contained in any such record to any individual who is the
subject of such personal information or to any person who certifies under penalty of
false statement that such person has obtained the express consent of the subject of such
personal information.
(j) Notwithstanding any provision of this section that permits the disclosure of personal information from a motor vehicle record, the commissioner may disclose highly
restricted personal information contained in any such record only in accordance with
the provisions of 18 USC 2721 et seq., as amended.
(k) Any person, including any officer, employee, agent or contractor of the Department of Motor Vehicles, who sells, transfers or otherwise discloses personal information
or highly restricted personal information obtained from the Department of Motor Vehicles for any purpose not authorized by the provisions of this section shall be guilty of
a class A misdemeanor.
(l) The commissioner may adopt regulations in accordance with chapter 54 to implement the provisions of this section.
(1949 Rev., S. 2359; P.A. 76-263, S. 2, 9; 76-402, S. 2, 3; P.A. 84-429, S. 2; P.A. 89-228; P.A. 90-230, S. 20, 101;
P.A. 94-206, S. 1; P.A. 97-266, S. 1, 2; P.A. 99-77, S. 2; 99-232, S. 1; 99-268, S. 28; P.A. 00-169, S. 22, 33, 36; P.A. 02-70, S. 49; P.A. 03-265, S. 6, 7; P.A. 04-122, S. 2; 04-143, S. 17; 04-199, S. 28; 04-234, S. 2; 04-257, S. 115; P.A. 05-108,
S. 3; P.A. 07-167, S. 6, 36; June Sp. Sess. 07-5, S. 30; P.A. 08-135, S. 1; 08-150, S. 3; P.A. 10-110, S. 28, 29; 10-123, S.
26; P.A. 11-48, S. 28; 11-51, S. 134; 11-213, S. 5.)
History: P.A. 76-263 removed operator's licenses from former provisions and removed provision re confidentiality of
records and created new Subsecs. (b) and (c) re operator's licenses and confidentiality of records; P.A. 76-402 deleted
Subsec. (c) re confidentiality of records; P.A. 84-429 added new Subsec. (a) re number assignments and records from
Subsec. (a) of Sec. 14-42, relettered Subsecs. and made other technical changes; P.A. 89-228 added a new Subsec. (d),
restricting public access to the residential address of a judge, magistrate or policeman; P.A. 90-230 made technical corrections to Subsec. (d); P.A. 94-206 added extensive provisions to Subsec. (b) concerning procedure for disclosure of motor
vehicle department records, added provisions in Subsec. (c) detailing to whom operator license or driver history may be
disclosed, added Subsec. (d)(3) and (4) and made some technical changes in order to conform the Subsec. to the revised
language of the section, and added a new Subsec. (e) re inapplicability of section's provisions; (Revisor's note: In 1997
references throughout the general statutes to "Motor Vehicle(s) Commissioner" and "Motor Vehicle(s) Department" were
replaced editorially by the Revisors with "Commissioner of Motor Vehicles" or "Department of Motor Vehicles", as the
case may be, for consistency with customary statutory usage); P.A. 97-266 inserted new language in Subsec. (a), defining
"disclose", "motor vehicle record", "personal information" and "consent"; relettered former Subsec. (a) as (b) and added
provision requiring notice re disclosure of personal information to be included on each form for issuance or renewal of
registration, operator's license and identity card; relettered former Subsec. (b) as (c), deleted requirement in Subdiv. (1)
that records re registration be open to public inspection at main office during office hours, substituting provision that such
records be maintained by the commissioner at main office, restated provisions of Subdiv. (2), substituting "personal
information" for name, address or registration number, requiring in the course of any transaction conducted at main office
that commissioner ascertain whether individual who is the subject of request has elected to allow disclosure, eliminating
requirement that commissioner mail notice of application to individual who is the subject of the request and make disclosure
or permit inspection at least seven days after receipt of completed application, eliminating exemption from provisions of
Subdiv. for federal, state or local agency, adding provision allowing commissioner to disclose personal information or
permit inspection of such record only if individual who is the subject of the request has elected to allow disclosure and
making technical changes; relettered former Subsec. (c) as (d) and restated provisions of Subsec., allowing commissioner
to disclose personal information from a record re operator's license or driving history or permit inspection or copying in
the course of any transaction conducted at main office only if individual who is the subject of the request has elected to
allow disclosure, deleting Subdivs. (1) to (3), inclusive, and making technical changes; relettered former Subsec. (d) as
(e), eliminating phrase "Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (b) and (c) of this section" and making a technical
change; deleted former Subsec. (e), added Subsecs. (f) to (i), inclusive, re disclosure and use of personal information and
added Subsec. (j), authorizing the adoption of regulations, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 99-77 added Subsec. (e)(5) permitting
a member or employee of the Board of Parole to request that only his business address be disclosed or available for public
inspection; P.A. 99-232 amended Subsec. (b) to delete requirement that not later than July 1, 1998, each form for issuance
or renewal of a motor vehicle registration, operator's license or identity card contain the specified notice and consent form
re disclosure of personal information and to delete such notice and consent form, amended Subsecs. (c) and (d) to substitute
"such disclosure is authorized under subsection (f) of this section" for "the individual who is the subject of the request has
elected to allow disclosure", amended Subsec. (f) to delete language notwithstanding the provisions of Subsecs. (c) and
(d), to delete reference to any person contracting with the department, and to amend Subdiv. (2)(D) to reference "motor
vehicle product and service communications", and throughout section made provisions gender neutral and substituted
"that" for "which"; P.A. 99-268 added new Subsec. (i) prohibiting sale of photographs or computerized images on or
before June 30, 2000, and relettered existing Subsecs. (i) and (j) as Subsecs. (j) and (k), respectively; P.A. 00-169 deleted
the definition of "consent" in Subdiv. (a)(4) and replaced it with "express consent", defined to mean "an affirmative
agreement", and required that such agreement be in writing, and prescribed the procedure for withdrawal of such consent,
replaced the provision in Subdiv. (h)(I) that an individual be required to prohibit personal information from being distributed
with a provision requiring an individual to give express consent for personal information to be distributed, added Subdiv.
(h)(J) re prevention of fraud, deleted Subsec. (i) re prohibition on the sale of photographs or computerized images, relettered
Subsecs. (j) and (k) as (i) and (j), respectively, and in Subsec. (i), required express consent from the subject of such personal
information, effective June 1, 2000, and revised effective date of P.A. 99-268 but without affecting this section; P.A. 02-70 amended Subsec. (a)(1) to add "highly restricted personal information" within definition of "disclose", added new
Subdiv. (4) defining "highly restricted personal information" and redesignated existing Subdiv. (4) as Subdiv. (5), amended
Subsec. (c)(2) to make a technical change for purposes of gender neutrality, added new Subsec. (j) authorizing commissioner
to disclose highly restricted personal information contained in a motor vehicle record only in accordance with 18 USC
2721 et seq. and redesignated existing Subsec. (j) as Subsec. (k), effective June 3, 2002; P.A. 03-265 amended Subsec.
(c)(2) to delete former Subpara. (C) re payment of fee to commissioner for disclosure of personal information from motor
vehicle records, and, effective July 1, 2003, amended Subsec. (f)(2)(A) to change references to federal acts, amended
Subsec. (f)(2)(C) to limit commissioner's disclosure of personal information from motor vehicle record in connection with
investigation in anticipation of litigation to attorney-at-law or individual acting on behalf of attorney-at-law, amended
Subsec. (f)(2)(G) to change reference to federal act, and made a technical change in Subsec. (f)(2)(J); P.A. 04-122 added
Subsec. (f)(2)(K) allowing disclosure of personal information to procurement organizations; P.A. 04-143 made a technical
change in Subsec. (f)(2)(A), effective May 21, 2004; P.A. 04-199 amended Subsec. (f)(2) to transfer "motor vehicle market
research activities including survey research, motor vehicle product and service communications" from Subpara. (D) to
Subpara. (A) and to include "producing statistical reports" in Subpara. (D), effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 04-234 replaced
Board of Parole with Board of Pardons and Paroles in Subsec. (e)(5), effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 04-257 amended Subsec.
(e)(5) to delete reference to an "employee" of the Board of Parole, effective June 14, 2004; P.A. 05-108 amended Subsec.
(e)(5) to restore reference to an "employee" of the Board of Pardons and Paroles, effective June 7, 2005; P.A. 07-167
amended Subsec. (e) by adding Subdivs. (6) to (8) re business address of judicial branch employee regularly engaged in
court-ordered enforcement or investigatory activities, federal law enforcement officer who works and resides in this state,
and state referee and added Subsec. (f)(2)(L) re use of information by private detective in connection with investigation
re motor vehicle matters; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-5 made technical changes in Subsec. (e)(8); P.A. 08-135 amended Subsec.
(e) to add new Subdiv. (7) re inspector employed by Division of Criminal Justice and renumber existing Subdivs. (7) and
(8) as new Subdivs. (8) and (9), effective June 5, 2008; P.A. 08-150 amended Subsec. (g) to make provisions applicable
to the receipt of "highly restricted personal information", limit the use of information for any of the purposes "for which
such information may be disclosed by the commissioner" and add provision re prohibition on reselling or redisclosing
information, added new Subsec. (k) re penalty for selling, transferring or otherwise disclosing information for unauthorized
purpose, and redesignated existing Subsec. (k) as Subsec. (l); P.A. 10-110 amended Subsec. (e) to add Subdiv. (10) permitting lake patrolman engaged in boating law enforcement to request that only such patrolman's business address be disclosed
or available for inspection and amended Subsec. (f)(2) by adding Subpara. (M) re disclosure of personal information from
a motor vehicle record to a state marshal; P.A. 10-123 amended Subsec. (f)(2)(K) by replacing reference to Sec. 19a-279a
with Sec. 19a-289a; P.A. 11-48 amended Subsec. (a)(3) by redefining "personal information" to include electronic mail
address, effective July 1, 2011; pursuant to P.A. 11-51, "Department of Public Safety" was changed editorially by the
Revisors to "Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection" in Subsec. (e)(2), effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 11-213 amended Subsec. (c)(2)(B) to replace requirement for 2 forms of acceptable identification with requirement for personal
identification satisfactory to commissioner, and amended Subsec. (e)(2) to replace "member of a municipal police department" with "police officer, as defined in section 7-294a", effective July 1, 2011.
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Sec. 14-11b. Driver training program for persons with disabilities. (a) There
shall be within the Bureau of Rehabilitative Services a unit for the purpose of evaluating
and training persons with disabilities in the operation of motor vehicles. There shall be
assigned to the driver training unit for persons with disabilities such staff as is necessary
for the orderly administration of the driver training program for persons with disabilities.
The personnel assigned to the driver training unit for persons with disabilities shall,
while engaged in the evaluation, instruction or examination of a person with disabilities,
have the authority and immunities with respect to such activities as are granted under
the general statutes to motor vehicle inspectors.
(b) Any resident of this state who has a serious physical or mental disability which
does not render the resident incapable of operating a motor vehicle and who must utilize
special equipment in order to operate a motor vehicle and who cannot obtain instruction
in the operation of a motor vehicle through any alternate program, including, but not
limited to, other state, federal or privately operated drivers' schools shall be eligible
for instruction under the Bureau of Rehabilitative Services driver training program for
persons with disabilities.
(P.A. 76-283, S. 1, 2; P.A. 77-93; P.A. 11-44, S. 46; 11-61, S. 120.)
History: P.A. 77-93 added to requirements in Subsec. (b) for eligibility for instruction by motor vehicles department
by specifying that person must be one who needs to use special equipment and cannot obtain instruction through alternate
program; P.A. 11-44 changed program name from "handicapped driver training program" to "driver training program for
persons with disabilities", replaced "Department of Motor Vehicles" with "Bureau of Rehabilitative Services" and made
conforming and technical changes, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 11-61 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting provision re assignment of driver consultant for persons with disabilities to unit and deleting reference to driver consultant re authority and
immunities, and amended Subsec. (b) by making a technical change, effective July 1, 2011.
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(A)
REGISTRATION OF MOTOR VEHICLES
Sec. 14-12. Motor vehicle registration. Application. Issuance by dealers.
Misrepresentation. Registration number and certificate. Requirements for registration. Regulations. Temporary registration. (a) No motor vehicle shall be operated
or towed on any highway, except as otherwise expressly provided, unless it is registered
with the commissioner, provided any motor vehicle may be towed for repairs or necessary work if it bears the markers of a licensed and registered dealer, manufacturer or
repairer and provided any motor vehicle which is validly registered in another state may,
for a period of sixty days following establishment by the owner of residence in this state,
be operated on any highway without first being registered with the commissioner. Except
as otherwise provided in this subsection, (1) a person commits an infraction if such
person registers a motor vehicle he or she does not own or if such person operates, or
allows the operation of, an unregistered motor vehicle on a public highway, or (2) a
resident of this state who operates a motor vehicle he or she owns with marker plates
issued by another state shall be fined one thousand dollars. If the owner of a motor
vehicle previously registered on an annual or biennial basis, the registration of which
expired not more than thirty days previously, operates or allows the operation of such
a motor vehicle, such owner shall be fined the amount designated for the infraction of
failure to renew a registration, but the right to retain his or her operator's license shall
not be affected. No operator other than the owner shall be subject to penalty for the
operation of such a previously registered motor vehicle. As used in this subsection, the
term "unregistered motor vehicle" includes any vehicle that is not eligible for registration
by the commissioner due to the absence of necessary equipment or other characteristics
of the vehicle that make it unsuitable for highway operation, unless the operation of
such vehicle is expressly permitted by another provision of this chapter or chapter 248.
(b) To obtain a motor vehicle registration, except as provided in subsection (c) of
this section, the owner shall file in the office of the commissioner an application signed
by him and containing such information and proof of ownership as the commissioner
may require. The application shall be made on blanks furnished by the commissioner.
The blanks shall be in such form and contain such provisions and information as the
commissioner may determine.
(c) The commissioner may, for the more efficient administration of the commissioner's duties, appoint licensed dealers meeting qualifications established by the commissioner pursuant to regulations adopted in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54,
to issue new registrations for passenger motor vehicles, motorcycles, campers, camp
trailers, commercial trailers, service buses, school buses or trucks when they are sold
by a licensed dealer. The commissioner shall charge such dealer a fee of ten dollars for
each new dealer issue form furnished for the purposes of this subsection. A person
purchasing a motor vehicle from a dealer so appointed and registering the motor vehicle
pursuant to this section shall file an application with the dealer and pay, to the dealer,
a fee in accordance with the provisions of section 14-49. The commissioner shall prescribe the time and manner in which the application and fee shall be transmitted to the
commissioner.
(d) A motor vehicle registration certificate issued upon an application containing
any material false statement is void from the date of its issue and shall be surrendered,
upon demand, with any number plate or plates, to the commissioner. Any money paid
for the registration certificate shall be forfeited to the state. No person shall obtain or
attempt to obtain any registration for another by misrepresentation or impersonation
and any registration so obtained shall be void. The commissioner may require each
applicant for a motor vehicle registration to furnish personal identification satisfactory
to the commissioner and may require any applicant who has established residence in
this state for more than thirty days to obtain a motor vehicle operator's license, in accordance with the provisions of subsection (b) of section 14-36, or an identification card
issued pursuant to section 1-1h. Any person who violates any provision of this subsection
and any person who fails to surrender a falsely obtained motor vehicle registration or
number plate or plates upon the demand of the commissioner shall be fined not more
than two hundred dollars.
(e) The commissioner may register any motor vehicle under the provisions of this
chapter, may assign a distinguishing registration number to the registered motor vehicle
and may then issue a certificate of registration to the owner. A certificate of registration
shall contain the registration number assigned to the motor vehicle and its vehicle identification number and shall be in such form and contain such further information as the
commissioner determines.
(f) (1) The commissioner may refuse to register or issue a certificate of title for a
motor vehicle or class of motor vehicles if he determines that the characteristics of the
motor vehicle or class of motor vehicles make it unsafe for highway operation. The
commissioner may adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54,
to implement the provisions of this subsection and the provisions of subsection (h) of
this section.
(2) The commissioner shall not register a motor vehicle if he knows that the motor
vehicle's equipment fails to comply with the provisions of this chapter, provided nothing
contained in this section shall preclude the commissioner from issuing one or more
temporary registrations for a motor vehicle not previously registered in this state or from
issuing a temporary registration for a motor vehicle under a trade name without a certified
copy of the notice required by section 35-1.
(3) The commissioner shall not register any motor vehicle, except a platform truck
the motive power of which is electricity, or a tractor equipped with solid tires, if it is
not equipped with lighting devices as prescribed by this chapter. The registration of any
motor vehicle which is not equipped with such prescribed lighting devices is void and
money paid for the registration shall be forfeited to the state. Nothing in this subdivision
shall prevent the commissioner, at his discretion, from registering a motor vehicle not
equipped with certain lighting devices if the operation of the vehicle is restricted to
daylight use.
(4) The commissioner shall not register any motor vehicle or a combination of a
motor vehicle and a trailer or semitrailer which exceeds the limits specified in section
14-267a.
(5) On or after October 1, 1984, no motor vehicle registration shall be issued by
the commissioner for any motorcycle unless the application for registration is accompanied by sufficient proof, as determined by the commissioner, that the motorcycle is
insured for the amounts required by section 14-289f.
(6) The commissioner shall not register any motor vehicle which is subject to the
federal heavy vehicle use tax imposed under Section 4481 of the Internal Revenue Code
of 1954, or any subsequent corresponding internal revenue code of the United States,
as from time to time amended, if the applicant fails to furnish proof of payment of such
tax, in a form prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States.
(g) The commissioner may elect not to register any motor vehicle which is ten or
more model years old and which has not been previously registered in this state until
the same has been presented, as directed by the commissioner, at the main office or a
branch office of the Department of Motor Vehicles or to any designated official emissions inspection station or other business or firm, authorized by the Commissioner of
Motor Vehicles to conduct safety inspections, and has passed the inspection as to its
safety features as required by the commissioner. When a motor vehicle owned by a
resident of this state is garaged in another jurisdiction and cannot be conveniently presented at an office of the Department of Motor Vehicles, an authorized emissions inspection station or other facility, the commissioner may accept an inspection made by authorities in such other jurisdiction or by appropriate military authorities, provided the
commissioner determines that such inspection is comparable to that conducted by the
Department of Motor Vehicles. If the commissioner authorizes the contractor that operates the system of official emissions inspection stations or other business or firm to
conduct the safety inspections required by this subsection, the commissioner may authorize the contractor or other business or firm to charge a fee, not to exceed fifteen dollars,
for each such inspection. The commissioner may authorize any motor vehicle dealer or
repairer, licensed in accordance with section 14-52 and meeting qualifications established by the commissioner, to perform an inspection required by this section or to make
repairs to any motor vehicle that has failed an initial safety inspection and to certify to
the commissioner that the motor vehicle is in compliance with the safety and equipment
standards for registration. No such authorized dealer or repairer shall charge any additional fee to make such certification to the commissioner. If the commissioner authorizes
any such dealer or repairer to conduct safety inspections, such licensee may provide
written certification to the commissioner, in such form and manner as the commissioner
prescribes, as to compliance of any motor vehicle in its inventory with safety and equipment standards and such certification may be accepted by the commissioner as meeting
the inspection requirements of this subsection.
(h) The commissioner shall not register any motor vehicle unless it meets the equipment related registration requirements contained in sections 14-80, 14-100, 14-100a,
14-100b, 14-106a and 14-275.
(i) The commissioner or any city, town, borough or other taxing district authorized
under subsection (f) of section 14-33 may issue a temporary registration to the owner
of a motor vehicle. The application for a temporary registration shall conform to the
provisions of this section. A temporary registration may be issued for a time determined
by the commissioner and may be renewed from time to time at the discretion of the
commissioner. The fee for a temporary registration or any renewal thereof shall be as
provided in subsection (n) of section 14-49.
(j) The commissioner may issue a special use registration to the owner of a motor
vehicle for a period not to exceed thirty days for the sole purpose of driving such vehicle
to another state in which the vehicle is to be registered and exclusively used. The application for such registration shall conform to the provisions of subsection (b) of this section.
The commissioner may issue special use certificates and plates in such form as he may
determine. The special use certificate shall state such limitation on the operation of such
vehicle and shall be carried in the vehicle at all times when it is being operated on any
highway.
(k) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (a), (b) and (e) of this section,
the commissioner shall issue to a municipality, as defined in section 7-245, or a regional
solid waste authority comprised of several municipalities, upon receipt of an application
by the municipality or regional solid waste authority, a general distinguishing number
plate for use on a motor vehicle owned or leased by such municipality or regional solid
waste authority.
(1949 Rev., S. 2361; 1957, P.A. 190; 1961, P.A. 233, S. 1; 581, S. 1; 1963, P.A. 520; 550, S. 1; 1967, P.A. 205; 858;
1969, P.A. 701, S. 1; 1971, P.A. 535; 1972, P.A. 284; P.A. 73-134; P.A. 75-577, S. 11, 126; P.A. 79-188, S. 4, 10; P.A.
83-489, S. 1, 17; P.A. 84-254, S. 22, 62; 84-291, S. 2; 84-429, S. 3; P.A. 85-128; 85-181; 85-214; 85-613, S. 145, 154;
P.A. 86-157, S. 1; P.A. 88-270, S. 5, 8; P.A. 89-211, S. 27; P.A. 91-355, S. 2; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-13, S. 4, 21; P.A. 93-341, S. 2; P.A. 94-189, S. 2; P.A. 95-260, S. 16, 24; P.A. 98-33, S. 1; P.A. 99-287, S. 1, 9; P.A. 00-169, S. 1; P.A. 01-24,
S. 2, 5; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-9, S. 52, 131; P.A. 02-70, S. 70, 71; P.A. 04-199, S. 26; P.A. 05-218, S. 4; P.A. 08-150, S.
4; P.A. 09-187, S. 12; P.A. 11-6, S. 112; 11-48, S. 25; 11-213, S. 6.)
History: 1961 acts amended provision prohibiting registration of vehicle exceeding limits in Sec. 14-268, previous
section having read "the sum of the light weight and carrying capacity of which exceeds," increased the inspection fee in
the last sentence from $1 and deleted provision re not registering a vehicle previously reported as sold for junk and requiring
maintenance of records of such sales for 2 years; 1963 acts added provisions re operation of vehicle registered in another
state for 60 days and providing for operation where registration expired less than 30 days prior to operation on highway;
1967 acts added provision allowing commissioner to issue temporary 10-day registration without regard to inspection
requirements, substituted "is" for "was" in provision re vehicles registered in another state and specified that vehicle "which
has been registered on an annual basis" is allowed 30-day grace period; 1969 act added provision allowing temporary
registration for motor vehicles not previously registered in state and allowed issuance of more than one temporary registration; 1971 act added provision allowing commissioner to refuse registration or title for motor vehicle or class of vehicles
when he determines the vehicle or class to be unsafe for highway operation; 1972 act added Subsec. (b) re issuance of new
registrations by motor vehicle dealers; P.A. 73-134 specified that proof of ownership necessary for registration, and added
provision allowing acceptance of inspection made in another jurisdiction or by military authorities in certain instances;
P.A. 75-577 replaced provisions re fines for violation of registration procedures with references to commission of infraction
and payment of amount not specified; P.A. 79-188 substituted Sec. 14-267a for reference to repealed Sec. 14-268; P.A.
83-489 amended Subsec. (a) to increase inspection fee from $2 to $7; P.A. 84-254 amended Subsec. (a) (now Subsec. (g))
to periodically increase the existing $7 motor vehicle safety features inspection fee to $25 as of July 1, 1993; P.A. 84-291
amended Subsec. (a) (now Subsec. (f)) to prohibit the issuance of a motorcycle registration without proof of liability
insurance, which provision was editorially designated as Subdiv. (5) of Subsec. (f) in keeping with the technical revision
of the section under P.A. 84-429; P.A. 84-429 relettered Subsecs., rephrased provisions, transferred provision concerning
certificates of title to Sec. 14-16(f), added provisions re applications to Subsec. (b) from Sec. 14-42(a), added provisions
re false statements to Subsec. (d) from Sec. 14-43, added provisions re registration certificates to Subsec. (e) from Sec.
14-13(a), added provisions re temporary registrations to Subsec. (i) from Sec. 14-13(c), and made other technical changes;
P.A. 85-128 added Subsec. (f)(6), requiring commissioner not to register any vehicle subject to the federal heavy vehicle
use tax if applicant fails to furnish proof of tax payment; P.A. 85-181 added Subsec. (j), permitting the issuance of municipal
license plates for use on vehicles owned or leased by municipalities; P.A. 85-214 amended Subsec. (c) to permit commissioner to appoint licensed dealers to issue new registrations for motorcycles when sold; P.A. 85-613 amended Subsec. (j)
by changing "may issue" to "shall issue" and adding "as defined in section 7-245, upon receipt of an application by the
municipality"; P.A. 86-157 inserted new Subsec. (j), authorizing the issuance of special use registrations, relettering former
Subsec. accordingly; P.A. 88-270 amended Subsec. (e) to require the registration certificate to contain the vehicle identification number; P.A. 89-211 clarified reference to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986; P.A. 91-355 amended Subsec. (g) to
provide for conduct of inspections at authorized official emissions inspection stations and to require inspection fees collected
at such inspection stations to be deposited in separate safety inspection account within emissions inspection fund; June
Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-13 added fee for each book of twenty-five new dealer issue forms; P.A. 93-341 amended Subsec. (k) to
apply provisions to regional solid waste authorities comprised of several municipalities; P.A. 94-189 amended Subsec.
(g) by adding to the exception "a motor vehicle which has affixed to it a current, valid safety inspection decal issued by
any other state that conducts a safety inspection program which meets the approval of the commissioner" and deleting
obsolete inspection fee schedule of increases; P.A. 95-260 amended Subsec. (g) to provide for conduct of safety inspections
at other facilities authorized by commissioner, effective June 13, 1995; P.A. 98-33 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing
"repairman" with "repairer" and establishing a fine of not less than $150 nor more than $300 for a resident of this state
operating a motor vehicle he owns with marker plates issued by another state; P.A. 99-287 amended Subsec. (g) by limiting
motor vehicles required to have safety inspections prior to registration to those 10 or more model years old and deleting
provisions re new motor vehicles or motor vehicles with a valid safety inspection decal, by deleting provision re presenting
motor vehicle during business hours and adding provision re presenting same as directed by the commissioner, by allowing
a "designated" official emissions inspection station or other "business or firm, except a licensee of the department", to
conduct safety inspections, by deleting provision requiring a $25 fee to be charged for a safety inspection and deposited
into a safety inspection account within the Emissions Inspection Fund, by adding provisions re authorization of entities to
conduct safety inspections, charge an inspection fee and repair vehicles failing such inspections, and by making technical
changes, effective July 1, 1999; P.A. 00-169 amended Subsec. (c) to allow licensed dealers to issue new registrations for
campers, camp trailers or trucks with a gross vehicle weight up to and including 26,000 pounds and made technical changes
for the purposes of gender neutrality; P.A. 01-24 amended Subsec. (g) by changing "shall not" to "may elect not to" re
registration of motor vehicles which are 10 or more model years old and which have not been previously registered in this
state, deleting provision authorizing a licensee of the department to conduct safety inspections on such motor vehicles,
allowing certain motor vehicle dealers and repairers to perform inspections required by section, deleting provision re the
commissioner's issuing temporary registrations without regard to the inspection requirements of the general statutes, and
adding provision re licensee's submission of written certification of compliance of any motor vehicle in its inventory with
safety and equipment standards, effective May 15, 2001; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-9 amended Subsec. (c) to increase the fee
for a new dealer issue form from $10 for a book of 25 to $10 for each form, effective July 1, 2001; P.A. 02-70 amended
Subsec. (f)(5) to eliminate requirement that proof of insurance be submitted for renewal of a motorcycle registration and
amended Subsec. (f)(6) to make a technical change and substitute Internal Revenue Code of "1954" for "1986", effective
July 1, 2002; P.A. 04-199 amended Subsec. (i) to eliminate provision permitting commissioner to require deposit from
applicant for temporary registration, to permit temporary registration to be issued for time determined by commissioner
and to establish fee for temporary registration or renewal as provided in Sec. 14-49(n), effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 05-218 amended Subsec. (d) by adding provision authorizing commissioner to require identification for applicant for registration and resident in state for 30 days to obtain an operator's license or identification card, effective July 1, 2005; P.A. 08-150 amended Subsec. (a) to add definition of "unregistered motor vehicle"; P.A. 09-187 amended Subsec. (f)(1) to authorize
adoption of regulations for purposes of Subsecs. (f) and (h), effective July 8, 2009; P.A. 11-6 amended Subsec. (a) to make
technical changes and, in Subdiv. (2), to increase fine from not less than $150 or more than $300 to $1,000, effective July
1, 2011; P.A. 11-48 amended Subsec. (i) by adding provision re issuance of temporary registration by authorized city,
town, borough or other taxing district, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 11-213 amended Subsec. (c) to include issuance of
registration for commercial trailers, service buses and school buses, require vehicles to be sold by licensed dealer, delete
gross vehicle weight limit of 26,000 pounds and make technical changes, effective July 1, 2011.
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Sec. 14-12s. Administrative fee. For each motor vehicle transaction that involves
an electronic inspection of a manufacturer's vehicle identification number, the commissioner shall charge an administrative fee of ten dollars, in addition to any fee prescribed
for such transaction.
(P.A. 99-287, S. 4, 9; P.A. 11-6, S. 136.)
History: P.A. 99-287 effective July 1, 1999; P.A. 11-6 applied administrative fee to any transaction involving electronic
inspection of a vehicle identification number, rather than to the registration of a motor vehicle that passed inspection,
effective July 1, 2011.
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Sec. 14-15. Leasing or renting of motor vehicles. Issuance of temporary transfers. (a) Any person, firm or corporation before engaging in the business of leasing or
renting motor vehicles without drivers in this state and any person, firm or corporation
which is the lessor of or rents any vehicle required to be registered under the provisions
of section 14-15a shall make a sworn application to the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles
for a license to engage in such leasing or renting. Each such application and each application for renewal shall be accompanied by a fee of three hundred dollars. Each such
license shall be renewed biennially according to renewal schedules established by the
commissioner so as to effect staggered renewal of all such licenses. If the adoption of
a staggered system results in the expiration of any license more or less than one year
from its issuance, the commissioner may charge a prorated amount for such license fee.
Not less than forty-five days prior to the date of expiration of each such license, the
commissioner shall send or transmit to each licensee, in such manner as the commissioner determines, an application for renewal. An application for renewal filed with the
commissioner after the date of expiration shall be accompanied by a late fee of one
hundred dollars provided the commissioner shall not renew any license under this subsection that has expired for more than forty-five days. No such license shall be transferred. Such licensee shall furnish proof of financial responsibility satisfactory to the
commissioner, as provided by section 14-112 or 14-129, provided such licensee may
furnish such proof separately with respect to each vehicle or each group of vehicles
leased to any single lessee. Each application for such license shall contain the name and
address of the owner and shall be accompanied by a surety bond as required pursuant
to section 14-52. Each application for registration of a motor vehicle to be leased for a
period of more than thirty days shall contain the name and address of the owner and the
lessee of such vehicle. The owner of such vehicle shall disclose the name and address
of any subsequent lessee of such vehicle to the commissioner in such manner as the
commissioner may require. The commissioner shall ensure that such information relative to the lessee is available to the Connecticut on-line law enforcement communications teleprocessing system. Each person, firm or corporation licensed under the provisions of this subsection shall keep such books, records and accounts as the commissioner
may require provided each licensee shall retain a copy of each rental or lease contract
for a period of three years, which shall be subject to inspection by the commissioner or
the commissioner's designee at all reasonable times. The provisions of this subsection
shall not apply to any person, firm or corporation which, incidental to the conduct of
its principal business, leases or rents any motor vehicle without a driver to other persons,
firms or corporations whose principal business is the same as that of the lessor. Violation
of any provision of this subsection shall be an infraction.
(b) Each person, firm or corporation licensed under the provisions of subsection
(a) of this section that in the opinion of the commissioner is qualified and holds a current
registration certificate for a motor vehicle used in connection with its business may
issue a sixty-day temporary transfer of such registration to any other vehicle used in
connection with its business with an official stamp issued by the commissioner to such
licensee. The licensee, within five days from the issuance of such temporary registration,
shall submit to the commissioner an application together with all necessary documents
for a permanent registration for the vehicle transferred. The commissioner shall adopt
regulations in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 to implement the provisions
of this subsection.
(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 14-22, the commissioner may authorize any person, firm or corporation licensed under the provisions of subsection (a) of
this section who in the opinion of the commissioner is qualified and who holds a current
registration certificate for a motor vehicle used in connection with its business to renew
such registration by means of an electronic data processing system connected to the
system of registration records maintained by the commissioner. The commissioner shall
adopt regulations in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 to implement the
provisions of this subsection.
(1955, S. 1286d; 1957, P.A. 413; 1967, P.A. 822; 1969, P.A. 747, S. 1; P.A. 75-577, S. 13, 126; P.A. 84-254, S. 23,
62; P.A. 87-329, S. 1; P.A. 88-340, S. 1; P.A. 90-285, S. 1, 3; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-13, S. 5, 21; P.A. 93-164, S. 1; P.A.
95-260, S. 4, 24; P.A. 96-167, S. 3; P.A. 00-169, S. 3; P.A. 02-70, S. 18, 56; P.A. 11-213, S. 7.)
History: 1967 act clarified applicability of provisions and required that books, records and accounts be kept as required
by commissioner and that they be open to inspection by commissioner or designee; 1969 act restated applicability provision
to specify persons, firms and corporations leasing or renting cars without drivers and lessors of vehicles required to be
registered under Sec. 14-15a and increased application fee from $25 to $50; P.A. 75-577 excluded leasing of cars by one
corporation to another having the same principal business and added provision re violation of provisions; P.A. 84-254
periodically increased the existing $50 fee to $100 as of July 1, 1992; P.A. 87-329 maintained the fee at the level existing
on and after July 1, 1986, and decreased the fee effective July 1, 1992, to the level formerly existing on and after July 1,
1988; P.A. 88-340 required licensee to retain copy of rental or lease contract for three years; P.A. 90-285 added Subsec.
(b), authorizing licensees to issue 20-day temporary transfers of registration; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-13 increased fee from
$78 to $150 and removed increase scheduled for July 1, 1992; P.A. 93-164 added a requirement in Subsec. (a) that applications be accompanied by a surety bond; P.A. 95-260 amended Subsec. (a) to make technical changes and to require that
each application for registration of a motor vehicle to be leased for a period of more than 30 days contain the name and
address of the owner and lessee of the vehicle, that the owner of such vehicle disclose name and address of any subsequent
lessee of such vehicle to commissioner in such manner as he may require and that commissioner ensure that information
re lessee is available to COLLECT system; P.A. 96-167 amended Subsec. (b) to make a technical change, to authorize
issuance of 45-day temporary transfers in lieu of 20-day transfers and to require submission of application for permanent
registration within 7 days from issuance of temporary registration instead of 5 days and added Subsec. (c), allowing
commissioner to authorize licensees to renew registration by means of an electronic data processing system; P.A. 00-169
amended Subsec. (b) to replace a 45-day with a 60-day temporary transfer of a registration, and changed the period of time
within which a licensee shall submit an application to the commissioner for a permanent registration from 7 to 5 days;
P.A. 02-70 amended Subsec. (a) to require biennial in lieu of annual license renewal, to provide for a license fee of $300
in lieu of $150, to require renewal according to schedules established by the commissioner to effect staggered renewal of
licenses, to impose a late fee of $100 for an application for renewal filed after the date of expiration, to provide that no
license that has expired for more than 45 days shall be renewed, and to make technical changes for purposes of gender
neutrality, and, effective July 1, 2002, amended Subsec. (b) to make technical changes; P.A. 11-213 amended Subsec. (a)
to replace requirement re mailing of renewal application with requirement re sending or transmitting renewal application
in such manner as commissioner determines, effective July 1, 2011.
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Sec. 14-19a. Regulations re issuance of special number plates to members of
qualifying organizations. Issuance and renewal of collegiate special number plates.
Discontinuance of special number plates. (a) The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles
shall adopt regulations in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 to establish (1)
standards for the issuance of a special certificate of registration and special number
plates to a member of an organization which qualifies for issuance, (2) qualifications
of organizations whose members wish to apply for such special registrations, (3) procedures for application for such special registration, and (4) a fee for such special number
plates which shall cover at least the entire cost of making the plates and which shall be
in addition to the fee for registration of the motor vehicle. The regulations shall provide
that a labor union shall be a qualifying organization.
(b) The Department of Motor Vehicles, in consultation with the Board of Regents
for Higher Education, shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of
chapter 54, to establish standards for the issuance and renewal of collegiate special
number plates with the logos or emblems of Connecticut public and independent institutions of higher education.
(c) On or after July 1, 2004, the commissioner may issue special certificates of
registration and special number plates in accordance with the regulations adopted under
subsection (a) of this section provided the commissioner may not issue a set of special
number plates bearing the same numerals as any other plate issued by the department.
The commissioner may discontinue the issuance of any such special number plates
issued for a qualified organization, or special plates issued in accordance with the provisions of sections 14-19b and 14-21f to 14-21p, inclusive, at any time, upon written notice
to the organization if, in the opinion of the commissioner, the demand for such plates
is insufficient to support the costs of production.
(P.A. 90-236, S. 1, 2; P.A. 91-275; P.A. 93-341, S. 3; P.A. 97-236, S. 4, 27; P.A. 04-199, S. 5; P.A. 09-187, S. 58; P.A.
11-48, S. 282.)
History: P.A. 91-275 inserted new Subdiv. (b) requiring the department to adopt regulations for the issuance of special
number plates with the logos or emblems or Connecticut public and independent institutions of higher education, relettered
former Subsec. (b) as (c) and restated its provisions; P.A. 93-341 amended Subsec. (b) by providing for the renewal of
collegiate special number plates and by providing that the plates may be obtained by any "individuals who meet the
requirements established by the regulations adopted pursuant to this subsection", amended Subdiv. (2) by requiring $50
donation to a scholarship fund or scholarship account at the institution of higher education prior to each issuance and
renewal of plates and specifying that renewal would occur when motor vehicle's registration was renewed; P.A. 97-236
amended Subsec. (a) to require that regulations provide that a labor union be a qualifying organization, effective June 24,
1997; P.A. 04-199 amended Subsec. (c) to change from mandatory to permissive issuance of special certificates of registration and special number plates and to permit commissioner to discontinue issuance of special number plates if demand
insufficient to support costs to produce, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 09-187 amended Subsec. (b) to delete provision
re issuance of special number plates to individuals meeting requirements established by regulations, to delete specific
requirements re regulations and to delete provision re contributions to scholarship fund or account distributed on basis of
financial need, and amended Subsec. (c) to insert reference to Sec. 14-19b and make a technical change; P.A. 11-48 amended
Subsec. (b) to replace "Board of Governors of the Department of Higher Education" with "Board of Regents for Higher
Education", effective July 1, 2011.
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Sec. 14-20b. Number plates for veterans and members of the armed forces.
Return and nonrenewal of number plates. (a) The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles,
at the request of any veteran or member of the armed forces, as defined in subsection
(a) of section 27-103, or the surviving spouse of such veteran or member, shall register
any motor vehicle owned or leased for a period of at least one year by such person and
shall issue a special certificate of registration and a set of number plates for each such
vehicle. The plates shall expire and be renewed as provided in section 14-22. The commissioner shall charge a fee for such plates which shall cover the entire cost of making
the same and which shall be in addition to the fee for registration of such motor vehicle.
(b) Any such member of the armed forces who is dishonorably discharged shall
return such plates to the commissioner not later than thirty days after such discharge.
The commissioner shall not renew such plates for any motor vehicle owned or leased
by any such member of the armed forces who is dishonorably discharged.
(P.A. 97-236, S. 1; P.A. 98-182, S. 7, 22; P.A. 11-56, S. 1.)
History: P.A. 98-182 expanded the category of vehicles eligible for number plates for veterans from passenger motor
vehicles to all motor vehicles, effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 11-56 designated existing provisions as Subsec. (a) and amended
same to add references to member of the armed forces and added Subsec. (b) re return and nonrenewal of number plates
for dishonorably discharged member of armed forces, effective July 1, 2011.
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Sec. 14-21c. Number plates for manufacturers of motor vehicles or automotive equipment. (a) Upon the application of a person engaged in the manufacturing of
motor vehicles or automotive equipment, the commissioner may issue interchangeable
special number plates for motor vehicles used by the manufacturer in the experimental
testing of such motor vehicles or automotive equipment, provided the application shall
contain (1) information on the motor vehicle or motor vehicle parts manufactured, (2)
a statement on the need for highway testing, (3) an affidavit stating that the special
plates shall be used only in experimental testing, and (4) any other information the
commissioner deems pertinent.
(b) The commissioner shall charge an annual fee of twenty dollars for the issuance
of registration and plates for any such experimental test motor vehicle. On and after
July 1, 1985, the fee shall be thirty dollars, on and after July 1, 1989, forty-five dollars,
on and after July 1, 1991, fifty-six dollars, and on and after July 1, 1993, seventy dollars.
Such registration shall expire on the last day of March each year.
(c) No registration and marker plate shall be issued pursuant to this section unless
the applicant has furnished financial responsibility satisfactory to the commissioner as
defined in section 14-112.
(P.A. 75-386, S. 1, 2; P.A. 83-494; P.A. 84-254, S. 25, 62; 84-429, S. 11; P.A. 11-213, S. 8.)
History: P.A. 83-494 increased the registration fee for experimental test motor vehicles from $15 to $20 and required
manufacturers to furnish proof of financial responsibility prior to being issued a registration and plates; P.A. 84-254
periodically increased the existing $20 fee to $70 as of July 1, 1993; P.A. 84-429 divided section into Subsecs., rephrased
provisions and made other technical changes; P.A. 11-213 amended Subsec. (a) to include manufacture and testing of
motor vehicles, effective July 1, 2011.
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Sec. 14-21e. Number plates commemorating Long Island Sound. Voluntary
lighthouse preservation donation. Fees. Voluntary habitat restoration donation.
Regulations. (a) On and after January 1, 1993, the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles
shall issue Long Island Sound commemorative number plates of a design to enhance
public awareness of the state's effort to restore and protect Long Island Sound. Said
design shall be determined by agreement between the Commissioner of Energy and
Environmental Protection and the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles. No use shall be
made of such plates except as official registration marker plates.
(b) The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles shall establish, by regulations adopted in
accordance with chapter 54, a fee to be charged for Long Island Sound commemorative
number plates in addition to the regular fee or fees prescribed for the registration of a
motor vehicle. The fee shall be for such number plates with letters and numbers selected
by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles. The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles may
establish a higher fee for: (1) Such number plates which contain letters in place of
numbers as authorized by section 14-49, in addition to the fee or fees prescribed for
plates issued under said section; and (2) such number plates which are low number
plates, in accordance with section 14-160, in addition to the fee or fees prescribed for
plates issued under said section. The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles shall establish,
by regulations adopted in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, an additional
voluntary lighthouse preservation donation which shall be deposited in the Connecticut
Lighthouse Preservation account established under section 22a-27n*. All fees established and collected pursuant to this section shall be deposited in the Long Island Sound
account established pursuant to section 22a-27v.
(c) Except as provided by subsection (d) of this section, no additional renewal fee
shall be charged for renewal of registration for any motor vehicle bearing Long Island
Sound commemorative number plates which contain letters in place of numbers, or low
number plates, in excess of the renewal fee for Long Island Sound commemorative
number plates with letters and numbers selected by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles. No transfer fee shall be charged for transfer of an existing registration to or from
a registration with Long Island Sound commemorative number plates.
(d) The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles may request an additional voluntary donation of fifteen dollars at the time of registration renewal for any motor vehicle bearing
a Long Island Sound commemorative number plate. Five dollars of the donation may
be dedicated to the administrative costs of the Department of Motor Vehicles. Ten dollars
of such donation shall be deposited in the habitat restoration matching subaccount,
established pursuant to section 22a-27v.
(e) The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles, in consultation with the Commissioner
of Energy and Environmental Protection, shall adopt regulations, in accordance with
the provisions of chapter 54, to establish standards and procedures for the issuance,
renewal and replacement of Long Island Sound commemorative number plates.
(P.A. 92-133, S. 4, 9; P.A. 97-221, S. 2; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3, S. 392; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-7, S. 187; P.A. 11-80, S. 1; 11-246, S. 1.)
*Note: Section 22a-27n was repealed effective October 1, 2009, by section 513 of public act 09-3 of the June special
session.
History: P.A. 97-221 amended Subsec. (b) to add provision re voluntary lighthouse preservation donation; June Sp.
Sess. P.A. 09-3 amended Subsec. (b) to require deposit of fees in General Fund, rather than Long Island Sound account;
Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-7 amended Subsec. (b) to require deposit of fees into Long Island Sound account established
pursuant to Sec. 22a-27v, rather than General Fund, effective October 5, 2009; pursuant to P.A. 11-80, "Commissioner of
Environmental Protection" was changed editorially by the Revisors to "Commissioner of Energy and Environmental
Protection" in Subsecs. (a) and (b), effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 11-246 amended Subsec. (c) to add exception re new
Subsec. (d), added new Subsec. (d) re voluntary habitat restoration donation and redesignated existing Subsec. (d) as
Subsec. (e), effective July 13, 2011.
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Sec. 14-22. Expiration and renewal. (a) A motor vehicle registration issued pursuant to this chapter shall expire in accordance with schedules established by the commissioner. If the expiration date of the registration of the motor vehicle, except the
registration of a motor vehicle used to transport passengers for hire, falls on any day
when offices of the commissioner are closed for business, the registration shall be
deemed valid for the operation of the motor vehicle until midnight of the next day
on which offices of the commissioner are open for business. The commissioner shall
prescribe the date and manner of renewing registrations. Not less than forty-five days
prior to the expiration of any valid registration, the department shall send or transmit,
in such manner as the commissioner determines, an application for renewal to the registrant. In the case of a motor vehicle registered to a leasing company licensed pursuant to
section 14-15, the department may send or transmit, in such manner as the commissioner
determines, an application for renewal of a leased vehicle to the lessee of such vehicle.
The commissioner shall not be required to send or transmit a registrant's or lessee's
application by mail if the United States Postal Service has determined that mail is undeliverable to such person at the address for such person that is in the records of the
department. Except for the processing of such application at an official emissions inspection station as provided in subsection (b) of this section or by telephone as provided in
subsection (c) of this section, the commissioner may require that the application be
returned electronically or by mail in order to be processed and approved, with only
such exceptions, on a hardship basis, as shall be established by the commissioner in
regulations adopted pursuant to chapter 54.
(b) The commissioner may provide for the renewal of passenger registrations at
official emissions inspection stations established pursuant to chapter 246a in accordance
with schedules established by him which shall provide that expirations of registrations
and emissions stickers occur on the same date. The commissioner may employ the
services of the independent contractor which operates the system of official emissions
inspection stations to process such applications for renewal in accordance with standards
and procedures established by the commissioner.
(c) The commissioner may provide for the renewal of the registration of any motor
vehicle by means of a telephone request and order by the registrant. The commissioner
may charge a service fee of five dollars, in addition to the fee prescribed for the renewal
of the registration, for each application for renewal processed by telephone. Such service
fee shall be used to cover the costs incurred in processing such applications. Any funds
in excess of those necessary for the processing of such applications shall be deposited
in the General Fund. Each registrant who elects to renew by telephone shall sign the
certificate of registration, attesting to the information contained therein under penalty
of false statement, as provided in section 53a-157b, when the certificate is issued by the
commissioner. Any such certificate which is not signed shall be void. The commissioner
may employ the services of an independent contractor or contractors to process such
applications for renewal and provide any equipment or system necessary for such
purpose.
(d) If the adoption of a staggered system results in the expiration of any registration
more than two years from its issuance, a prorated amount of the registration fee paid
shall be charged in addition to the biennial fee.
(1949 Rev., S. 2367; 1955, S. 1292d; November, 1955, S. N163; 1957, P.A. 255; 1959, P.A. 657, S. 2; 1961, P.A. 233,
S. 4; 286; February, 1965, P.A. 561; 1971, P.A. 522; P.A. 73-101; P.A. 76-338, S. 2, 8; P.A. 77-343, S. 3, 5; P.A. 80-466,
S. 8, 9, 25; P.A. 84-429, S. 12; P.A. 85-115; 85-613, S. 135, 154; P.A. 87-329, S. 22, 23; P.A. 90-263, S. 45, 74; P.A. 92-156, S. 1, 7; P.A. 93-341, S. 4, 38; P.A. 95-260, S. 7, 24; P.A. 10-110, S. 5; P.A. 11-213, S. 9.)
History: 1959 act changed expiration of registrations from uniform date to staggered system; 1961 acts added Subsec.
(b) and made technical changes in Subsec. (a); 1965 act added end-of-month requirement to expiration schedules; 1971
act added proviso in Subsec. (a) continuing registrations which expire on Saturday, Sunday or holiday to next open business
day of state offices; P.A. 73-101 clarified proviso by replacing reference to weekends and holidays with "any day when
offices of the commissioner are closed for business" and replacing reference to next open day of state offices with next
open day of "offices of the commissioner", reflecting fact that motor vehicles offices maintain different operating schedule;
P.A. 76-338 replaced "July" with "August" and "August" with "September" in Subsec. (b) and added Subsec. (c) re property
tax validation; P.A. 77-343 deleted Subsec. (c); P.A. 80-466 amended Subsec. (a) to include reference to single plate and
to biennial rather than annual registrations; P.A. 84-429 rephrased provisions and made other technical changes; P.A. 85-115 amended Subsec. (b), providing that a service bus registration issued before September first is valid August fifteenth
or the date of issue, whichever is later; P.A. 85-613 changed effective date of P.A. 85-115 from October 1, 1985, to July
1, 1985; P.A. 87-329 amended Subsec. (a) to permit motor vehicle registrations to expire on the fifteenth day of the month
indicated on the sticker, effective July 1, 1988; P.A. 90-263 amended Subsec. (a) to substitute phrase motor vehicle used
to transport passengers for hire for public service motor vehicle; P.A. 92-156 amended Subsec. (a) to eliminate requirement
that schedules established by the commissioner provide that expirations occur on fifteenth or last day of month indicated
on sticker, to require renewal applications to be mailed not less than 45 days prior to expiration, to permit commissioner
to require that applications be returned by mail, with exceptions based on hardship established in regulations, and to
authorize commissioner to provide for registration renewal at emissions inspection stations; P.A. 93-341 deleted Subsec.
(b) re expiration and issuance dates for service buses, amending Subsec. (a) to delete reference to Subsec. (b), effective
July 1, 1994; P.A. 95-260 divided the section into Subsecs., amended Subsec. (a) to add an exception to return of renewal
application by mail for processing of such application at an emissions inspection station or by telephone, amended Subsec.
(b) to make technical changes and to allow commissioner to employ the services of the independent contractor which
operates emissions inspection stations to process applications for passenger registration renewal in accordance with established procedures and inserted new language as Subsec. (c) allowing commissioner to provide for renewal of registration
of any motor vehicle by telephone request and order and to charge service fee of $5 for such renewal and specifying
administrative procedures for such renewal, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 10-110 amended Subsec. (a) to authorize department to mail renewal application to lessee of leased vehicle registered to leasing company and make a technical change,
effective July 1, 2010; P.A. 11-213 amended Subsec. (a) to replace provisions re mailing of renewal applications with
provisions re sending or transmittal of renewal applications in such manner as commissioner determines, authorize electronic return requirement and exempt commissioner from sending application by mail if mail is undeliverable, effective
July 1, 2011.
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Sec. 14-33. Renewal of registration denied for failure to pay motor vehicle
property tax or fines for parking violations. Collection of delinquent property tax
by commissioner. Issuance of temporary registrations by city, town, borough or
other taxing district. (a) Subject to the provisions of subsection (e) of this section, if
any property tax, or any installment thereof, laid by any city, town, borough or other
taxing district upon a registered motor vehicle or snowmobile remains unpaid, the tax
collector of such city, town, borough or other taxing district shall notify the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles of such delinquency in accordance with listings and schedules
of dates established by the commissioner and on forms prescribed and furnished by the
commissioner, specifying the name and address of the person against whom such tax
has been assessed, the date when such tax was due and the registration number, if known
to the collector. The commissioner shall not issue registration for such motor vehicle
or snowmobile for the next registration period if, according to the commissioner's records, it is then owned by the person against whom such tax has been assessed or by any
person to whom such vehicle has not been transferred by bona fide sale. Unless notice
has been received by the commissioner under the provisions of section 14-33a, no such
registration shall be issued until a receipt evidencing the payment of such tax or certificate of abatement of such tax or other satisfactory evidence that the tax obligation has
been legally discharged has been presented to the commissioner; nor shall the commissioner register any other motor vehicle or snowmobile in the name of such person until
a receipt evidencing the payment of such tax or a certificate of abatement of such tax
or other satisfactory evidence that the tax obligation has been legally discharged has
been presented to the commissioner, except that the commissioner may continue to
register other vehicles owned by a leasing or rental firm licensed pursuant to section
14-15, if the commissioner is satisfied that arrangements have been made to discharge
such tax obligation, and may issue such registration to any private owner of three or
more paratransit vehicles in direct proportion to the percentage of total tax due on such
vehicles which has been paid and notice of payment on which has been received. The
Commissioner of Motor Vehicles may immediately suspend all motor vehicle or snowmobile registrations issued in the name of any person (1) who has been reported as
delinquent and whose registration was renewed through an error or through the production of false evidence that the delinquent tax had been paid, or (2) who has been reported
by a tax collector as having paid a property tax on a motor vehicle or snowmobile with
a check which was dishonored by a bank and such tax remains unpaid. Any person
aggrieved by any action of the commissioner under this section may appeal therefrom in
the manner provided in section 14-134. For the purposes of this subsection, "paratransit
vehicle" means a motor bus, taxicab or motor vehicle in livery service operated under
a certificate of convenience and necessity issued by the Department of Transportation
or by a transit district and which is on call or demand or used for the transportation of
passengers for hire.
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles, in consultation with the Treasurer and the Secretary of the
Office of Policy and Management, may enter into an agreement with the tax collector
of any city, town, borough or other taxing district whereby the commissioner shall collect
any property tax or any installment thereof on a registered motor vehicle which remains
unpaid from any person against whom such tax has been assessed who makes application
for registration for such motor vehicle. Each such agreement shall include a procedure
for the remission of taxes collected to the city, town, borough or other taxing district,
on a regular basis, and may provide that a fee be paid by the city, town, borough or other
taxing district to the commissioner to cover any costs associated with the administration
of the agreement. In the event an agreement is in effect, the commissioner shall immediately issue a registration for a motor vehicle owned by a person against whom such tax
has been assessed upon receipt of payment of such tax and a service fee of two dollars,
in addition to the fee prescribed for the renewal of the registration.
(c) On and after March 1, 1989, any municipality may participate in a program
administered by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles to facilitate the payment of fines
for parking violations. If any such municipality elects to participate in such program, it
shall provide for a notice of violation to be served personally upon the operator of a
motor vehicle who is present at the time of service. If the operator is not present, the
notice shall be served upon the owner of the motor vehicle by affixing notice to said
vehicle in a conspicuous place. In the case of any motor vehicle that is leased or rented
by the owner, not more than thirty days after the initial notice of a parking violation for
which a fine remains unpaid at such time, a second notice of violation shall be mailed
to the address of record of the owner leasing or renting the motor vehicle to such operator.
No fines or penalties shall accrue to the owner of such rented or leased vehicle for the
violation for a period of sixty days after the second notice is mailed. Upon receipt of
such notification, the owner of such rented or leased vehicle may notify the municipality
as to whom the lessee was at the time of such issuance of the notice of violation, the
lessee's address, motor vehicle operator's license number and state of issuance, and the
municipality shall issue such notice of violation to such lessee. A participating municipality shall notify the commissioner of every owner of a registered motor vehicle who
has unpaid fines for more than five parking violations committed within such municipality on and after March 1, 1989. Upon receipt of such notification, the commissioner
shall not issue or renew the motor vehicle registration of such person until he receives
notification from such municipality that the delinquent fines have been paid.
(d) The provisions of subsection (c) of this section shall not apply to any person,
firm or corporation engaged in the business of leasing or renting motor vehicles without
drivers in this state with respect to any motor vehicle which is leased or rented. The
commissioner shall adopt regulations, in accordance with chapter 54, to implement the
provisions of subsection (c) of this section.
(e) On and after July 1, 2004, each city and town shall make an annual payment to
the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles, in an amount determined by the Secretary of the
Office of Policy and Management, in order to participate in the program administered
by the Department of Motor Vehicles pursuant to subsection (a) of this section. Such
amount shall be each city or town's proportionate cost of the administration of said
program, to be determined as follows: The number obtained by multiplying said program's administrative cost by a fraction the numerator of which shall be the city or
town's population and the denominator of which shall be the population of the state.
As used in this section, "population" means the number of persons in the city or town
according to the most recent estimate made, pursuant to section 19a-2a, by the Department of Public Health. The commissioner shall, on or before July fifteenth, annually,
certify to said secretary the commissioner's cost to administer said program. The secretary shall, on or before August first, annually, notify the chief executive officer of each
city and town of the amount such city or town is required to pay to the commissioner
and such amount shall be payable not later than September first following said notification date. All amounts received by the commissioner pursuant to this subsection shall
be deposited into the General Fund. If a city or town fails to annually pay its proportionate
share of said program's administrative cost, the commissioner shall not be required to
deny the issuance of a registration, pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, to the
person against whom such tax has been assessed by said city or town, or by a borough
or other taxing district located therein.
(f) Any city, town, borough or other taxing district that notifies the commissioner
of (1) a delinquency in accordance with subsection (a) of this section, or (2) an owner
of a registered motor vehicle who has unpaid fines for more than five parking violations
in accordance with subsection (c) of this section, may participate in a program to issue
temporary registrations for passenger motor vehicles on behalf of the commissioner to
persons whose registrations have been denied, and who subsequently make full payment
to the city, town, borough or other taxing district for the amounts owed under said
subsections. A participating city, town, borough or other taxing district shall issue such
temporary registrations in accordance with subsection (i) of section 14-12 and shall
retain the fees authorized in subsection (n) of section 14-49 for such registrations. The
commissioner may adopt regulations in accordance with chapter 54 to carry out the
provisions of this subsection.
(1949 Rev., S. 2375; 1959, P.A. 455; 1961, P.A. 233, S. 6; 1967, P.A. 48; 448, S. 2; 1969, P.A. 752, S. 15; P.A. 78-348, S. 1, 6; P.A. 79-566; 79-610, S. 9, 20; 79-631, S. 20, 111; P.A. 80-372, S. 2; P.A. 88-346, S. 1, 2; P.A. 93-341, S. 8;
P.A. 95-260, S. 8, 24; P.A. 96-167, S. 4; P.A. 03-264, S. 5; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-1, S. 102; P.A. 04-126, S. 2; P.A.
07-88, S. 1; P.A. 11-48, S. 26.)
History: 1959 act added taxing districts to section; 1961 act authorized commissioner to establish listings and dates for
notification rather than date set by statute; 1967 acts removed specifications of tax amount, year and model of vehicle and
engine number from form contents and added reference to issuance of registration without receipt of tax payment if notice
under provisions of Sec. 14-33a has been received; 1969 act included snowmobiles under provisions of section; P.A. 78-348 allowed commissioner to suspend registrations when registration renewed because of error or false statement that
delinquent tax was paid or when check for payment of tax is not honored by bank; P.A. 79-566 included provisions re
paratransit vehicles; P.A. 79-610 and 80-372 authorized substitution of department of transportation for division of public
utility control in provision re paratransit vehicles; P.A. 79-631 made technical change; P.A. 88-346 added Subsec. (b) re
establishment of a voluntary program to facilitate payment of fines for parking violations, requiring denial of registration
for failure to pay such fines; P.A. 93-341 amended Subsec. (a) by adding a provision that the commissioner may "continue
to register other vehicles owned by a leasing or rental firm licensed pursuant to section 14-15, if he is satisfied that
arrangements have been made to discharge" outstanding tax obligations; P.A. 95-260 amended Subsec. (b) to allow any
municipality, regardless of size of population, to participate in the voluntary program to facilitate payment of fines for
parking violations; P.A. 96-167 inserted new Subsec. (b) authorizing commissioner to enter into agreement with tax
collector whereby commissioner shall collect delinquent motor vehicle property tax and immediately issue registration
upon receipt of payment of such tax and relettered former Subsec. (b) as (c); P.A. 03-264 made a technical change in
Subsec. (a), divided provisions of Subsec. (c) into Subsecs. (c) and (d), added provisions in Subsec. (c) re notice of violation
and period during which penalties will not accrue for violation, and made technical changes in Subsec. (d); June 30 Sp.
Sess. P.A. 03-1 amended Subsec. (a) to provide for a fee to be paid by municipalities upon notice to commissioner of
delinquent tax due and to make technical changes, effective August 16, 2003; P.A. 04-126 amended Subsec. (a) to delete
fee for the reporting of delinquent property taxes to the commissioner and to make a conforming change, and added Subsec.
(e) requiring municipalities to pay the costs of the delinquent tax reporting program, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 07-88
amended Subsec. (c) by adding provision re notification to municipality by owner of rented or leased vehicle providing
information re the lessee of such vehicle at the time of issuance of the notice of violation, and issuance of notice of violation
to lessee, effective July 1, 2007; P.A. 11-48 added Subsec. (f) authorizing cities, towns, boroughs or other taxing districts
to issue temporary registrations for passenger motor vehicles upon payment of unpaid parking fines, effective July 1, 2011.
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Sec. 14-34a. Reciprocal agreements apportioning the registration of commercial vehicles. (a) The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles is authorized to enter into reciprocal agreements or plans on behalf of the state of Connecticut with the appropriate
authorities of any of the states of the United States, the District of Columbia, or any
state or province of any country providing for the registration of commercial vehicles
on an apportionment or allocation basis, and may, in the exercise of this authority, enter
into and become a member of the International Registration Plan developed by the
American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators. Any such reciprocal agreement
or plan may provide for but shall not be limited to the following: (1) Full reciprocity in
accordance with such agreement or plan for commercial vehicles not based in Connecticut, operated solely in interstate commerce and of specified types or gross or unladen
weights, in exchange for equivalent reciprocity for Connecticut based commercial vehicles; (2) reciprocal exchange of audits of records of the owners of such commercial
vehicles by the states participating in any such agreement or plan; (3) any other matters
which would facilitate the administration of such agreement or plan, including exchange
of information for audits, enforcement activities and collection and disbursement of
proportional registration fees for other jurisdictions in the case of Connecticut based
commercial vehicles.
(b) Any reciprocity agreement, arrangement or declaration relating to commercial
vehicles in effect between this state and any jurisdiction not a party to such reciprocal
agreement or plan, or which relates to any matters not covered in such reciprocal
agreement or plan shall continue in force and effect until specifically amended or revoked as provided by law.
(c) Notwithstanding any such agreement or plan, (1) any such commercial vehicle
garaged at any fixed location or which leaves from and returns to one or more points
within this state in the normal course of operations, shall be taxable in this state as
personal property in the town where such vehicle is garaged; (2) registration shall be
denied any such vehicle if any personal property taxes are unpaid with respect to such
vehicle, as provided in section 14-33; (3) any such vehicle based in this state shall be
subject to the provisions of sections 14-12, 14-15, 14-15a, 14-16a and chapter 247.
(d) At such time as the state of Connecticut may enter into and become a member
of the International Registration Plan pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, the
provisions of said plan, as it may be amended from time to time, which are concerned
with the registration of any vehicle or the fees which relate to any such registration
shall control whenever any special act or any provision of the general statutes, except
subsection (c) of this section, conflicts with any provision of said plan. A copy of the
plan, as it may be amended from time to time, shall be maintained on file by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles at the main office of the department, and shall be available
for public inspection.
(e) Any commercial vehicle that is required to be registered in another jurisdiction
shall not operate on any highway of the state without being so registered. Any commercial vehicle that is registered in any other jurisdiction and is eligible for registration on
an apportionment basis shall not be operated on any highway without such registration
or a seventy-two-hour trip permit registration issued by the commissioner. Any person
who owns any motor vehicle operated in violation of this subsection shall be fined five
hundred dollars for the first offense, and for each subsequent offense, not less than one
thousand dollars nor more than two thousand dollars, except if the motor vehicle has a
gross vehicle weight rating of more than sixty thousand pounds, such owner shall be
fined one thousand dollars for the first offense, and for each subsequent offense, not
less than two thousand dollars nor more than four thousand dollars.
(P.A. 76-107, S. 1, 2; P.A. 78-222; P.A. 96-167, S. 5; P.A. 08-150, S. 6; P.A. 11-213, S. 10.)
History: P.A. 78-222 added Subsec. (d) re effect of International Registration Plan on fees; P.A. 96-167 added Subsec.
(e) re registration requirements for commercial vehicles registered in any other jurisdiction and eligible for registration on
apportionment basis; P.A. 08-150 amended Subsec. (d) to add reference to the plan "as it may be amended from time to
time" and require a copy of the plan to be maintained on file by commissioner at the main office of department and be
available for public inspection; P.A. 11-213 amended Subsec. (e) to prohibit operation of unregistered commercial vehicle
required to be registered in another jurisdiction and to change "gross weight" to "gross vehicle weight rating", effective
July 1, 2011.
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Sec. 14-35a. Restrictions on owner of motor vehicle with suspended registration. Prohibitions on operation of motor vehicle by motor carrier. Penalties. (a) In
any case where the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles is authorized or required by any
section of this title to suspend the registration of a motor vehicle, the commissioner
may, for the period that is specified for such suspension, suspend the privilege of the
owner to transfer such suspended registration, to register any other motor vehicle or, in
the case of a nonresident, to operate any motor vehicle on the highways of this state.
(b) No motor carrier, as defined in 49 CFR Section 390.5, as amended from time
to time, shall operate any motor vehicle on the highways of this state, or knowingly
permit such operation of any motor vehicle, the registration of which has been suspended
or revoked by the commissioner, or by any federal agency acting pursuant to any provision of federal law.
(c) No motor carrier, as defined in 49 CFR Section 390.5, as amended from time
to time, shall operate or cause to be operated any motor vehicle on the highways of this
state if: (1) The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has issued an order pursuant to 49 CFR Part 385 or 386, as amended from time to time, that prohibits such motor
carrier from operating; or (2) such motor carrier is operating without operating authority
or beyond the scope of such authority pursuant to 49 CFR Section 392.9a, as amended
from time to time.
(d) Any motor carrier who violates the provisions of subsection (b) or (c) of this
section shall, for a first offense, be fined not less than five hundred dollars or more than
one thousand dollars, or imprisoned not more than ninety days, or both, and, for any
subsequent offense, be fined not less than one thousand dollars or more than two thousand dollars, or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.
(P.A. 04-217, S. 21; P.A. 09-187, S. 23; P.A. 11-213, S. 11.)
History: P.A. 04-217 effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 09-187 designated existing provisions as Subsec. (a) and added
Subsecs. (b) and (c) re motor carriers; P.A. 11-213 made a technical change in Subsec. (b), added new Subsec. (c) prohibiting
motor carrier operation in violation of federal law and redesignated existing Subsec. (c) as Subsec. (d) and amended same
to add reference to new Subsec. (c), effective July 1, 2011.
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(B)
OPERATORS' LICENSES
Sec. 14-36. Motor vehicle operator's license. Learner's permit. Limited license. Requirements. Driving history record check. Penalty. Regulations. (a) Motor vehicle operator's license required for operation of motor vehicle. Except as
otherwise provided by this section and section 14-40a, no person shall operate a motor
vehicle on any public highway of this state or private road on which a speed limit has
been established in accordance with subsection (a) of section 14-218a until such person
has obtained a motor vehicle operator's license.
(b) Instruction of persons eighteen years of age or older. Out-of-state license
holders. Minimum age. (1) A person eighteen years of age or older may operate a
motor vehicle without a motor vehicle operator's license if (A) such person has not had
a Connecticut motor vehicle operator's license suspended or revoked, and (B) such
person is under the instruction of, and accompanied by, a person who holds an instructor's license issued under the provisions of section 14-73 or a person twenty years of
age or older who has been licensed to operate, for at least four years preceding the
instruction, a motor vehicle of the same class as the motor vehicle being operated and
who has not had his or her motor vehicle operator's license suspended by the commissioner during the four-year period preceding the instruction. (2) A person holding a
valid out-of-state motor vehicle operator's license may operate a motor vehicle for a
period of thirty days following such person's establishment of residence in Connecticut,
if the motor vehicle is of the same class as that for which his or her out-of-state motor
vehicle operator's license was issued. (3) No person may cause or permit the operation
of a motor vehicle by a person under sixteen years of age.
(c) Learner's permit. (1) On or after January 1, 1997, a person who is sixteen or
seventeen years of age and who has not had a motor vehicle operator's license or right
to operate a motor vehicle in this state suspended or revoked may apply to the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles for a learner's permit. The commissioner may issue a learner's
permit to an applicant after the applicant has passed a vision screening and test as to
knowledge of the laws concerning motor vehicles and the rules of the road, has paid the
fee required by subsection (v) of section 14-49 and has filed a certificate, in such form
as the commissioner prescribes, requesting or consenting to the issuance of the learner's
permit and the motor vehicle operator's license, signed by (A) one or both parents or
foster parents of the applicant, as the commissioner requires, (B) the legal guardian of
the applicant, (C) the applicant's spouse, if the spouse is eighteen years of age or older,
or (D) if the applicant has no qualified spouse and such applicant's parent or foster
parent or legal guardian is deceased, incapable, domiciled without the state or otherwise
unavailable or unable to sign or file the certificate, the applicant's stepparent, grandparent, or uncle or aunt by blood or marriage, provided such person is eighteen years of
age or older. The commissioner may, for the more efficient administration of the commissioner's duties, appoint any drivers' school licensed in accordance with the provisions of section 14-69 or any secondary school providing instruction in motor vehicle
operation and highway safety in accordance with section 14-36e to issue a learner's
permit, subject to such standards and requirements as the commissioner may prescribe
in regulations adopted in accordance with chapter 54. Each learner's permit shall expire
on the date the holder of the permit is issued a motor vehicle operator's license or on
the date the holder attains the age of eighteen years, whichever is earlier. (2) The learner's
permit shall entitle the holder, while such holder has the permit in his or her immediate
possession, to operate a motor vehicle on the public highways, provided such holder is
under the instruction of, and accompanied by, a person who holds an instructor's license
issued under the provisions of section 14-73 or a person twenty years of age or older
who has been licensed to operate, for at least four years preceding the instruction, a
motor vehicle of the same class as the motor vehicle being operated and who has not
had his or her motor vehicle operator's license suspended by the commissioner during
the four-year period preceding the instruction. (3) Unless the holder of the permit is
under the instruction of and accompanied by a person who holds an instructor's license
issued under the provisions of section 14-73, no passenger in addition to the person
providing instruction shall be transported unless such passenger is a parent or legal
guardian of the holder of the permit. (4) The holder of a learner's permit who (A) is an
active member of a certified ambulance service, as defined in section 19a-175, (B)
has commenced an emergency vehicle operator's course that conforms to the national
standard curriculum developed by the United States Department of Transportation, and
(C) has had state and national criminal history records checks conducted by the certified
ambulance service or by the municipality in which such ambulance service is provided,
shall be exempt from the provisions of subdivisions (2) and (3) of this subsection only
when such holder is en route to or from the location of the ambulance for purposes of
responding to an emergency call. (5) The commissioner may revoke any learner's permit
used in violation of the limitations imposed by subdivision (2) or (3) of this subsection.
(d) Operator's license requirements for persons sixteen or seventeen years of
age. (1) No motor vehicle operator's license shall be issued to any applicant who is
sixteen or seventeen years of age unless the applicant has held a learner's permit and
has satisfied the requirements specified in this subsection. The applicant shall (A) present
to the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles a certificate of the successful completion (i) in
a public secondary school, a state vocational school or a private secondary school of a
full course of study in motor vehicle operation prepared as provided in section 14-36e,
(ii) of training of similar nature provided by a licensed drivers' school approved by
the commissioner, or (iii) of home training in accordance with subdivision (2) of this
subsection, including, in each case, or by a combination of such types of training, successful completion of: Not less than twenty clock hours of behind-the-wheel, on-the-road instruction for applicants to whom a learner's permit is issued before August 1,
2008; and not less than forty clock hours of behind-the-wheel, on-the-road instruction
for applicants to whom a learner's permit is issued on or after August 1, 2008; (B)
present to the commissioner a certificate of the successful completion of a course of not
less than eight hours relative to safe driving practices, including a minimum of four
hours on the nature and the medical, biological and physiological effects of alcohol and
drugs and their impact on the operator of a motor vehicle, the dangers associated with
the operation of a motor vehicle after the consumption of alcohol or drugs by the operator,
the problems of alcohol and drug abuse and the penalties for alcohol and drug-related
motor vehicle violations; and (C) pass an examination which may include a comprehensive test as to knowledge of the laws concerning motor vehicles and the rules of the
road in addition to the test required under subsection (c) of this section and shall include
an on-the-road skills test as prescribed by the commissioner. At the time of application
and examination for a motor vehicle operator's license, an applicant sixteen or seventeen
years of age shall have held a learner's permit for not less than one hundred eighty
days, except that an applicant who presents a certificate under subparagraph (A)(i) or
subparagraph (A)(ii) of this subdivision shall have held a learner's permit for not less
than one hundred twenty days and an applicant who is undergoing training and instruction by the handicapped driver training unit in accordance with the provisions of section
14-11b shall have held such permit for the period of time required by said unit. The
Commissioner of Motor Vehicles shall approve the content of the safe driving instruction
at drivers' schools, high schools and other secondary schools. Subject to such standards
and requirements as the commissioner may impose, the commissioner may authorize
any drivers' school, licensed in good standing in accordance with the provisions of
section 14-69, or secondary school driver education program authorized pursuant to the
provisions of section 14-36e, to administer the comprehensive test as to knowledge
of the laws concerning motor vehicles and the rules of the road, required pursuant to
subparagraph (C) of this subdivision, as part of the safe driving practices course required
pursuant to subparagraph (B) of this subdivision, and to certify to the commissioner,
under oath, the results of each such test administered. Such hours of instruction required
by this subdivision shall be included as part of or in addition to any existing instruction
programs. Any fee charged for the course required under subparagraph (B) of this subdivision shall not exceed one hundred twenty-five dollars, unless the comprehensive test
as to knowledge of the laws concerning motor vehicles and the rules of the road is also
administered, in which case the fee shall not exceed one hundred fifty dollars. Any
applicant sixteen or seventeen years of age who, while a resident of another state, completed the course required in subparagraph (A) of this subdivision, but did not complete
the safe driving course required in subparagraph (B) of this subdivision, shall complete
the safe driving course. The commissioner may waive any requirement in this subdivision, except for that in subparagraph (C) of this subdivision, in the case of an applicant
sixteen or seventeen years of age who holds a valid motor vehicle operator's license
issued by any other state, provided the commissioner is satisfied that the applicant has
received training and instruction of a similar nature. (2) The commissioner may accept
as evidence of sufficient training under subparagraph (A) of subdivision (1) of this
subsection home training as evidenced by a written statement signed by the spouse of
a married minor applicant, or by a parent, grandparent, foster parent or legal guardian
of an applicant which states that the applicant has obtained a learner's permit and has
successfully completed a driving course taught by the person signing the statement, that
the signer has had an operator's license for at least four years preceding the date of the
statement, and that the signer has not had such license suspended by the commissioner
for at least four years preceding the date of the statement or, if the applicant has no
spouse, parent, grandparent, foster parent or guardian so qualified and available to give
the instruction, a statement signed by the applicant's stepparent, brother, sister, uncle
or aunt, by blood or marriage, provided the person signing the statement is qualified.
(3) If the commissioner requires a written test of any applicant under this section, the
test shall be given in English or Spanish at the option of the applicant, provided the
commissioner shall require that the applicant shall have sufficient understanding of
English for the interpretation of traffic control signs. (4) The Commissioner of Motor
Vehicles may adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, to
implement the purposes of this subsection concerning the requirements for behind-the-wheel, on-the-road instruction, the content of safe driving instruction at drivers' schools,
high schools and other secondary schools, and the administration and certification of
required testing.
(e) Requirements for issuance of operator's license. (1) No motor vehicle operator's license shall be issued until (A) the applicant signs and files with the commissioner
an application under oath, or made subject to penalties for false statement in accordance
with section 53a-157b, and (B) the commissioner is satisfied that the applicant is sixteen
years of age or older and is a suitable person to receive the license. (2) An applicant for
a new motor vehicle operator's license shall, in the discretion of the commissioner, file,
with the application, a copy of such applicant's birth certificate or other prima facie
evidence of date of birth and evidence of identity. (3) Before granting a license to any
applicant who has not previously held a Connecticut motor vehicle operator's license,
or who has not operated a motor vehicle during the preceding two years, the commissioner shall require the applicant to demonstrate personally to the commissioner, a deputy or a motor vehicle inspector or an agent of the commissioner, in such manner as the
commissioner directs, that the applicant is a proper person to operate motor vehicles of
the class for which such applicant has applied, has sufficient knowledge of the mechanism of the motor vehicles to ensure their safe operation by him or her and has satisfactory knowledge of the laws concerning motor vehicles and the rules of the road. The
knowledge test of an applicant for a class D motor vehicle operator's license may be
administered in such form as the commissioner deems appropriate, including audio,
electronic or written testing. Such knowledge test shall be administered in English,
Spanish or any language spoken at home by at least one per cent of the state's population,
according to statistics prepared by the United States Census Bureau, based on the most
recent decennial census. If any such applicant has held a license from a state, territory
or possession of the United States where a similar examination is required, or if any
such applicant is a person honorably separated from the United States armed forces who
applies within two years following the separation and who, prior to the separation, held
a military operator's license for motor vehicles of the same class as that for which such
applicant has applied, the commissioner may waive part or all of the examination. When
the commissioner is satisfied as to the ability and competency of any applicant, the
commissioner may issue to such applicant a license, either unlimited or containing such
limitations as the commissioner deems advisable, and specifying the class of motor
vehicles which the licensee is eligible to operate. (4) If any applicant or operator license
holder has any health problem which might affect such person's ability to operate a
motor vehicle safely, the commissioner may require the applicant or license holder to
demonstrate personally or otherwise establish that, notwithstanding such problem, such
applicant or license holder is a proper person to operate a motor vehicle, and the commissioner may further require a certificate of such applicant's condition, signed by a medical
authority designated by the commissioner, which certificate shall in all cases be treated
as confidential by the commissioner. A license, containing such limitation as the commissioner deems advisable, may be issued or renewed in any case, but nothing in this
section shall be construed to prevent the commissioner from refusing a license, either
limited or unlimited, to any person or suspending a license of a person whom the commissioner determines to be incapable of safely operating a motor vehicle. Consistent with
budgetary allotments, each motor vehicle operator's license issued to or renewed by a
deaf or hearing impaired person shall, upon the request of such person, indicate such
impairment. Such person shall submit a certificate stating such impairment, in such form
as the commissioner may require and signed by a licensed health care practitioner. (5)
The issuance of a motor vehicle operator's license to any applicant who is the holder
of a license issued by another state shall be subject to the provisions of sections 14-111c
and 14-111k.
(f) Limited license. No person issued a limited license shall operate (1) a motor
vehicle in violation of the limitations imposed by such license, or (2) any motor vehicle
other than the motor vehicle for which such person's right to operate is limited.
(g) Ignition interlock device. The commissioner may place a restriction on the
motor vehicle operator's license of any person or on any special operator's permit issued
to any person in accordance with the provisions of section 14-37a that restricts the holder
of such license or permit to the operation of a motor vehicle that is equipped with an
approved ignition interlock device, as defined in section 14-227j, for such time as the
commissioner shall prescribe, if such person has been: (1) Convicted for a first or second
time of a violation of subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of section 14-227a, and has served
not less than forty-five days of the prescribed period of suspension for such conviction,
in accordance with the provisions of subsections (g) and (i) of section 14-227a; (2)
ordered by the Superior Court not to operate any motor vehicle unless it is equipped
with an approved ignition interlock device, in accordance with the provisions of section
14-227j; (3) granted a reversal or reduction of such person's license suspension or revocation, in accordance with the provisions of subsection (i) of section 14-111; (4) issued
a motor vehicle operator's license upon the surrender of an operator's license issued by
another state and such previously held license contains a restriction to the operation of
a motor vehicle equipped with an ignition interlock device; (5) convicted of a violation
of section 53a-56b or 53a-60d; or (6) permitted by the commissioner to be issued or to
retain an operator's license subject to reporting requirements concerning such person's
physical condition, in accordance with the provisions of subsection (e) of this section
and sections 14-45a to 14-46g, inclusive.
(h) Driving history record check. Before issuing a motor vehicle operator's license
in accordance with this section or section 14-44c, the commissioner shall request information from the National Driver Registry and the Commercial Driver License Information System, in accordance with the provisions of 49 CFR section 383.73. Each driving
history record shall contain a notation of the date on which such inquiry was made.
(i) Penalties. (1) Any person who violates any provision of this section shall, for
a first offense, be deemed to have committed an infraction and be fined not less than
seventy-five dollars or more than ninety dollars and, for any subsequent offense, shall
be fined not less than two hundred fifty dollars or more than three hundred fifty dollars
or be imprisoned not more than thirty days, or both.
(2) In addition to the penalty prescribed under subdivision (1) of this subsection, any
person who violates any provision of this section who (A) has, prior to the commission of
the present violation, committed a violation of this section or subsection (a) of section
14-215, shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars or sentenced to perform not
more than one hundred hours of community service, or (B) has, prior to the commission
of the present violation, committed two or more violations of this section or subsection
(a) of section 14-215, or any combination thereof, shall be sentenced to a term of imprisonment of one year, ninety days of which may not be suspended or reduced in any
manner.
(j) Regulations. The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles may adopt regulations, in
accordance with chapter 54, to implement the provisions of this section.
(1949 Rev., S. 2377; 1949, S. 1295d; 1953, S. 1296d; 1957, P.A. 117; 411; 437, S. 2; 599, S. 3; September, 1957, P.A.
23, S. 1; 1959, P.A. 309, S. 1; 1961, P.A. 481, S. 1; 1963, P.A. 150; 550, S. 2; February, 1965, P.A. 361, S. 3; 1967, P.A.
458, S. 3; 614, S. 1; 807, S. 3; 832, S. 4; 1969, P.A. 55, S. 1; 445, S. 1; 807, S. 1, 2; 1972, P.A. 127, S. 13; P.A. 73-507;
73-605, S. 1; P.A. 74-33; 74-36, S. 1; P.A. 76-263, S. 3, 9; P.A. 77-256, S. 1, 4; P.A. 79-7; P.A. 81-172, S. 17; P.A. 82-223, S. 9; P.A. 83-452; 83-491; 83-577, S. 15; P.A. 84-429, S. 15; 84-546, S. 40, 173; P.A. 86-90, S. 1; P.A. 89-242, S. 1,
7; P.A. 90-265, S. 1, 8; P.A. 91-13, S. 1, 3; P.A. 93-341, S. 9; P.A. 95-181, S. 2; P.A. 96-244, S. 35, 63; 96-248, S. 1, 4;
P.A. 97-1, S. 1, 4; 97-236, S. 24, 27; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-8, S. 73, 88; P.A. 02-70, S. 52, 66; P.A. 03-171, S. 1; 03-265, S. 20; P.A. 04-217, S. 2; 04-257, S. 22; P.A. 05-54, S. 1; 05-215, S. 3; 05-218, S. 20; P.A. 06-130, S. 2; 06-196, S.
281; P.A. 07-167, S. 20, 22; P.A. 08-32, S. 2, 3; 08-150, S. 57; P.A. 09-187, S. 2, 51; P.A. 11-48, S. 53; 11-51, S. 218; 11-213, S. 12, 13, 58.)
History: 1959 act added to Subsec. (a) provision for waiver of certificate requirement for persons eighteen to twenty-one in hardship cases; 1961 act added provisions re home training certificates to Subsec. (a); 1963 acts added provisions
for 60-day operation under out-of-state license and for request by spouse of minor applicant for issuance of license to such
applicant and for signing of home training certificate by such spouse to Subsec. (a); 1965 act added references to schools
in driver training course provisions in Subsec. (a); 1967 acts clarified provisions by referring to licenses for operation of
different classes of vehicles, deleted references to certificates of behind-the-wheel training from secondary or vocational
schools, added provision re filing birth certificate copy with application for license and added Subsec. (e) re definition of
motor vehicle; 1969 acts required instructor accompanying learning driver to be at least twenty-one and to have held license
for at least 2 years, allowed certificate of request, consent or instruction to be signed by stepparent, uncle or aunt under
certain conditions, added provision re written examination in English or Spanish and allowed waiver of part or all of
licensure examination for persons holding license from territory or possession of U.S.; 1972 act amended provisions to
reflect change in age of majority from 21 to 18; P.A. 73-507 specified that behind-the-wheel instruction by drivers' training
school be "given on the roads and highways of this state"; P.A. 73-605 allowed brother or sister to sign instruction certificate
and added requirement that brother, sister, stepparent, uncle or aunt sign certificate when spouse, parent or guardian is not
available to give instruction; P.A. 74-33 added special provision for waiver of examination when applicant recently serving
in armed forces and holding military license for class of vehicles he is applying for license to drive; P.A. 74-36 allowed
foster parents to sign certificates of request, consent or instruction; P.A. 76-263 made provisions of Subsec. (b) generally
applicable to applicants who have not held Connecticut license during the preceding 4, rather than 2, years; P.A. 77-256
repealed change in applicability provision of Subsec. (b) enacted in 1976 act; P.A. 79-7 substituted "on the road" instruction
for instruction "given on the roads and highways of this state" and allowed grandparents to sign instruction certificate;
P.A. 81-172 required an operator's license for driving on a private road with established speed limit; P.A. 82-223 amended
Subsec. (d) by specifying that the commission of a first offense constituted an infraction and establishing a minimum fine
therefor of $25; P.A. 83-452 amended Subsec. (a), eliminating the 30-day limitation on the right of a student driver to
operate a motor vehicle while under instruction; P.A. 83-491 amended Subsec. (b), providing that a license issued to or
renewed by a deaf or hearing impaired person on or after October 1, 1983, shall indicate such impairment upon that person's
request; P.A. 83-577 amended Subsec. (d) by increasing the minimum fine for a first offense from $25 to $35; P.A. 84-429 relettered Subsecs., rephrased provisions, transferred provision re license recall in Subsec. (d) to Sec. 14-38(a), a
provision re classifications in Subsec. (f) to Sec. 14-36a(c) and made other technical changes; P.A. 84-546 made technical
change, overridden in part by P.A. 84-429; P.A. 86-90 amended Subsec. (d)(2) to require signer of home training certificate
to hold operator's license for a minimum of 4 years, to eliminate reference to age of such signer and to provide that such
certificate be on file for 30 days before applicant may take examination; P.A. 89-242 amended Subsec. (d)(2) to require
applicants between 16 and 18 years old to present proof of successful completion of a course relative to safe driving and
alcohol and drug education and to authorize the motor vehicle commissioner to adopt regulations concerning the content
of safe driving instruction at drivers' schools; P.A. 90-265 amended Subsec. (e) to replace reference to applicant who
"suffers from any physical defect or from any disease" with reference to applicant or operator license holder who has any
health problem, and to authorize commissioner to suspend license of person determined to be incapable of safely operating
a motor vehicle; P.A. 91-13 amended Subsec. (e) to require each part of license examination to be conducted on same day
at same location; P.A. 93-341 amended Subsec. (b)(2) to reduce from 60 to 30 the number of days during which a person
holding a valid out-of-state motor vehicle operator's license could operate a motor vehicle following establishment of
residence in Connecticut, if the motor vehicle was of the same class as that for which his out-of-state motor vehicle
operator's license was issued; P.A. 95-181 amended Subsec. (g) by increasing the minimum fine for a first offense from
$35 to $75 and the maximum fine from $50 to $90, adding a minimum fine of $250 for any subsequent offense and
increasing the maximum fine from $100 to $350 for any such offense; P.A. 96-244 amended Subsec. (d) to transfer authority
for the content of safe driving instruction at high schools and other secondary schools from the Commissioner of Education
to the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles, effective July 1, 1996; P.A. 96-248 amended Subsec. (b) to eliminate provisions
authorizing person 16 years of age or older to operate a motor vehicle without license and requiring instructor to have full
control of motor vehicle and to authorize issuance of a learner's permit on or after January 1, 1997, to persons 16 or 17
years of age, amended Subsec. (c) to require applicant for a new motor vehicle operator's license to file evidence of identity
with application, amended Subsec. (d) to increase number of hours of behind-the-wheel, on-the-road instruction from six
to eight, to substitute "on-the-road skills test" for "examination", to increase length of time within which home training
certificate shall be on file with commissioner from 30 to 90 days and to insert references to "obtained a learner's permit"
where applicable and amended Subsec. (e) to eliminate requirement that each part of operator's license examination be
conducted on same day at same location, effective January 1, 1997; P.A. 97-1 restated the provisions of Subsecs. (b) to
(e), inclusive, amended Subsec. (b) to restore language allowing persons 18 years of age or older to operate motor vehicles
without an operator's license if they meet two requirements, transferred provisions re learner's permit from Subsec. (b)
to (c), amended Subsec. (d) for consistency with provisions requiring a learner's permit and to eliminate home training
certificates, amended Subsec. (g) to eliminate reference to Subsec. "(a), (b), (c), (d) or (f)" and added new Subsec. (i),
authorizing commissioner to adopt regulations to implement the provisions of this section, effective January 30, 1997;
P.A. 97-236 amended Subsec. (c)(2) to restate provision re operation on a multiple-lane limited access highway and added
exception thereto for permit holders under the instruction of a person who holds an instructor's license, effective June 24,
1997; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-8 amended Subsec. (c)(2) to add exemption and qualifications for ambulance service
members, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 02-70 amended Subsec. (d)(1) to increase the fee that may be charged for course
on safe driving practices from $25 to $40, effective July 1, 2002, and added Subsec. (e)(5) providing that issuance of a
motor vehicle operator's license to an applicant who holds a license from another state shall be subject to provisions of
Secs. 14-111c and 14-111k, effective January 1, 2003; P.A. 03-171 amended Subsec. (c) by deleting restrictions on holder
of learner's permit to operate motor vehicle on multiple-lane limited access highways, amended Subsec. (d) to increase
from five to eight the number of hours of safe driving instruction a 16 or 17-year-old applicant must complete before being
issued motor vehicle operator's license, to increase from two to four the number of hours of instruction re the effects of
alcohol and drugs on the operation of a motor vehicle that must be included as part of the eight hours of safe driving
instruction, to change $40 fee for safe driving instruction to fee prescribed by commissioner by regulation, and to permit
16 or 17-year-old applicant who, while resident of another state, completed all but alcohol and drug portion of safe driving
instruction to complete that portion at a fee prescribed by the commissioner by regulation, deleted former Subsec. (h) re
definition and redesignated existing Subsec. (i) as Subsec. (h), making technical changes therein, and made technical
changes in Subsecs. (a), (b), (c), (e) and (f), effective October 1, 2003, but not applicable to persons 16 or 17 years of age
who applied for a learner's permit on or before that date; P.A. 03-265 amended Subsec. (d)(1) by making identical changes
to those made by P.A. 03-171 and adding requirement that signer of statement evidencing home training not have had
license suspended by commissioner for at least 4 years preceding date of statement, effective July 9, 2003; P.A. 04-217
added new Subsec. (g) requiring information request from National Driver Registry and Commercial Driver License
Information System prior to issuance of motor vehicle operator's license, and redesignated existing Subsecs. (g) and (h)
as new Subsecs. (h) and (i), effective January 1, 2005; P.A. 04-257 made technical changes in Subsec. (g), effective June
14, 2004; P.A. 05-54 amended Subsec. (d)(1) by adding Subpara. (A)(iii) re home training in accordance with Subdiv. (2)
"or by a combination of such types of training", changing "eight" to "twenty" re clock hours of instruction and making
technical changes; P.A. 05-215 amended Subsec. (h) to designate existing provisions as Subdiv. (1) and add Subdiv. (2)
re additional penalties for persons who have one or more prior violations of this section or Sec. 14-215(a); P.A. 05-218
amended Subsec. (e)(1)(A) to delete provisions re renewals need not be under oath and re application to state such information as commissioner requires and add provision re application made subject to penalties for false statement in accordance
with Sec. 53a-157b; P.A. 06-130 amended Subsec. (d)(1)(C) to limit the 120-day learner's permit period to only those
applicants who produce a certificate from a secondary or vocational school program or from a licensed drivers' school
approved by the commissioner, effective June 2, 2006; P.A. 06-196 made a technical change in Subsec. (d)(2), effective
June 7, 2006; P.A. 07-167 amended Subsec. (c) by adding new Subdivs. (3) and (4) re limitations on transportation
of passengers by learner's permit holder, redesignating existing provisions of Subdiv. (2) re exemption as Subdiv. (5),
redesignating existing Subdiv. (3) as Subdiv. (6) and making conforming changes, and amended Subsec. (h)(2)(B) by
changing penalty from term of imprisonment of 90 days which may not be suspended or reduced to term of imprisonment
of one year, 90 days of which may not be suspended or reduced; P.A. 08-32 amended Subsec. (c) to eliminate separate
three and six-month passenger restrictions by revising provisions in Subdiv. (3) and deleting former Subdiv. (4), to renumber
existing Subdivs. (5) and (6) as new Subdivs. (4) and (5) and to make conforming changes, and amended Subsec. (d) in
Subdiv. (1) to increase clock hours of behind-the-wheel, on-the-road instruction for persons issued a learner's permit on
or after August 1, 2008, from not less than 20 to not less than 40, to make test re motor vehicle laws and road rules permissive
and to clarify that such test is in addition to test required under Subsec. (c) and, in Subdiv. (4), to authorize adoption of
regulations to implement requirements for behind-the-wheel, on-the-road instruction, effective August 1, 2008; P.A. 08-150 added new Subsec. (g) re ignition interlock device (Revisor's Note: In 2009, existing Subsecs. (g), (h) and (i) were
redesignated editorially by the Revisors as Subsecs. (h), (i) and (j), respectively, to conform section with the addition of
new Subsec. (g) by P.A. 08-150; P.A. 09-187 amended Subsec. (c)(1)(D) to include grandparent, effective July 8, 2009
and amended Subsec. (d)(1) to make a technical change, make second test of laws concerning motor vehicles and rules of
the road mandatory, add provision re authorization for driver's school or secondary school driver education program to
administer second test and replace former provisions re fee amount prescribed by regulation with provision establishing
maximum course fees, and amended Subsec. (d)(4) to make a technical change and insert "and the administration and
certification of required testing", effective October 1, 2009; P.A. 11-48 amended Subsec. (g)(1) to make provisions applicable to person convicted for a "first" time violation of Sec. 14-227a(a)(2) and reduce minimum suspension period that must
be served from "one year" to "forty-five days", effective January 1, 2012; P.A. 11-51 made identical changes as P.A. 11-48, effective January 1, 2012; P.A. 11-213 amended Subsec. (d)(1)(C) to make inclusion of comprehensive test permissive,
rather than mandatory, and amended Subsec. (e) to authorize administration of class D knowledge test in various forms
and require administration in other languages, effective July 13, 2011, and amended Subsec. (g)(3) to replace reference
to Sec. 14-111(k) with reference to Sec. 14-111(i), effective October 1, 2011.
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Sec. 14-36a. *(See end of section for amended version of subsection (c) and
effective date.) Classification of operators' licenses. Violation. Penalty. (a) A commercial driver's license issued in accordance with section 14-44c shall be designated
as class A, B or C, in accordance with the provisions of subsection (b) of section 14-44d. All other operators' licenses shall be designated as class D. A license of any class
that also authorizes the operation of a motorcycle shall contain the designation "M". A
license of any class that contains the designation "Q" indicates eligibility to operate fire
apparatus.
(b) A commercial driver's license which contains the endorsement "S" evidences
that the holder meets the requirements of section 14-44 to operate a school bus or any
vehicle described in subsection (c) of this section. A commercial driver's license may
contain any of the following additional endorsements:
"P"- authorizes the operation of commercial motor vehicles designed to carry passengers;
"H"- authorizes the operation of vehicles transporting hazardous materials;
"N"- authorizes the operation of tank vehicles;
"X"- authorizes both hazardous materials and tank vehicles; and
"T"- authorizes the operation of vehicles with up to three trailing, nonpower units.
The commissioner may establish one or more restrictions on commercial driver's licenses of any class, in regulations adopted in accordance with the provisions of chapter
54. Subject to the provisions of subsection (b) of section 14-44d, a commercial driver's
license of any class authorizes the holder of such license to operate any motor vehicle
that may be operated by the holder of a class D operator's license.
*(c) A commercial driver's license or a class D license that contains either of the
following endorsements evidences that the holder meets the requirements of section
14-44:
"V"- authorizes the transportation of passengers in a student transportation vehicle,
as defined in section 14-212, or any vehicle that requires an "F" endorsement;
"A"- authorizes the transportation of passengers in an activity vehicle, as defined in
section 14-1, or any vehicle that requires an "F" endorsement; and
"F"- authorizes the transportation of passengers in a taxicab, motor vehicle in livery
service, service bus or motor bus.
The commissioner may establish one or more endorsements or restrictions on class D
licenses, in accordance with regulations adopted in accordance with the provisions of
chapter 54.
(d) No person shall operate a motor vehicle in violation of the classification of the
license issued to such person.
(e) No employer shall knowingly require or permit an employee who is acting within
the scope of such employee's employment to operate a motor vehicle in violation of the
classification of such employee's license.
(f) Any person who violates any provision of subsection (d) of this section shall,
for a first offense, be deemed to have committed an infraction and be fined fifty dollars
and, for a subsequent offense, shall be fined not more than one hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than thirty days, or both. Any employer who violates subsection (e) of
this section shall be subject to a civil penalty of not more that one thousand dollars for
a first violation and not more than two thousand five hundred dollars for a second or
subsequent violation.
(g) The revocation, suspension or withdrawal of, or refusal to issue or renew an
"S" endorsement, or any endorsement described in subsection (c) of this section, shall
prohibit the licensee from operating any public service passenger vehicle for which a
passenger endorsement is required under this section. During the period of such revocation, suspension or withdrawal of, or after a refusal to issue or renew an "S" endorsement,
or any endorsement described in subsection (c) of this section, the commissioner shall
not issue any other passenger endorsement to such licensee.
(1967, P.A. 458, S. 1, 2; 1969, P.A. 183, S. 3; 445, S. 2; P.A. 84-429, S. 16; P.A. 89-171, S. 1, 5; P.A. 91-407, S. 17,
42; P.A. 93-341, S. 10, 38; P.A. 94-189, S. 4, 34; P.A. 95-260, S. 9, 24; P.A. 03-171, S. 2; P.A. 04-217, S. 3; P.A. 05-218,
S. 5, 37; 05-288, S. 55; P.A. 06-130, S. 25; P.A. 07-167, S. 37; P.A. 08-150, S. 20; P.A. 10-3, S. 57; P.A. 11-213, S. 14.)
*Note: On and after July 1, 2012, subsection (c) of this section, as amended by section
34 of public act 10-110 and section 60 of public act 11-213, is to read as follows:
"(c) A commercial driver's license or a class D license that contains either of the
following endorsements evidences that the holder meets the requirements of section
14-44:
"V"- authorizes the transportation of passengers in a student transportation vehicle,
as defined in section 14-212, or any vehicle that requires an "F" endorsement; and
"F"- authorizes the transportation of passengers in a taxicab, motor vehicle in livery
service, service bus or motor bus.
The commissioner may establish one or more endorsements or restrictions on class D
licenses, in accordance with regulations adopted in accordance with the provisions of
chapter 54."
(1967, P.A. 458, S. 1, 2; 1969, P.A. 183, S. 3; 445, S. 2; P.A. 84-429, S. 16; P.A. 89-171, S. 1, 5; P.A. 91-407, S. 17,
42; P.A. 93-341, S. 10, 38; P.A. 94-189, S. 4, 34; P.A. 95-260, S. 9, 24; P.A. 03-171, S. 2; P.A. 04-217, S. 3; P.A. 05-218,
S. 5, 37; 05-288, S. 55; P.A. 06-130, S. 25; P.A. 07-167, S. 37; P.A. 08-150, S. 20; P.A. 10-3, S. 57; 10-110, S. 34; P.A.
11-213, S. 14, 60.)
History: 1969 acts revised definition of tractor semitrailer combination in Subsec. (a) to change gross weight of truck
from maximum of 10,000 to maximum of 18,000 pounds and revised weight reference in Subsec. (b)(3) accordingly; P.A.
84-429 added Subsecs. (c) and (d) from Sec. 14-36 and made other technical changes; P.A. 89-171 amended Subsec. (a)
to include a definition of "commercial motor vehicle" and Subsec. (b) to include "commercial motor vehicle" as a type of
vehicle which a class 1 license holder is eligible to operate, to authorize commissioner to adopt regulations establishing
additional classifications as necessary, and to prohibit the issuance of a class 1 license to any person under eighteen; P.A.
91-407 amended Subsec. (b)(3) by adding "for business or commercial use" after "truck"; P.A. 93-341 amended the section
by deleting Subsec. (a) in its entirety, relettering Subsec. (b) and modifying the various motor vehicle classifications and
inserting a new Subsec. (b) concerning Class 1 or Class 2 operator's licenses which have "P" or "PS" endorsements,
effective July 1, 1994; P.A. 94-189 amended Subsec. (b) by replacing the "PS" endorsement with the "S" endorsement,
effective July 1, 1994; P.A. 95-260 amended Subsec. (a)(2) to include a combination of motor vehicle and trailer used
exclusively for camping or another recreational purpose regardless of gross weight of the trailer as a type of vehicle which
a class 2 license holder is eligible to operate and to increase gross weight of trailing unit or trailer from a minimum of
6,000 to 10,000 pounds in the exception to "any motor vehicle" under a class 2 license, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 03-171 amended Subsec. (b) to establish that the endorsement "M" on class 1 or 2 operator's license evidences holder's
qualification to operate a motorcycle; P.A. 04-217 replaced former provisions of Subsec. (a) with new provisions requiring
commercial driver's licenses to be classified as class A, B or C, all other operator's licenses to be designated as class D
and any class license with motorcycle endorsement to be designated "M", amended Subsec. (b) to replace provisions re
Class 1 and 2 licenses with provisions re various types of endorsements and to provide that "S" endorsement qualifies
holder to operate school bus or any vehicle described in Subsec. (c), added new Subsec. (c) providing that commercial
driver's license or class D license containing specified endorsements evidences that holder meets requirements of Sec. 14-44 and permitting commissioner to establish restrictions on class D licenses and redesignated existing Subsecs. (c) and
(d) as new Subsecs. (d) and (e), effective January 1, 2005; P.A. 05-218 amended Subsec. (c) by adding "endorsements or"
re class D licenses, effective July 1, 2005, and by adding camp vehicle to endorsement "A"; P.A. 05-288 made technical
changes in Subsec. (e), effective July 13, 2005; P.A. 06-130 amended Subsec. (c) to remove reference to camp vehicles
under "A" endorsement, added new Subsec. (d) re camp vehicles, redesignated existing Subsecs. (d) and (e) as Subsecs.
(e) and (f) and inserted reference to violation of Subsec. (e) in Subsec. (f), effective June 2, 2006; P.A. 07-167 deleted
former Subsec. (d) re endorsement for operation of camp vehicle and redesignated existing Subsecs. (e) and (f) as Subsecs.
(d) and (e), effective July 1, 2007; P.A. 08-150 amended Subsec. (b) to add provision re commercial driver's license of
any class authorizes holder to operate any motor vehicle that may be operated by holder of a class D operator's license;
P.A. 10-3 amended Subsec. (e) to replace fine for first offense of not less than $35 or more than $50 with fine of $50,
effective April 14, 2010; P.A. 10-110 amended Subsec. (c) to delete provisions re license containing "A" endorsement
authorizing transportation of passengers in an activity vehicle or any vehicle that requires an "F" endorsement, effective
July 1, 2011; P.A. 11-213 changed effective date of P.A. 10-110, S. 34, from July 1, 2011, to July 1, 2012, amended Subsec.
(a) by adding provision re "Q" designation for operation of fire apparatus, made a technical change in Subsec. (d), added
new Subsec. (e) re vehicle operation by employee in violation of license classification, redesignated existing Subsec. (e)
as Subsec. (f) and amended same to add penalty for employer's violation of Subsec. (e) and make a conforming change,
and added Subsec. (g) re prohibition on operation of public service passenger vehicle without endorsement, effective July
1, 2011.
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Sec. 14-36h. *(See end of section for amended version and effective date.) Contents and features of operator's license and identity card. Issuance to persons on
active duty. (a) Each motor vehicle operator's license issued by the Commissioner of
Motor Vehicles in accordance with section 14-36 and each identity card issued by said
commissioner in accordance with section 1-1h shall contain the following: (1) The person's full legal name; (2) the person's date of birth; (3) the person's gender; (4) the
person's height and eye color; (5) the person's assigned operator's license or identity
card number; (6) the person's address of principal residence in this state; (7) the person's
signature; and (8) the person's color photograph or digital image.
(b) If any person does not reside in any state, territory or possession of the United
States because such person is on active military duty with the United States Armed
Forces, and such person's home state of record is Connecticut, as reflected in the records
of the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security or any department
under which the United States Coast Guard operates, such person may obtain a Connecticut operator's license or identity card, provided such person: (1) Does not have an operator's license or identity card issued by another state, territory or possession of the United
States, or surrenders any such license or identity card; (2) has a current APO or FPO
mailing address; (3) designates such person's home address as 60 State Street, Wethersfield, CT 06161; and (4) meets all other requirements for obtaining an operator's license
or identity card in this state.
(c) The commissioner shall provide that each such license or identity card document
contains physical security features designed to prevent tampering, counterfeiting or
duplication of the document.
(d) Each such document shall also contain one or more machine-readable technology feature or component, including, but not limited to, a bar code or magnetic strip.
(e) As used in this section, the term "full legal name" means the most complete
version of the name that appears on a person's certificate of birth, official passport or
other document or documents accepted by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles to
verify the person's identity, unless the person presents a marriage license or certificate, a
certificate of civil union, a divorce decree or an order of a court of competent jurisdiction
pertaining to a permanent change of the person's name.
(P.A. 07-167, S. 18; P.A. 11-213, S. 15.)
*Note: On and after January 1, 2013, this section, as amended by section 1 of public
act 11-68, is to read as follows:
"Sec. 14-36h. Contents and features of operator's license and identity card.
Veteran status indicated. (a) Each motor vehicle operator's license issued by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles in accordance with section 14-36 and each identity card
issued by said commissioner in accordance with section 1-1h shall contain the following:
(1) The person's full legal name; (2) the person's date of birth; (3) the person's gender;
(4) the person's height and eye color; (5) the person's assigned operator's license or
identity card number; (6) the person's address of principal residence in this state; (7)
the person's signature; (8) the person's color photograph or digital image; and (9) if
applicable, the person's status as a veteran, as provided in subsection (d) of this section.
(b) The commissioner shall provide that each such license or identity card document
contains physical security features designed to prevent tampering, counterfeiting or
duplication of the document.
(c) Each such document shall also contain one or more machine-readable technology feature or component, including, but not limited to, a bar code or magnetic strip.
(d) Any person who is a veteran may submit a request to the Department of Veterans'
Affairs to have his or her status as a veteran contained on his or her motor vehicle
operator's license or identity card. Said department shall, not later than thirty days after
receipt of such request, verify whether such person is a veteran and, if so, notify the
Commissioner of Motor Vehicles of such request and verification. The Commissioner
of Motor Vehicles shall indicate such person's status as a veteran on any motor vehicle
operator's license or identity card issued to such person upon original issuance or renewal of a motor vehicle operator's license or identity card or upon issuance of a duplicate motor vehicle operator's license or identity card.
(e) As used in this section: (1) "Full legal name" means the most complete version
of the name that appears on a person's certificate of birth, official passport or other
document or documents accepted by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles to verify the
person's identity, unless the person presents a marriage license or certificate, a certificate
of civil union, a divorce decree or an order of a court of competent jurisdiction pertaining
to a permanent change of the person's name; and (2) "veteran" has the same meaning
as provided in subsection (a) of section 27-103."
(P.A. 07-167, S. 18; P.A. 11-68, S. 1; P.A. 11-213, S. 15.)
History: P.A. 11-68 amended Subsec. (a) by adding Subdiv. (9) re status as a veteran, added new Subsec. (d) re status
as veteran contained on motor vehicle operator's license or identity card, redesignated existing Subsec. (d) as Subsec. (e)
and amended same by adding definition of "veteran" and making a technical change, effective January 1, 2013; P.A. 11-213 added new Subsec. (b) re issuance of license or identity card to persons on active military duty and redesignated
existing Subsecs. (b), (c) and (d) as Subsecs. (c), (d) and (e).
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Sec. 14-40a. Motor vehicle operator's license with a motorcycle endorsement;
requirements. Examination. Penalty. (a) No person shall operate a motorcycle on any
public highway of this state until such person has obtained a motor vehicle operator's
license with a motorcycle endorsement from the commissioner.
(b) A person who is sixteen years of age or older and who has not had such a license
suspended or revoked may apply to the commissioner for a training permit. The commissioner may issue a training permit, containing such limitation as said commissioner
deems advisable, to an applicant after the applicant has passed all parts of the examination, other than the driving skills test, for a motor vehicle operator's license with a
motorcycle endorsement as required by subsection (c) of this section. The training permit
shall entitle the applicant, while said applicant is in immediate possession of said permit,
to drive a motorcycle on the public highways, other than multiple lane limited access
highways, for a period of sixty days. A training permit may be renewed, or a new permit
issued, for an additional period of sixty days. On and after January 1, 1990, each applicant
issued a training permit shall, while operating a motorcycle, wear protective headgear
of a type which conforms to the minimum specifications established by regulations
adopted under subsection (b) of section 14-289g.
(c) Before granting a motorcycle endorsement to any applicant who has not held
such an endorsement at any time within the preceding two years, the commissioner shall
require the applicant to present evidence satisfactory to the commissioner that such
applicant has successfully completed a novice motorcycle training course conducted
by the Department of Transportation with federal funds available for the purpose of
such course, or by any firm or organization that conducts such a course that uses the
curriculum of the Motorcycle Safety Foundation or other safety or educational organization that has developed a curriculum approved by the commissioner. If such applicant
has not obtained a training permit pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, the applicant
shall also pass an examination, other than the driving skills test, demonstrating that the
applicant is a proper person to operate a motorcycle, has sufficient knowledge of the
mechanism of a motorcycle to ensure its safe operation by such applicant, and has
satisfactory knowledge of the law concerning motorcycles and other motor vehicles and
the rules of the road. When the commissioner is satisfied as to the ability and competency
of the applicant, the commissioner may issue an endorsement to such applicant, either
unlimited or containing such limitations as the commissioner deems advisable. If an
applicant or motorcycle endorsement holder has any health problem which might affect
such person's ability to operate a motorcycle safely, the commissioner may require the
applicant or endorsement holder to demonstrate personally that, notwithstanding the
problem, such person is a proper person to operate a motorcycle, and the commissioner
may further require a certificate of the applicant's condition, signed by a medical authority designated by the commissioner, which certificate shall, in all cases, be treated as
confidential by the commissioner. An endorsement, containing such limitation as the
commissioner deems advisable may be issued or renewed in any case, but nothing in
this section shall be construed to prevent the commissioner from refusing an endorsement, either limited or unlimited, to any person or suspending an endorsement of a
person whom the commissioner deems incapable of safely operating a motorcycle.
(d) No person shall operate a motorcycle in any manner in violation of the limitations
imposed in a limited endorsement issued to such person.
(e) Any person who violates any provision of subsection (a), (b) or (d) of this section
shall, for a first offense, be deemed to have committed an infraction and be fined fifty
dollars and, for any subsequent offense, shall be fined not more than one hundred dollars
or imprisoned not more than thirty days, or both.
(1967, P.A. 807, S. 1; 1969, P.A. 302, S. 1; 1972, P.A. 127, S. 15; P.A. 73-605, S. 2; P.A. 74-36, S. 2; P.A. 76-263, S.
5, 9; P.A. 82-103; 82-223, S. 10; P.A. 83-577, S. 16; P.A. 84-429, S. 20; P.A. 89-242, S. 4, 5, 7; P.A. 90-265, S. 2, 8; P.A.
03-171, S. 4; P.A. 04-143, S. 19; 04-257, S. 23; P.A. 06-130, S. 22; P.A. 10-3, S. 58; 10-153, S. 1; P.A. 11-213, S. 56.)
History: 1969 act added provisions re learner's permits in Subsec. (a); 1972 act changed age of majority from 21 to
18; P.A. 73-605 added provisions concerning certificates signed by parent, guardian or spouse as evidence of sufficient
training and required English and Spanish versions of the test; P.A. 74-36 allowed foster parents to sign instruction certificates; P.A. 76-263 changed applicability provision of Subsec. (b) to apply to applicants not licensed during preceding 4,
rather than 2, years; P.A. 82-103 amended Subsec. (b) by reducing from 4 to 2 years the time period during which an
applicant has to have held a Connecticut license in order to be exempt from the examination; P.A. 82-223 amended Subsec.
(d) by specifying that commission of a first offense constituted an infraction and establishing a minimum fine therefor of
$25; P.A. 83-577 amended Subsec. (d) by increasing the minimum fine for a first offense from $25 to $35; P.A. 84-429
relettered Subsecs., rephrased provisions, transferred provision in Subsec. (d) re recall of an operator's license to Sec. 14-38(a), and made other technical changes; P.A. 89-242 amended Subsec. (b) to require applicants issued learner's permits
on and after January 1, 1990, to wear protective headgear while operating a motorcycle and amended Subsec. (e) to require
applicants under eighteen to demonstrate successful completion of a novice motorcycle training course on and after January
1, 1990; P.A. 90-265 amended Subsec. (e) to replace reference to applicant who "suffers from any physical defect or
disease" with reference to applicant or motorcycle operator license holder who has any health problem, and to authorize
commissioner to suspend license of person determined to be incapable of safely operating a motorcycle; P.A. 03-171
replaced provisions re motorcycle operator's license with provisions re motor vehicle operator's license with a motorcycle
endorsement throughout, amended Subsec. (b) to replace "learner's permit" with "training permit", deleted former Subsecs.
(c) and (d) re issuance of motorcycle operator's license to persons between 16 and 18 years of age, redesignated remaining
Subsecs. and made technical changes; P.A. 04-143 redesignated Subsecs. (b) to (e), inclusive, and made other technical
changes, effective May 21, 2004; P.A. 04-257 made a technical change in Subsec. (d), effective June 14, 2004; P.A. 06-130 amended Subsec. (c) by deleting an obsolete date, by requiring applicants under eighteen to present proof of completing
a novice motorcycle training course, by requiring that such course be "conducted by", rather than "offered by", Department
of Transportation or by any firm that uses the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's curriculum, rather than a course approved
by Commissioner of Motor Vehicles, and by allowing commissioner to waive the on-road skills test for any applicant 18
or older who presents proof of completing such course, effective June 2, 2006; P.A. 10-3 amended Subsec. (e) to replace
fine for first offense of not less than $35 or more than $50 with fine of $50, effective April 14, 2010; P.A. 10-153 amended
Subsec. (c) to delete requirement that applicant for endorsement personally demonstrate knowledge of motorcycle mechanism and rules of the road, to delete authority of commissioner to waive on-road skills portion of endorsement exam for
person presenting evidence of completing motorcycle training course, and to replace requirement that applicant under 18
years of age present evidence of successful completion of motorcycle training course with requirement that all applicants
present evidence of successful completion of training course conducted by Department of Transportation with federal
funds available for purpose of such course, effective January 1, 2011; P.A. 11-213 amended Subsec. (b) to replace "driving
test" with "driving skills test" and amended Subsec. (c) to require examination, other than driving skills test, for applicant
without training permit, effective July 13, 2011.
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Sec. 14-41. Expiration and renewal of operators' licenses, identity cards and
permits. Fees. Notice. (a) Upon every renewal of a motor vehicle operator's license or
identity card issued pursuant to section 1-1h, the commissioner may issue such license
or identity card without the personal appearance of the licensee or identity card holder
if (1) such licensee or identity card holder has a digital image on file with the commissioner, and (2) such licensee or identity card holder has fulfilled all other requirements
for such renewal.
(b) An original operator's license shall expire within a period not exceeding six
years following the date of the operator's next birthday. The fee for such original license
shall be computed at the rate of forty-eight dollars for a four-year license, seventy-two
dollars for a six-year license and twelve dollars per year or any part of a year. The
commissioner may authorize an automobile club or association, licensed in accordance
with the provisions of section 14-67 on or before July 1, 2007, to issue duplicate licenses
and identity cards pursuant to section 14-50a, renew licenses, renew identity cards issued
pursuant to section 1-1h and conduct registration transactions at its office facilities.
The commissioner may authorize such automobile clubs or associations to charge a
convenience fee, which shall not exceed two dollars, to each applicant for a license or
identity card renewal or duplication, or for a registration transaction.
(c) Any previously licensed operator who fails to renew a motor vehicle operator's
license in accordance with subsection (b) of this section shall be charged a late fee of
twenty-five dollars upon renewal of such operator's license.
(d) The commissioner may, at least fifteen days before the date on which each motor
vehicle operator's license or identity card expires, notify the holder of such license or
identity card of the expiration date, in a manner determined by the commissioner. The
commissioner shall not provide such notification by mail to any such licensee or identity
card holder if the United States Postal Service has determined that mail is undeliverable
to the address for such person that is documented in the records of the Department of
Motor Vehicles. Any previously licensed operator who operates a motor vehicle within
sixty days after the expiration date of the operator's license without obtaining a renewal
of the license shall be fined in accordance with the amount designated for the infraction
of failure to renew a motor vehicle operator's license. Any operator so charged shall
not be prosecuted under section 14-36 for the same act constituting a violation under
this section but section 14-36 shall apply after the sixty-day period.
(e) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 1-3a, if the expiration date of any
motor vehicle operator's license or any public passenger transportation permit falls on
any day when offices of the commissioner are closed for business or are open for less
than a full business day, the license or permit shall be deemed valid until midnight of
the next day on which offices of the commissioner are open for a full day of business.
(1949 Rev., S. 2381; 1953, 1955, S. 1299d; 1957, P.A. 437, S. 4; February, 1965, P.A. 68; 1967, P.A. 115; 436, S. 1;
807, S. 4; 1969, P.A. 759, S. 4; 1972, P.A. 127, S. 16; P.A. 75-213, S. 9, 53; 75-577, S. 21, 126; P.A. 76-263, S. 6, 9; P.A.
77-10; 77-256, S. 3, 4; 77-348, S. 1, 2; P.A. 79-89, S. 1; P.A. 80-51; P.A. 81-172, S. 3; P.A. 83-489, S. 3, 17; P.A. 84-254,
S. 29, 62; 84-429, S. 21; P.A. 85-413, S. 4, 8; P.A. 87-329, S. 5; P.A. 90-263, S. 8, 74; 90-265, S. 7, 8; P.A. 91-408, S. 8,
18; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-9, S. 1, 4; P.A. 93-80, S. 49, 67; 93-341, S. 12, 38; P.A. 95-223, S. 1, 2; P.A. 97-284, S. 1, 2;
P.A. 99-287, S. 7, 9; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-6, S. 74, 85; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-9, S. 47, 131; P.A. 03-171, S. 6; June 30
Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-3, S. 34; P.A. 04-4, S. 6; 04-177 S. 12; 04-199, S. 22; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 05-3, S. 26; P.A. 07-167, S.
32; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-1, S. 94; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-5, S. 43; P.A. 09-187, S. 10; P.A. 10-110, S. 21; 10-179, S. 25;
P.A. 11-6, S. 137; 11-48, S. 27; 11-213, S. 16.)
History: 1965 act added proviso clause re holder reaching 21 in Subsec. (b); 1967 acts included motorcycle licenses in
provisions, revised provisions re expiration of licenses in Subsec. (b), inserted new Subsec. (c) re effect of change in birth
date on expiration and reissuance of license, redesignated former Subsec. (c) as Subsec. (d) and added provisions re penalty
for failure to renew license within 30 days of expiration date; 1969 act revised fee provisions in Subsecs. (b) and (c), raising
rate from $0.25 to $0.35 per month and placing $2 maximum on fee for 6-month period; 1972 act changed age of majority
from 21 to 18; P.A. 75-213 raised fee in Subsec. (b) to $0.45 per month not to exceed $2.50 for 6-month period; P.A. 75-577 removed reference to $25 maximum fine in Subsec. (d) and added references to fines of the amount designated for
infractions specified; P.A. 76-263 revised section to cover transition period for change of validity period from 2 to 4 years
and institution of licenses with pictures, deleted references to provisional licenses and deleted violation in Subsec. (d) re
failure to sign license before operating motor vehicle or motorcycle; P.A. 77-10 added Subsec. (e) re expiration of license
on day when motor vehicle offices are closed; P.A. 77-256 raised fee in Subsec. (c) to $0.45 per month not to exceed $2.50
for 6-month period; P.A. 77-348 revised provisions re expiration so that all licenses expire on birth date rather than last
day of birth month and changed reference to June 30, 1976 to June 30, 1977 in Subsec. (a); P.A. 79-89 added exception
re Sec. 14-41a to Subsec. (a); P.A. 80-51 made former Subdivs. (1) to (4) in Subsec. (a) subparagraphs (A) to (D) under
Subdiv. (1) re motor vehicle and motorcycle licenses, made provision re public service operator's license Subdiv. (2) and
added exception re change of expiration date from April 30th to June 30th; P.A. 81-172 amended Subsec. (d) by increasing
from 30 to 60 days after the expiration date the amount of time during which an operator can be charged with only an
infraction; P.A. 83-489 amended Subsec. (b) to increase additional sum from $1 to $2; P.A. 84-254 amended Subsec. (b),
effective July 1, 1984, to increase the fee, scheduling the increases to take effect as of July 1, 1984, 1986 and 1988; P.A.
84-429 deleted obsolete provisions, rephrased provisions and made other technical changes; P.A. 85-413 adjusted fees
after July 1, 1988, and deleted obsolete fee provisions; P.A. 87-329 amended Subsec. (b) maintaining the fee at the level
existing on and after July 1, 1986, and decreasing the fee effective July 1, 1992, to the level formerly existing on and after
July 1, 1988; P.A. 90-263 amended Subsecs. (a) and (e) to substitute public passenger transportation permit for public
service motor vehicle operator's license; P.A. 90-265 amended Subsec. (a) to require vision screening for motor vehicle
operators prior to every other renewal of operator's license in accordance with specified schedule; P.A. 91-408 amended
Subsec. (a) to delay the commencement of vision screening from July 1, 1991, to October 1, 1992, and to change the
beginning and ending dates of the specified schedule accordingly; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-9 amended Subsec. (a) to postpone
vision screening requirement from October 1, 1992, to July 1, 1993, and to require that screening be done in accordance
with a schedule adopted by the commissioner, eliminating the specified schedule according to the last name of the operator;
P.A. 93-80 amended Subsec. (a) to postpone vision screening requirement from July 1, 1993, to July 1, 1995, effective
July 1, 1993; P.A. 93-341 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting former Subdiv. (2) re expiration date for public passenger
transportation permits, effective July 1, 1994; P.A. 95-223 amended Subsec. (a) to postpone vision screening requirement
from July 1, 1995, to July 1, 1997, effective July 1, 1995; (Revisor's note: In 1997 references throughout the general
statutes to "Motor Vehicle(s) Commissioner" and "Motor Vehicle(s) Department" were replaced editorially by the Revisors
with "Commissioner of Motor Vehicles" or "Department of Motor Vehicles", as the case may be, for consistency with
customary statutory usage); P.A. 97-284 amended Subsec. (a) to postpone vision screening requirement from July 1, 1997,
to July 1, 1999, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 99-287 amended Subsec. (a) by postponing the implementation of vision
screening from July 1, 1999, to July 1, 2001, and allowing a vision screening conducted by a licensed health care professional
to have occurred during the preceding 12 months in lieu of the preceding 3 months, effective July 1, 1999; June Sp. Sess.
P.A. 01-6 amended Subsecs. (a) and (b) to require renewal of license every 6 years, amended Subsec. (b) to increase fee
from $3.50 to $5.25, amended Subsec. (c) to modify the issue period for renewal licenses from not more than 48 months
to not more than 72 months and made technical changes for purposes of gender neutrality in Subsecs. (a) and (d), effective
July 1, 2001; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-9 amended Subsec. (a) to provide for an optional licensure period of 4 years in
accordance with a schedule to be established by the commissioner and changed to July 1, 2003, the date by which the
commissioner shall screen the vision of operator's at every other renewal of license, effective July 1, 2001; P.A. 03-171
amended Subsecs. (a), (d) and (e) to delete references to motorcycle operator's license, made technical changes in Subsec.
(a) and amended Subsec. (d) to delete references to Sec. 14-40a; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-3 amended Subsec. (a) to change
commencement date of vision screening program from July 1, 2003, to July 1, 2005, effective August 20, 2003, and
applicable as of July 1, 2003; P.A. 04-4 amended Subsec. (b) to delete former formula for the license fee and to establish
fees for 4-year and 6-year licenses and a fee for a part-year license, deleted former Subsec. (c) re changes in records relating
to birth dates and renewal of licenses thereafter and redesignated existing Subsecs. (d) and (e) as new Subsecs. (c) and (d),
effective March 11, 2004; P.A. 04-177 and P.A. 04-199 both amended Subsec. (b) to increase fee for original 4-year
operator's licenses from $43 to $44 and for 6-year operator's license from $65 to $66, effective July 1, 2004; June Sp.
Sess. P.A. 05-3 amended Subsec. (a) by changing "2005" to "2007", effective July 1, 2005; P.A. 07-167 amended Subsec.
(a) by deleting provisions re vision screening and amended Subsec. (b) by adding provisions re renewals at office facilities
of licensed automobile club or association, effective July 1, 2007; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-1 attempted to amend Subsec.
(a) to change July 1, 2007, to July 1, 2009, effective July 1, 2007, but failed to take effect since the vision screening
provisions were previously deleted from this Subsec. by P.A. 07-167; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-5 amended Subsec. (a) by
restoring provisions re vision screening and postponing implementation to July 1, 2009; P.A. 09-187 amended Subsec. (a)
to postpone implementation of vision screening from July 1, 2009, to July 1, 2011, effective July 1, 2009; P.A. 10-110
amended Subsec. (a) to authorize commissioner, upon every other renewal of operator's license or identity card, to issue
such license or card without personal appearance of licensee or card holder if such licensee or card holder has digital image
on file with commissioner and has met all other renewal requirements and amended Subsec. (b) to authorize automobile
clubs and associations to perform identity card renewals and registration transactions and to charge fee of not more than
$2, effective July 1, 2010; P.A. 10-179 amended Subsec. (b) to make the same changes as made to Subsec. (b) by P.A. 10-110, effective July 1, 2010; P.A. 11-6 amended Subsec. (b) to increase fee for 4-year license from $44 to $48, for 6-year
license from $66 to $72 and for a year or part thereof from $11 to $12, added Subsec. (c) re $25 late renewal fee, redesignated
existing Subsecs. (c) and (d) as Subsecs. (d) and (e), and deleted "shall be deemed to have failed to renew a motor vehicle
operator's license and" in Subsec. (d), effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 11-48 amended Subsec. (a) by eliminating 4 or 6-year
renewal requirement, requirement for personal appearance of licensee or holder for renewal and requirement for vision
screening prior to every other renewal, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 11-213 amended Subsec. (b) to authorize issuance of
duplicate licenses and identity cards by automobile club or association and make conforming and technical changes, and
amended Subsec. (c) to include identity cards, change "shall" to "may" re notification and prohibit notification by mail if
mail determined to be undeliverable, effective July 13, 2011.
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Sec. 14-41a. Renewal of license for persons age sixty-five or over. An individual
sixty-five years of age or older may renew a motor vehicle operator's license for either
a two-year period or a six-year period. The fee for any license issued for a two-year
period shall be twenty-two dollars.
(P.A. 79-89, S. 2; P.A. 84-254, S. 30, 62; 84-429, S. 22; P.A. 87-329, S. 6; P.A. 91-390, S. 2; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-6, S. 75, 85; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-9, S. 50, 131; P.A. 03-171, S. 7; P.A. 04-4, S. 7; 04-199, S. 23; P.A. 07-167, S. 45;
P.A. 11-213, S. 17.)
History: P.A. 84-254 increased the fee from $11 to $22 as of July 1, 1992; P.A. 84-429 divided section into Subsecs.,
deleted obsolete provisions, rephrased provisions and made other technical changes; P.A. 87-329 amended Subsec. (a),
maintaining the fee at the level existing on and after July 1, 1986, and decreasing the fee effective July 1, 1992, to the level
formerly existing on and after July 1, 1988; P.A. 91-390 replaced former Subsec. (b) which had required that operator's
license bear operator's photograph with new provision permitting commissioner to waive photograph requirement upon
written application and showing of hardship by operators 65 years of age or older; (Revisor's note: In 1997 references
throughout the general statutes to "Motor Vehicle(s) Commissioner" and "Motor Vehicle(s) Department" were replaced
editorially by the Revisors with "Commissioner of Motor Vehicles" or "Department of Motor Vehicles", as the case may
be, for consistency with customary statutory usage); June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-6 changed 4-year renewal option to 6 years,
effective July 1, 2001; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-9 amended Subsec. (b) to delete provisions re length of the license renewal
period, effective July 1, 2001; P.A. 03-171 deleted references to motorcycle operator's license; P.A. 04-4 amended Subsec.
(a) to increase the fee to $21, effective March 11, 2004; P.A. 04-199 amended Subsec. (a) to increase the fee from $21 to
$22, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 07-167 amended Subsec. (b) by replacing reference to Sec. 14-36d(a) with reference to Sec.
14-36h(a); P.A. 11-213 deleted Subsec. (a) designator and deleted former Subsec. (b) re waiver of photograph requirement,
effective July 13, 2011.
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Sec. 14-41c. (Note: This section is effective October 1, 2012.) License expiration date extended for incarcerated persons. The Department of Motor Vehicles,
upon the written request of an incarcerated person who responds to a renewal notice
for such person's operator's license, shall extend the expiration date of such person's
operator's license for two years or thirty days following the date such person is released
from incarceration, whichever occurs first.
(P.A. 11-213, S. 59.)
History: P.A. 11-213 effective October 1, 2012.
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Sec. 14-42a. Agreement with procurement organizations. Inclusion of information re procurement organizations in driver education programs. (a) The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles and the Commissioner of Administrative Services shall
enter into an agreement with one or more federally designated organ and tissue procurement organizations to provide to such organizations access to the names, dates of birth
and other pertinent information of holders of operator's licenses and identity cards issued
pursuant to section 1-1h who have registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles
an intent to become organ and tissue donors. Such access shall be provided in a manner
and form to be determined by the commissioners, following consultation with such
organizations, and may include electronic transmission of initial information and periodic updating of information. The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles shall not charge
a fee for such access pursuant to section 14-50a, but may charge such organizations
reasonable administrative costs. Information provided to such organizations shall be
used solely for identifying such license holders as organ and tissue donors.
(b) The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles shall include in regulations adopted pursuant to sections 14-36f and 14-78 a requirement that a description of the purposes and
procedures of procurement organizations, as defined in section 19a-289a, be included
in driver education programs.
(P.A. 04-122, S. 1; P.A. 05-121, S. 1; P.A. 08-150, S. 8; P.A. 10-123, S. 27; P.A. 11-51, S. 88.)
History: P.A. 05-121 amended Subsec. (a) by giving procurement organizations access to information re holders of
identity cards issued pursuant to Sec. 1-1h; P.A. 08-150 amended Subsec. (b) to include regulations adopted pursuant to
Sec. 14-78; P.A. 10-123 amended Subsec. (b) by replacing reference to Sec. 19a-279a with Sec. 19a-289a; P.A. 11-51
changed "Chief Information Officer of the Department of Information Technology" to "Commissioner of Administrative
Services", "commissioner and Chief Information Officer" to "commissioners" and "commissioner" to "Commissioner of
Motor Vehicles", effective July 1, 2011.
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Sec. 14-44. License endorsement for operators of commercial motor vehicles
used for passenger transportation, school buses, student transportation vehicles,
taxicabs, motor vehicles in livery service and motor or service buses. Requirements.
Hearing. Appeal. Report re persons whose license or endorsement has been withdrawn, suspended or revoked. Penalty. (a)(1) No person shall operate a commercial
motor vehicle used for passenger transportation on any public highway of this state until
such person has obtained a commercial driver's license with a passenger endorsement
from the commissioner, except a nonresident who holds such license with such endorsement issued by another state. (2) No person shall operate a school bus until such person
has obtained a commercial driver's license with a school bus endorsement, except that
a person who holds such a license without such endorsements may operate a school bus
without passengers for the purpose of road testing or moving the vehicle. (3) No person
shall operate a student transportation vehicle, as defined in section 14-212, taxicab,
motor vehicle in livery service, motor bus or service bus until such person has obtained
an operator's license of the proper classification bearing an appropriate endorsement
from the commissioner, issued in accordance with the provisions of this section and
section 14-36a, except that a person who holds an operator's license without such endorsement may operate any such vehicle without passengers for the purpose of road
testing or moving the vehicle.
(b) No operator's license bearing an endorsement shall be issued or renewed in
accordance with the provisions of this section or section 14-36a, until the commissioner,
or the commissioner's authorized representative, is satisfied that the applicant is a proper
person to receive such an operator's license bearing an endorsement, holds a valid motor
vehicle operator's license, or, if necessary for the class of vehicle operated, a commercial
driver's license and is at least eighteen years of age. Each applicant for an operator's
license bearing an endorsement or the renewal of such a license shall furnish the commissioner, or the commissioner's authorized representative, with satisfactory evidence, under oath, to prove that such person has no criminal record and has not been convicted
of a violation of subsection (a) of section 14-227a within five years of the date of application and that no reason exists for a refusal to grant or renew such an operator's license
bearing an endorsement. Each applicant for such an operator's license bearing an endorsement shall submit with the application proof satisfactory to the commissioner that
such applicant has passed a physical examination administered not more than ninety
days prior to the date of application, and which is in compliance with safety regulations
established from time to time by the United States Department of Transportation. Each
applicant for renewal of such license shall present evidence that such applicant is in
compliance with the medical qualifications established in 49 CFR 391, as amended.
Each applicant for such an operator's license bearing an endorsement shall be fingerprinted before the license bearing an endorsement is issued.
(c) The commissioner may issue, withhold, renew, suspend, cancel or revoke any
endorsement required to operate a motor vehicle that transports passengers, as provided
in subsection (c) of section 14-36a. The commissioner may, in making his decision,
consider the age, accident and criminal record, moral character and physical condition
of any such applicant or endorsement holder and such other matters as the commissioner
may determine. The commissioner may require any such applicant or endorsement
holder to furnish the statements of two or more reputable citizens, which may be required
to be under oath, vouching for the good character or other qualifications of the applicant
or endorsement holder.
(d) Upon the arrest of any person who holds an operator's license bearing a school
endorsement charged with a felony or violation of section 53a-73a, the arresting officer
or department, within forty-eight hours, shall cause a report of such arrest to be made
to the commissioner. The report shall be made on a form approved by the commissioner
containing such information as the commissioner prescribes. The commissioner may
adopt regulations, in accordance with chapter 54, to implement the provisions of this
subsection.
(e) Prior to issuing an operator's license bearing a school endorsement or bearing
the appropriate type of endorsement for operation of a student transportation vehicle
pursuant to subdivision (4) of subsection (a) of this section, the commissioner shall
require each applicant to submit to state and national criminal history records checks,
conducted in accordance with section 29-17a, and a check of the state child abuse and
neglect registry established pursuant to section 17a-101k. If notice of a state or national
criminal history record is received, the commissioner may, subject to the provisions of
section 46a-80, refuse to issue an operator's license bearing such endorsement and, in
such case, shall immediately notify the applicant, in writing, of such refusal. If notification that the applicant is listed as a perpetrator of abuse on the state child abuse and
neglect registry established pursuant to section 17a-101k is received, the commissioner
may refuse to issue an operator's license bearing such an endorsement and, in such case,
shall immediately notify the applicant, in writing, of such refusal. The commissioner
shall not issue a temporary operator's license bearing a school endorsement or bearing
the appropriate type of endorsement for operation of a student transportation vehicle.
(f) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the commissioner shall not
issue an operator's license bearing an endorsement to transport passengers who are
students, and shall suspend any such endorsement that has been issued, to any person
who has been convicted of a serious criminal offense, as determined by the commissioner, or convicted of any provision of federal law or the law of any other state, the
violation of which involves conduct that is substantially similar to a violation determined
by the commissioner to be a serious criminal offense, if any part of the sentence of such
conviction has not been completed, or has been completed during the preceding five
years. The commissioner shall adopt regulations, in accordance with chapter 54, to
implement the provisions of this subsection.
(g) Any applicant who is refused an operator's license bearing an endorsement or
the renewal of such a license, or whose operator's license bearing an endorsement or
the renewal of such a license is withdrawn or revoked on account of a criminal record,
shall be entitled to a hearing if requested in writing within twenty days. The hearing
shall be conducted in accordance with the requirements of chapter 54 and the applicant
may appeal from the final decision rendered therein in accordance with section 4-183.
(h) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 14-10, the commissioner shall furnish
to any board of education or to any public or private organization that is actively engaged
in providing public transportation, including the transportation of school children, a
report containing the names and motor vehicle operator license numbers of each person
who has been issued an operator's license with one or more endorsements, authorizing
such person to transport passengers in accordance with the provisions of section 14-36a, but whose license or any such endorsement has been withdrawn, suspended or
revoked by the commissioner in accordance with the provisions of this section, or any
other provision of this title. The report shall be issued and updated periodically in accordance with a schedule to be established by the commissioner. Such report may be transmitted or otherwise made available to authorized recipients by electronic means.
(i) Violation of any provision of this section shall be an infraction.
(1949 Rev., S. 2384; 1963, P.A. 336; 372; 1969, P.A. 110, S. 1; 1971, P.A. 612, S. 4; 1972, P.A. 127, S. 17; P.A. 74-152; P.A. 75-213, S. 10, 53; 75-577, S. 22, 126; P.A. 76-382, S. 2; P.A. 83-340, S. 2, 4; P.A. 84-254, S. 31, 62; 84-429,
S. 25; P.A. 85-148, S. 2; P.A. 87-329, S. 7; 87-585, S. 1; P.A. 89-320, S. 1, 2, 12; P.A. 90-112, S. 12, 14; 90-263, S. 10,
74; P.A. 91-272, S. 1, 8; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-11, S. 62, 70; P.A. 93-341, S. 13-15, 38; P.A. 01-175, S. 9, 32; P.A. 02-70, S. 83; P.A. 03-278, S. 37; P.A. 04-217, S. 4; P.A. 05-218, S. 6; P.A. 06-130, S. 10; P.A. 07-167, S. 47; 07-224, S. 1;
June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-5, S. 20; P.A. 09-187, S. 11; P.A. 10-32, S. 49; 10-110, S. 35, 57; P.A. 11-213, S. 18.)
History: 1963 acts raised minimum age requirement from 18 to 21 and added provisions for examination of operating
ability and fee for same; 1969 act replaced interstate commerce commission with United States department of transportation
and required that applicants for public service license to operate school bus be at least nineteen and not more than 69 years
old; 1971 act replaced reference to repealed Sec. 14-30 with reference to Sec. 14-34; 1972 act changed minimum age for
public service vehicle license from 21 to 18, reflecting change in age of majority, and deleted minimum age of 19 for
school bus operator's license; P.A. 74-152 made provisions applicable to operation of service buses as well as public
service motor vehicles and expanded provisions re physical examinations; P.A. 75-213 raised examination fee from $2 to
$2.50; P.A. 75-577 replaced provision for maximum $50 fine for violation of provisions with statement that violation
constitutes an infraction; P.A. 76-382 added Subsec. (b) re validity of license issued by other state or country; P.A. 83-340 amended Subsec. (a) deleting the statement providing that an applicant for a public service license to operate a school
bus shall not be older than 69 years of age; P.A. 84-254 amended Subsec. (a) to increase the examination fee from $2.50
to $5 as of July 1, 1992; P.A. 84-429 relettered Subsecs., rephrased provisions and made other technical changes; P.A. 85-148 amended Subsec. (a), eliminating requirement for nonresidents holding a valid out-of-state public service motor vehicle
operator's license to obtain a license to operate in this state if vehicle is engaged in intrastate commerce; P.A. 87-329
amended Subsec. (b), maintaining the fee at the level existing on and after July 1, 1986, and decreasing the fee effective July
1, 1992, to the level formerly existing on and after July 1, 1988; P.A. 87-585 amended Subsec. (b), requiring prerequisites for
issuance of license to apply to renewals and applicants to furnish evidence of absence of convictions for violations of Sec.
14-227a(a) within 1 year and negative drug test results, and added new provisions in Subsec. (d) re issuance of a 90-day
temporary license to applicants who intend to operate a school bus, relettering remaining Subdivs. accordingly; P.A. 89-320 amended Subsec. (b) to require applicants to furnish evidence of absence of convictions for violations of Sec. 14-227a(a) within 5 years instead of within 1 year and amended Subsec. (d) to require commissioner to request criminal record
for each applicant from state police bureau of identification and to forward fingerprints obtained under Subsec. (b) to bureau
which shall submit fingerprints to FBI for a national criminal history records check, to authorize immediate withdrawal of
the temporary license if notice of a criminal record is received within 90 days, subject to the provisions of Sec. 46a-80 and
to require the licensee and his employer to be notified immediately in writing of receipt of a criminal record, making
technical changes as necessary; P.A. 90-112 amended Subsecs. (a), (d) and (e) to include references to operation of student
transportation vehicles; P.A. 90-263 divided Subsec. (a) into two subdivisions, inserting in Subdiv. (1) prohibition on
operation of commercial motor vehicles used for passenger transportation until operator has obtained a commercial driver's
license with a passenger endorsement, deleting references to public service motor vehicle or service bus and public service
motor vehicle operator's license, and inserting in Subdiv. (2) prohibition on operation of school bus, student transportation
vehicle, taxicab, motor vehicle in livery service, motor bus or service bus until operator has obtained a public passenger
transportation permit, amended remaining Subsecs. to substitute public passenger transportation permit for public service
motor vehicle operator's license, amended Subsec. (d) to insert references to "student transportation vehicle" after references to "school bus", and amended Subsec. (e) to provide that any applicant refused a permit on account of a criminal
record shall be entitled to a hearing, if requested, and to permit applicant to appeal from final decision in accordance with
Sec. 4-183, effective July 1, 1991; P.A. 91-272 amended Subsec. (b) to apply to applicants for renewal on and after July
1, 1992, amended Subsec. (d) to require applicants for a temporary permit or for renewal of a permit to submit to a state
criminal history records check prior to issuance of such temporary permit or renewal and to make numerous changes
throughout the Subsec., and amended Subsec. (e) to apply to applicants who are refused a renewal or whose permit or
renewal is withdrawn or revoked on account of a criminal record; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-11 amended Subsec. (a) by
deleting phrase "or a student transportation vehicle, as defined in section 14-212"; P.A. 93-341 amended Subsec. (a)(2)
to provide that no person may operate a school bus carrying passengers without having obtained a commercial driver's
license with a passenger endorsement and a school endorsement and substituted references to passenger or school endorsements for references to public passenger transportation permits throughout section, effective July 1, 1994, amended Subsec.
(b) by inserting references to an "operator's license bearing an endorsement" and by revising the provisions regarding
drug testing and physical examinations of applicants, effective July 1, 1993, amended Subsec. (d) by deleting provisions
regarding a 90-day temporary permit pending completion of a national criminal history records check, and deleted Subsec.
(f) which had specified contents of public passenger transportation permits in its entirety and relettered remaining Subsec.
accordingly, effective July 1, 1994; P.A. 01-175 amended Subsec. (d) by making a technical change for the purposes of
gender neutrality and by replacing language re state criminal history checks, fingerprinting and fee charged with language
re state and national criminal history checks pursuant to Sec. 29-17a, effective July 1, 2001; P.A. 02-70 made a technical
change in Subsec. (a)(3), added new Subsec. (d) to require the arresting officer or department, upon the arrest of any person
who holds an operator's license bearing a school endorsement for a felony or violation of Sec. 53a-73a, to report such
arrest to the commissioner within 48 hours, to specify form of such report and to authorize adoption of regulations, and
redesignated existing Subsecs. (d) to (f) as Subsecs. (e) to (g), effective June 3, 2002; P.A. 03-278 made technical changes
in Subsec. (f), effective July 9, 2003; P.A. 04-217 amended Subsec. (a) to include "activity vehicle" as vehicle requiring
operator to have appropriate endorsement, amended Subsec. (b) to eliminate public passenger transportation permit, to
eliminate provision requiring applicant for license with endorsement or renewal of license with endorsement to have
received negative drug test results in two or more urine tests if administered within 1 year of date of application and to
substitute requirement that applicant for renewal of such license present evidence that applicant is in compliance with
medical qualifications under federal law, amended Subsec. (c) to change references to "permittee" to "endorsement holder",
to eliminate "passenger or school" endorsement and substitute endorsement "required to operate a motor vehicle that
transports passengers", and made technical changes, effective January 1, 2005; P.A. 05-218 amended Subsec. (a)(3) by
adding camp vehicles; P.A. 06-130 added new Subsec. (g) re notification of school boards and providers of public transportation of drivers whose licenses or endorsements have been withdrawn, suspended or revoked and redesignated existing
Subsec. (g) as Subsec. (h); P.A. 07-167 amended Subsec. (a)(3) by deleting reference to camp vehicle, effective July 1,
2007; P.A. 07-224 amended Subsec. (a) by repositioning existing provisions re endorsement for taxicabs, motor vehicles
in livery service and motor or services buses as Subdiv. (3), redesignating existing provisions re endorsement for student
transportation vehicles and activity vehicles as Subdiv. (4) and deleting "camp vehicle", amended Subsec. (b) by requiring
evidence furnished by applicant to be under oath, amended Subsec. (e) by adding provisions re endorsement for operation
of student transportation vehicle, re check of state child abuse registry and notification that applicant is listed thereon and
re prohibition on issuance of temporary operator's license, by deleting provision re withdrawal of operator's license bearing
school endorsement and by making conforming changes, added new Subsec. (f) re convictions, redesignated existing
Subsecs. (f), (g) and (h) as Subsecs. (g), (h) and (i), amended redesignated Subsec. (h) to require report to be furnished by
commissioner and made technical changes throughout, effective July 1, 2007; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-5 amended Subsec.
(e) to substitute "abuse and neglect" for "abuse", reorganize provisions and delete reference to Sec. 46a-80 re perpetrators
of abuse listed on registry, effective October 6, 2007; P.A. 09-187 amended Subsec. (a)(3) to require endorsement for
operation of student transportation vehicle or activity vehicle and add exception authorizing person without endorsement
to operate vehicle without passengers for purpose of road testing or moving vehicle, effective July 1, 2009; P.A. 10-32
made a technical change in Subsec. (b), effective May 10, 2010; P.A. 10-110 amended Subsec. (a) to make a technical
change, effective October 1, 2010, and further amended Subsec. (a) to delete reference to activity vehicle in Subdivs. (3)
and (4), effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 11-213 amended Subsec. (a) to require "proper classification" of license and make
technical changes in Subdiv. (3) and to delete former Subdiv. (4) containing duplicate provision re student transportation
vehicle, effective July 1, 2011.
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Sec. 14-44a. Commercial driver's license required for operation of a commercial motor vehicle. Exceptions. Penalty. (a) No person may drive a commercial motor
vehicle on the highways of this state unless the person holds a commercial driver's
license issued by this state or another state, with applicable endorsements valid for the
vehicle he is driving.
(b) The provisions of subsection (a) of this section shall not apply to (1) the holder
of a commercial driver's instruction permit when accompanied in the vehicle by the
holder of a commercial driver's license, (2) any military personnel who operate commercial motor vehicles solely in connection with their military duties, in accordance with
49 CFR 383.3(c), or (3) any member of the Connecticut National Guard who is qualified
to operate a military or commercial motor vehicle in accordance with 49 CFR 383.3(c)
and operates such vehicle while performing state military duty.
(c) Any person who violates the provisions of subsection (a) of this section shall
operate a motor vehicle in violation of the classification of the license issued to him,
and shall be subject to the penalties provided in subsection (f) of section 14-36a and
section 14-44k.
(P.A. 90-263, S. 33, 74; P.A. 04-217, S. 5, 35; P.A. 08-121, S. 1; P.A. 11-213, S. 19.)
History: P.A. 90-263, S. 33 effective April 1, 1992; P.A. 04-217 amended Subsec. (b) to exempt military personnel
operating commercial motor vehicles solely in connection with military duties from provisions of Subsec. (a) and amended
Subsec. (c) to change reference to Sec. 14-36a(d) to Sec. 14-36a(e) and add reference to Sec. 14-44k, effective January 1,
2005; P.A. 08-121 added Subsec. (b)(3) exempting any member of the Connecticut National Guard who is qualified to
operate a military or commercial vehicle under 49 CFR 383.3(c) and operates such vehicle while performing state military
duty, effective July 1, 2008; P.A. 11-213 amended Subsec. (c) by replacing reference to Sec. 14-36a(e) with reference to
Sec. 14-36a(f), effective July 1, 2011.
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Sec. 14-44c. Application for commercial driver's license or commercial driver's instruction permit. Penalty. (a) The application for a commercial driver's license
or commercial driver's instruction permit, shall include the following:
(1) The full name and current mailing and residence address of the person;
(2) A physical description of the person, including sex, height and eye color;
(3) Date of birth;
(4) The applicant's Social Security number;
(5) The person's statement, under oath, that he meets the requirements for qualification contained in 49 CFR 391, as amended, or does not expect to operate in interstate
or foreign commerce;
(6) The person's statement, under oath, that the type of vehicle in which the person
has taken or intends to take the driving skills test is representative of the type of motor
vehicle the person operates or intends to operate;
(7) The person's statement, under oath, that he is not subject to disqualification,
suspension, revocation or cancellation of operating privileges in any state, and that he
does not hold an operator's license in any other state;
(8) The person's identification of all states in which such person has been licensed
to drive any type of motor vehicle during the last ten years, and the person's statement,
under oath that he does not hold an operator's license in any other state; and
(9) The person's signature, and certification of the accuracy and completeness of
the application, subject to the penalties of false statement under section 53a-157b. The
application shall be accompanied by the fee prescribed in section 14-44h.
(b) No person who has been a resident of this state for thirty days may drive a
commercial motor vehicle under the authority of a commercial driver's license issued
by another jurisdiction.
(c) In addition to other penalties provided by law, any person who knowingly falsifies information or certifications required under subsection (a) of this section shall have
his operator's license or privilege to operate a motor vehicle in this state suspended for
sixty days.
(P.A. 90-263, S. 35, 74; P.A. 96-167, S. 6; P.A. 04-217, S. 6; P.A. 11-213, S. 55.)
History: P.A. 96-167 amended Subsec. (b) to substitute 30-day for 60-day residency; P.A. 04-217 amended Subsec.
(a) to make a technical change in Subdiv. (6), to add provision in Subdiv. (8) to include in application for commercial
driver's license or commercial driver's license instruction permit statement that applicant is not subject to cancellation of
operating privileges in any state, to add new Subdiv. (9) to require applicant to identify all states in which applicant has
been licensed to drive any type of motor vehicle in last 10 years and statement that person does not hold license in any
other state, and to redesignate existing Subdiv. (9) as new Subdiv. (10), effective January 1, 2005; P.A. 11-213 amended
Subsec. (a) to delete former Subdiv. (5) re color picture requirement and redesignate existing Subdivs. (6) to (10) as Subdivs.
(5) to (9), effective July 13, 2011.
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Sec. 14-44h. Expiration and renewal of commercial drivers' licenses. Notice.
(a) Each commercial driver's license shall be renewed quadrennially on the date of the
operator's birthday. On and after September 1, 2005, each applicant shall, at the time
of the first renewal such commercial driver's license, provide the names of all states in
which the applicant ever has been issued a motor vehicle operator's license. If the applicant has held a license in another state at any time during the preceding ten years, the
commissioner shall request the driving history record or records from the state or states
in which the applicant has been licensed. If the commissioner receives a request for a
driving history record from another state regarding the holder of a commercial driver's
license, the commissioner shall provide such record within thirty days, as required by
the provisions of 49 CFR 384.206, as amended.
(b) A commercial driver's license shall expire within a period not exceeding four
years following the date of the operator's next birthday. The fee for such original license
shall be computed at the rate of seventeen dollars and fifty cents per year or any part
thereof. Any previously licensed operator who fails to renew a commercial driver's
license in accordance with this subsection shall be charged a late fee of twenty-five
dollars upon renewal of such commercial driver's license.
(c) The commissioner shall, at least fifteen days before the date on which each
commercial driver's license expires, notify the operator of the expiration date in a manner determined by the commissioner. The commissioner shall not provide such notification by mail to any such licensee if the United States Postal Service has determined that
mail is undeliverable to the address for such person that is documented in the records
of the Department of Motor Vehicles. Any previously licensed operator who operates
a commercial motor vehicle within sixty days after the expiration date of such operator
license without obtaining a renewal of such license shall be deemed to have failed to
renew a motor vehicle operator's license and shall be fined in accordance with the
amount designated for the infraction of failure to renew a motor vehicle operator's
license. Any operator so charged shall not be prosecuted under section 14-36 for the
same act constituting a violation under this section but said section 14-36 shall apply
after the sixty-day period.
(d) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 1-3a, if the expiration date of any
commercial driver's license falls on any day when offices of the commissioner are closed
for business or are open for less than a full business day, the license shall be deemed
valid until midnight of the next day on which offices of the commissioner are open for
a full day of business.
(P.A. 90-263, S. 9, 74; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-6, S. 76, 85; P.A. 03-171, S. 8; P.A. 04-199, S. 24; 04-217, S. 10; P.A.
05-218, S. 7; P.A. 11-6, S. 138; 11-213, S. 20.)
History: (Revisor's note: In 1997 references throughout the general statutes to "Motor Vehicle(s) Commissioner" and
"Motor Vehicle(s) Department" were replaced editorially by the Revisors with "Commissioner of Motor Vehicles" or
"Department of Motor Vehicles", as the case may be, for consistency with customary statutory usage); June Sp. Sess. P.A.
01-6 amended Subsecs. (a), (b) and (c) to provide for a license period of 6 years and to modify fees and renewal license
periods accordingly, amended Subsec. (d) to make technical changes for purposes of gender neutrality and deleted former
Subsec. (f) re obsolete provision, effective July 1, 2001; P.A. 03-171 amended Subsec. (d) to delete references to Sec. 14-40a; P.A. 04-199 amended Subsec. (a) to require renewal of commercial driver's license quadrennially, amended Subsec.
(b) to require expiration of license within 4 years of operator's next birthday and to establish fee for original license at rate
of $15 per year or any part of a year, deleted former Subsec. (c) re date and year of operator's birth and redesignated
existing Subsecs. (d) and (e) as new Subsecs. (c) and (d), effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 04-217 amended Subsec. (a) to require
license renewal quadrennially, rather than every 6 years, and to add requirements that applicant provide, at time of first
renewal, names of all states in which applicant has ever held motor vehicle operator's license, that commissioner request
driving history record from each state in which applicant licensed during preceding 10 years and that commissioner provide
driving history record of holder of commercial driver's license to other states, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 05-218 amended
Subsec. (a) by changing "January" to "September", effective July 6, 2005; P.A. 11-6 amended Subsec. (b) by increasing
license fee from $15 to $17.50 per year and imposing a late fee of $25 for failure to renew license, effective July 1, 2011;
P.A. 11-213 amended Subsec. (c) to add provision re notification in a manner determined by commissioner and to prohibit
notification by mail if mail determined to be undeliverable, effective July 13, 2011.
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Sec. 14-44k. Disqualification from operation of commercial motor vehicles.
Disqualification offenses. Lifetime disqualification. Mitigation of lifetime disqualification. (a) A driver who is disqualified or subject to an out-of-service order shall not
drive a commercial motor vehicle. An employer shall not knowingly permit or require
a driver who is disqualified to drive a commercial motor vehicle.
(b) In addition to any other penalties provided by law, and except as provided in
subsection (d) of this section, a person is disqualified from operating a commercial
motor vehicle for one year if convicted of a violation of (1) operating any motor vehicle
while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drugs, or both, under section 14-227a,
(2) operating a commercial motor vehicle while having a blood alcohol concentration of
four-hundredths of one per cent, or more, (3) evasion of responsibility under section
14-224, (4) using any motor vehicle in the commission of any felony, as defined in
section 14-1, or (5) operating a commercial motor vehicle while the operator's commercial driver's license is revoked, suspended or cancelled, or while the operator is disqualified from operating a commercial motor vehicle. In addition to any other penalties provided by law, and except as provided in subsection (d) of this section, a person is
disqualified from operating a commercial motor vehicle for a period of not more than
two years if convicted of one violation of causing a fatality through the negligent or
reckless operation of a commercial motor vehicle, as evidenced by a conviction of a
violation of section 14-222a, 53a-56b, 53a-57 or 53a-60d. The disqualification periods
in this subsection shall also apply to convictions under the provisions of law of another
state, of offenses deemed by the commissioner to be substantially similar to the offenses
described in this subsection.
(c) In addition to any other penalties provided by law, and except as provided in
subsection (d) of this section, a person is disqualified from operating a commercial
motor vehicle for one year if the commissioner finds that such person has refused to
submit to a test to determine such person's blood alcohol concentration while operating
any motor vehicle, or has failed such a test when given, pursuant to the provisions of
section 14-227b or pursuant to the provisions of a law of any other state that is deemed
by the commissioner to be substantially similar to section 14-227b. For the purpose of
this subsection, a person shall be deemed to have failed such a test if, when driving a
commercial motor vehicle, the ratio of alcohol in the blood of such person was four-hundredths of one per cent or more of alcohol, by weight, or if, when driving any other
motor vehicle, the ratio of alcohol in the blood of such person was eight-hundredths of
one per cent or more of alcohol, by weight.
(d) If a person commits any of the disqualifying offenses identified in subsection
(b) of this section or is the subject of a finding by the commissioner under subsection
(c) of this section while driving a vehicle transporting hazardous materials, required to
be placarded under the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act, 49 USC 1801 to 1813,
inclusive, as amended, such person shall be disqualified for a period of three years.
(e) In addition to any other penalties provided by law, a person is disqualified from
operating a commercial motor vehicle for (1) sixty days if convicted of failure to stop
at a railroad grade crossing, in violation of section 14-249 or 14-250, while operating
a commercial motor vehicle, (2) one hundred twenty days if convicted of a second
violation of section 14-249 or 14-250 while operating a commercial motor vehicle, and
(3) one year if convicted of a third or subsequent violation of section 14-249 or 14-250 while operating a commercial motor vehicle, during any three-year period. The
disqualification periods in this subsection shall also apply to convictions under the provisions of law of another state, of offenses deemed by the commissioner to be substantially
similar to the offenses described in this subsection.
(f) In addition to any other penalties provided by law, a person is disqualified from
operating a commercial motor vehicle for a period of not less than sixty days if convicted
of two serious traffic violations, as defined in section 14-1, or one hundred twenty days
if convicted of three serious traffic violations, committed while operating any motor
vehicle arising from separate incidents occurring within a three-year period. The period
of any disqualification for a subsequent offense imposed under this subsection shall
commence immediately after the period of any other disqualification imposed on such
person. The disqualification periods in this subsection shall also apply to convictions
under the provisions of law of another state, of offenses deemed by the commissioner
to constitute serious traffic violations, as defined in section 14-1.
(g) Any person who uses any motor vehicle in the commission of a felony involving
the manufacture, distribution or dispensing of a controlled substance shall be disqualified for life.
(h) A person is disqualified for life if such person commits two or more of the
offenses specified in subsection (b) of this section, or if such person is the subject of
two or more findings by the commissioner under subsection (c) of this section, or any
combination of those offenses or findings, arising from two or more separate incidents.
A person is disqualified for life if the commissioner takes suspension actions against
such person for two or more alcohol test refusals or test failures, or any combination of
such actions, arising from two or more separate incidents. Any person disqualified for
life, except a person disqualified under subsection (g) of this section, who has both
voluntarily enrolled in and successfully completed an appropriate rehabilitation program, as determined by the commissioner, may apply for reinstatement of such person's
commercial driver's license, provided any such applicant shall not be eligible for reinstatement until such time as such person has served a minimum disqualification period
of ten years. An application for reinstatement shall be accompanied by documentation
satisfactory to the commissioner that such person has both voluntarily enrolled in and
successfully completed a rehabilitation program that meets the requirements of section
14-227f and the regulations adopted pursuant to section 14-227f. The commissioner
shall not reinstate a commercial driver's license that was disqualified for life unless an
applicant for reinstatement requests an administrative hearing in accordance with chapter 54, and offers evidence that the reinstatement of such applicant's commercial driver's
license does not endanger the public safety or welfare. Such evidence shall include, but
not be limited to, proof that such applicant has not been convicted of any offense involving alcohol, a controlled substance or a drug during a period of ten years following
the date of such applicant's most recent lifetime disqualification. If a person whose
commercial driver's license is reinstated under this subsection is subsequently convicted
of another disqualifying offense, such person shall be permanently disqualified for life
and shall be ineligible to reapply for a reduction of the lifetime disqualification. The
following shall remain on the driving history record of a commercial motor vehicle
operator or commercial driver's license holder for a period of fifty-five years, as required
by 49 CFR Part 384, as amended from time to time: (1) Any offense specified in subsection (b) or (c) of this section, provided such offense occurred on or after December 29,
2006; (2) each of two or more offenses specified in subsection (b) or (c) of this section that
occur within ten years of each other and result in a lifetime disqualification, regardless of
when such offenses occur; (3) any conviction under subsection (g) of this section for
using a motor vehicle in the commission of a felony involving the manufacture, distribution or dispensing of a controlled substance, committed on or after January 1, 2005.
(i) (1) Except as provided in subdivision (2) of this subsection, any person who
violates an out-of-service order shall be disqualified from operating a commercial motor
vehicle: (A) For a period of not less than one hundred eighty days or more than one year
for a first violation; (B) for a period of not less than two years or more than five years
for a second violation during any ten-year period, where such violations arose from
separate incidents; and (C) for a period of not less than three years or more than five
years for a third or subsequent violation during any ten-year period, where such violations arose from separate incidents.
(2) Any person who violates an out-of-service order while driving a vehicle transporting hazardous materials, required to be placarded under the Hazardous Materials
Transportation Act, 49 USC 1801 to 1813, inclusive, or a commercial motor vehicle
designed to transport sixteen or more passengers, including the driver, shall be disqualified from operating a commercial motor vehicle: (A) For a period of not less than one
hundred eighty days or more than two years for a first violation, and (B) for a period of
not less than three years or more than five years for a second or subsequent violation
during any ten-year period, where such violations arose from separate incidents.
(3) In addition to the penalties provided in subdivision (1) or (2) of this subsection,
any person who violates an out-of-service order shall be subject to the civil penalties
prescribed in 49 CFR Section 383.53, as amended from time to time.
(j) Any holder of a commercial driver's license whose driving is determined by
the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to constitute an imminent hazard, as
defined in section 14-1, shall be disqualified from operating a commercial motor vehicle.
The period of disqualification may not exceed thirty days unless the commissioner is
satisfied that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has complied with the
procedures for review and hearing set forth in 49 CFR 383.52. The period of any disqualification imposed under this subsection shall be concurrent with the period of any other
disqualification or suspension imposed on such commercial driver.
(k) After taking disqualification action, or suspending, revoking or cancelling a
commercial driver's license, the commissioner shall update the commissioner's records
to reflect such action within ten days. After taking disqualification action, or suspending,
revoking or cancelling the operating privileges of a commercial driver who is licensed
in another state, the commissioner shall notify the licensing state of such action within
ten days. Such notification shall identify the violation that caused such disqualification,
suspension, cancellation or revocation.
(P.A. 90-263, S. 38, 74; P.A. 92-100; P.A. 97-236, S. 10, 27; P.A. 02-70, S. 2; P.A. 03-278, S. 38; P.A. 04-217, S. 12;
P.A. 05-218, S. 21; 05-288, S. 57; P.A. 06-130, S. 19; P.A. 07-167, S. 33; P.A. 10-110, S. 3; P.A. 11-213, S. 21.)
History: P.A. 90-263, S. 38 effective July 1, 1991; P.A. 92-100 amended Subsec. (c) to provide that a person is deemed
to have failed test if he has a blood alcohol ratio of 0.04% or more and amended Subsec. (f) to require disqualification for
life for persons who are the subject of two or more findings by the commissioner under Subsec. (c); P.A. 97-236 amended
Subsec. (a) to prohibit a driver subject to an out-of-service order from driving a commercial motor vehicle and to eliminate
in the prohibition re employer knowingly "allow" and "authorize", inserted new Subsec. (g) requiring disqualification
from operating a commercial motor vehicle and imposition of a civil penalty for violation of an out-of-service order, and
relettered existing Subsecs. (g) and (h) as (h) and (i), respectively, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 02-70 amended Subsec. (b)
to require disqualification from operating a commercial motor vehicle for 60 days if convicted of one violation of Sec. 14-249 or 14-250, for 120 days if convicted of a second violation of said sections and for one year if convicted of a third or
subsequent violation of said sections and to make technical changes, effective July 1, 2002; P.A. 03-278 made technical
changes in Subsec. (b), effective July 9, 2003; P.A. 04-217 amended Subsec. (b) to impose penalty of disqualification from
operating commercial motor vehicle for one year for operating commercial motor vehicle while having blood alcohol
concentration of 0.04% or more, for operating any motor vehicle, rather than commercial motor vehicle, in commission
of a felony, for operating a commercial motor vehicle while commercial driver's license revoked, suspended, or cancelled,
or while operator disqualified from operating commercial motor vehicle and for causing fatality through negligent or
reckless operation of commercial motor vehicle, to eliminate other penalties and to renumber subdivisions, amended
Subsec. (c) to disqualify from operation of commercial motor vehicle for one year person refusing to submit to blood test
to determine blood alcohol concentration while operating any motor vehicle, rather than commercial motor vehicle, or
who fails test as provided, amended Subsec. (d) to provide that person disqualified under Subsec. (b) or subject of finding
by commissioner under Subsec. (c) while driving vehicle transporting hazardous materials be disqualified for period of
three years, added new Subsec. (e) re convictions resulting in disqualification, added new Subsec. (f) re disqualification
for conviction of serious traffic violations, redesignated existing Subsec. (e) as new Subsec. (g) and changed basis for
disqualification from use of commercial motor vehicle to use of any motor vehicle in commission of specified felony,
redesignated existing Subsec. (f) as new Subsec. (h) and amended same to specify that person disqualified under Subsec.
(g) may not apply to have license reinstated after completion of rehabilitation program, redesignated existing Subsec. (g)
as new Subsec. (i) and amended Subdiv. (2) therein to apply to person driving vehicle transporting sixteen, rather then
fifteen, passengers and Subdiv. (3) therein to increase civil penalty to not less than $1,100 or more than $2,750, deleted
former Subsec. (h) re disqualification, added new Subsec. (j) re disqualification of person holding commercial driver's
license whose driving determined to constitute an imminent hazard, redesignated existing Subsec. (i) as new Subsec. (k)
and amended same to include cancellation of commercial driver's license as action requiring commissioner to update
records, to include cancellation of operating privileges as action requiring commissioner to notify other licensing state of
action and to require identification in such notification of the violation causing the disqualification, and made technical
changes throughout, effective January 1, 2005 (Revisor's note: In Subsec. (j) the word "in" was editorially inserted by the
Revisors in the phrase ", as defined in section 14-1," for consistency); P.A. 05-218 amended Subsec. (c) by adding "when
driving a commercial vehicle" re blood alcohol ratio of 0.04% or more and adding provision re driving any other motor
vehicle where the ratio of alcohol in blood was 0.08% or more; P.A. 05-288 made technical changes in Subsec. (i), effective
July 13, 2005; P.A. 06-130 amended Subsec. (b)(3) by changing "evasion of responsibility, involving a commercial motor
vehicle" to "evasion of responsibility", amended Subsec. (c) by adding language re provisions of law in other states,
amended Subsec. (f) by providing that disqualification period for a subsequent offense shall start immediately after any
other disqualification period and amended Subsec. (j) by providing that disqualification period shall be concurrent with
any other disqualification or suspension, effective July 1, 2006; P.A. 07-167 amended Subsec. (b) by replacing former
Subdiv. (6) re one-year disqualification for causing fatality through negligent or reckless operation with provisions re
disqualification for not more than two years for causing fatality through negligent or reckless operation and by making
technical changes, effective July 1, 2007; P.A. 10-110 amended Subsecs. (b), (e) and (f) to make disqualification periods
applicable to out-of-state convictions of offenses deemed by commissioner to be substantially similar to offenses described
therein and made a technical change in Subsec. (b), effective July 1, 2010; P.A. 11-213 amended Subsec. (h) to establish
documentation and evidentiary requirements for reinstatement and violations remaining on driving record for 55 years per
federal law, amended Subsec. (i)(1)(A) and (B) to increase minimum disqualification period from 90 to 180 days and from
1 to 2 years, and amended Subsec. (i)(3) to replace civil penalty amount with civil penalties prescribed by federal law,
effective July 1, 2011.
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(C)
FEES
Sec. 14-47. Fees for registering motor vehicles eligible for commercial registration and tractors. (a) The commissioner shall determine the gross weight of each
motor vehicle which is eligible for commercial registration, including each tractor
equipped with rubber tires and, for the purpose of computing fees, gross weight shall
be the weight of the vehicle in pounds plus the rated load capacity in pounds as determined by the commissioner, provided, in the case of a tractor restricted for use with a
trailer, registered as a heavy duty trailer, the fee shall be based on the gross weight of
the tractor which shall be the light weight of such tractor; and said commissioner shall
collect fees for registration based on such gross weight, as follows: When all surfaces
in contact with the ground are equipped with pneumatic tires, the fee for such motor
vehicle or tractor of gross weight not exceeding twenty thousand pounds shall be eleven
dollars and sixty cents, for each one thousand pounds or fraction thereof; from twenty
thousand one pounds up to and including thirty thousand pounds, fourteen dollars and
twenty cents, for each one thousand pounds or fraction thereof; from thirty thousand
one pounds up to and including seventy-three thousand pounds, seventeen dollars and
seventy cents, for each one thousand pounds or fraction thereof; and seventy-three thousand one pounds or more, nineteen dollars and twenty cents, for each one thousand
pounds or fraction thereof. In addition to any other fee required under this subsection,
a fee of ten dollars shall be collected for the registration of each motor vehicle subject
to this subsection.
(b) The minimum fee for any commercial registration or registration of a tractor
equipped with pneumatic tires shall be forty-seven dollars.
(c) For the registration of each motor vehicle classed as an artesian well driller or
well drilling equipment, however mounted, when equipped with rubber tires, the fee
shall be forty dollars per annum whether the license is issued for the license year or only
a portion thereof. On and after July 1, 2011, the fee shall be forty-nine dollars.
(d) For the registration of a motor vehicle equipped with a wood saw rig, if it is
used for that purpose only, or a motor vehicle equipped with a spray rig used exclusively
for spraying fruit trees or shrubs, when equipped with rubber tires, the fee shall be
twenty-two dollars per annum whether the license is issued for the license year or only
a portion thereof. On and after July 1, 2011, the fee shall be twenty-seven dollars.
(e) For all other motor vehicles which are eligible for commercial registration, including tractors equipped with rubber tires other than pneumatic tires, the fee shall be,
for each such vehicle or tractor of gross weight (1) not exceeding twenty thousand
pounds, one dollar and fifty cents, and on and after July 1, 1992, one dollar and seventy-five cents, for each one hundred pounds or fraction thereof, and (2) from twenty thousand
and one pounds up to and including twenty-six thousand pounds, two dollars, and on
and after July 1, 1992, two dollars and twenty-five cents, for each one hundred pounds
or fraction thereof. The minimum fee for any such motor vehicle or tractor shall be fifty
dollars. On and after July 1, 2011, the minimum fee shall be sixty dollars.
(1949 Rev., S. 2386; 1961, P.A. 581, S. 6; 1969, P.A. 759, S. 5; 1971, P.A. 355, S. 4; P.A. 75-213, S. 11, 53; P.A. 80-71, S. 25, 30; P.A. 84-254, S. 32, 62; P.A. 87-329, S. 8; P.A. 90-263, S. 11-13, 74; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-4, S. 24;
P.A. 11-6, S. 140.)
History: 1961 act increased all fees; 1969 act increased fees for vehicles with pneumatic tires determined by gross
weight by $0.10 per 100 pounds in each weight class, increased minimum fees for such vehicles from $13 to $17, for well
drillers with rubber tires from $13 to $20, for rubber-tired vehicles with wood saw rig or spray rig from $7 to $11 and
increased fees for vehicles with rubber tires determined by gross weight by $0.25 per 100 pounds in each weight class
with minimum fee increased from $16 to $24; 1971 act added exception re tractors restricted for use with trailers registered
as heavy-duty trailers; P.A. 75-213 increased fees for vehicles with pneumatic tires determined on gross weight by $0.15,
$0.20 and $0.25 per 100 pounds with higher increases for heavier classes, increased minimum fee for such vehicles to $22,
for rubber-tired well drillers to $26, for rubber-tired vehicles with wood saw rig or spray rig to $14 and increased fees for
vehicles with rubber tires determined by gross weight by $0.25 and $0.30 per 100 pounds with higher increase for heavier
class and with minimum fee increased to $32; P.A. 80-71 added heavier class in provisions re vehicles with pneumatic
tires; P.A. 84-254 divided section into Subsecs., increased the fees for registration of commercial vehicles, with the increases
taking effect as of July first of 1984, 1986, 1988 and 1992; P.A. 87-329 maintained the fees at the levels existing on and
after July 1, 1986, and decreased the fees effective July 1, 1992, to the levels formerly existing on and after July 1, 1988;
P.A. 90-263 amended Subsec. (a) to substitute motor vehicle eligible for commercial registration for commercial motor
vehicle, amended Subsec. (b) to specify minimum fee for any commercial registration or registration of a tractor, deleting
reference to commercial motor vehicle and amended Subsec. (e) to substitute motor vehicles eligible for commercial
registration for commercial motor vehicles; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-4 amended Subsec. (a) to increase fees for registration
of commercial vehicles based on weight of vehicle, to add an additional fee of $10 for each registration and to make a
technical change for purposes of gender neutrality and amended Subsec. (b) to increase minimum fee for commercial
registration or registration of tractor equipped with pneumatic tires to $44, effective January 1, 2004; P.A. 11-6 increased
fees in Subsec. (a) for vehicle not over 20,000 pounds, from $1.16 per hundred pounds to $11.60 per thousand pounds,
for vehicle between 20,001 and 30,000 pounds, from $1.42 per hundred pounds to $14.20 per thousand pounds, for vehicle
between 30,001 and 73,000 pounds, from $1.77 per hundred pounds to $17.70 per thousand pounds, and for vehicle over
73,000 pounds, from $1.92 per hundred pounds to $19.20 per thousand pounds, in Subsec. (b) for commercial registration
from $44 to $47, in Subsec. (c) for well driller from $46 to $49, in Subsec. (d) for vehicle with wood saw rig or spray rig
from $25 to $27, and in Subsec. (e) for minimum fee for other vehicles or tractors from $56 to $60, effective July 1, 2011.
| (Return to Chapter Table of Contents) | (Return to List of Chapters) | (Return to List of Titles) |
Sec. 14-49. Fees for miscellaneous registration and other fees. (a) For the registration of each passenger motor vehicle, other than an electric motor vehicle, the fee
shall be eighty dollars every two years, provided any individual who is sixty-five years
of age or older on or after January 1, 1981, may, at his discretion, renew the registration
of such passenger motor vehicle owned by him for either a one-year or two-year period.
The fee for one year shall be forty dollars, and the fee for two years shall be eighty
dollars, provided the biennial fee for any motor vehicle for which special license plates
have been issued under the provisions of section 14-20 shall be eighty dollars. The
provisions of this subsection relative to the biennial fee charged for the registration of
each antique, rare or special interest motor vehicle for which special license plates have
been issued under section 14-20 shall not apply to an antique fire apparatus or transit
bus owned by a nonprofit organization and maintained primarily for use in parades,
exhibitions or other public events but not for purposes of general transportation.
(b) (1) For the registration of each motorcycle, the biennial fee shall be forty-two
dollars, subject to the provisions of subdivision (2) of this subsection. For the registration
of each motorcycle with side car or box attached used for commercial purposes, the
biennial fee shall be sixty dollars. The commissioner may register a motorcycle with a
side car under one registration which shall cover the use of such motorcycle with or
without such side car. (2) Four dollars of the total fee with respect to the registration of
each motorcycle shall, when entered upon the records of the Special Transportation
Fund, be deemed to be appropriated to the Department of Transportation for purposes
of continuing the program of motorcycle rider education formerly funded under the
federal Highway Safety Act of 1978, 23 USC 402.
(c) For the registration of each taxicab or motor vehicle in livery service, with a
seating capacity of seven or less, the commissioner shall charge a biennial fee of two
hundred sixty-six dollars. When the seating capacity of such motor vehicle is more than
seven, there shall be added to the amount herein provided the sum of four dollars for
each seat so in excess.
(d) For the registration of each motor bus, except a motor bus owned and operated by
a multiple-state passenger carrier as hereinafter defined, the commissioner shall charge a
fee of forty-seven dollars and such registration shall be sufficient for all types of operation under this chapter. On and after July 1, 2011, the fee shall be fifty-six dollars. For
the registration of motor buses owned or operated by a multiple-state passenger carrier,
the commissioner shall charge registration fees based on the rate of one dollar per hundredweight of the gross weight, such gross weight to be computed by adding the light
weight of the vehicle fully equipped for service to one hundred fifty pounds per passenger
for the rated seating capacity, plus the sum of thirty-four dollars, and on and after July
1, 2011, one dollar and twenty-five cents plus the sum of forty-two dollars. The fee in
each case shall be determined on an apportionment basis commensurate with the use
of the highways of this state as herein provided. The commissioner shall require the
registration of that percentage of the motor buses of such multiple-state passenger carrier
operating into or through the state which the mileage of such motor buses actually
operated in the state bears to the total mileage of all such motor buses operated both
within and without the state. Such percentage figures shall be the mileage factor. In
computing the registration fees on the number of such motor buses which are allocated
to the state for registration purposes under the foregoing formula, the commissioner
shall first compute the amount that the registration fees would be if all such motor buses
were in fact subject to registration in the state, and then apply to such amount the mileage
factor above referred to, provided, if the foregoing formula or method of allocation
results in apportioning a lesser or greater number of motor buses or amount of registration
fees to the state than the state under all of the facts is fairly entitled to, then a formula
that will fairly apportion such registration fees to the state shall be determined and used
by the commissioner. Said mileage factor shall be computed prior to March first of each
year by using the mileage records of operations of such motor buses operating both
within and without the state for the twelve-month period, or portion thereof, ending on
August thirty-first next preceding the commencement of the registration year for which
registration is sought. If there were no operations in the state during any part of such
preceding twelve-month period, the commissioner shall proceed under the provisions
of subsection (a) of article IV of section 14-365. In apportioning the number of motor
buses to be registered in the state, as provided herein, any fractional part of a motor bus
shall be treated as a whole motor bus and shall be registered and licensed as such. Any
motor bus operated both within and without the state which is not required to be registered in the state under the provisions of this section shall nevertheless be identified as
a part of the fleet of the multiple-state passenger carrier and the commissioner shall
adopt an appropriate method of identification of such motor buses owned and operated
by such carrier. The identification of all such motor buses by the commissioner as above
required shall be considered the same as the registration of such motor buses under this
chapter. The substitution from time to time of one motor bus for another by a multiple-state passenger carrier shall not require registration thereof in the state as long as the
substitution does not increase the aggregate number of motor buses employed in the
operation of such carrier, provided all such motor buses substituted for others shall be
immediately reported to and identification issued for the same by the commissioner and,
if a registration fee is required to be paid for such substituted motor bus, the same
shall be promptly paid. As used in this subsection, the phrase "multiple-state passenger
carrier" means and includes any person, firm or corporation authorized by the Interstate
Commerce Commission or its successor agency to engage in the business of the transportation of passengers for hire by motor buses, both within and without the state.
(e) (1) For the registration of a passenger motor vehicle used in part for commercial
purposes, except any pick-up truck having a gross vehicle weight rating of less than
twelve thousand five hundred pounds, the commissioner shall charge a biennial fee of
eighty-eight dollars and shall issue combination registration to such vehicle. (2) For the
registration of a school bus, the commissioner shall charge an annual fee of one hundred
seven dollars for a type I school bus and sixty-four dollars for a type II school bus. (3)
For the registration of a motor vehicle when used in part for commercial purposes and
as a passenger motor vehicle or of a motor vehicle having a seating capacity greater
than ten and not used for the conveyance of passengers for hire, the commissioner shall
charge a biennial fee for gross weight as for commercial registration, as outlined in
section 14-47, plus the sum of fourteen dollars and shall issue combination registration
to such vehicle. (4) Each vehicle registered as combination shall be issued a number
plate bearing the word "combination". No vehicle registered as combination may have
a gross vehicle weight rating in excess of twelve thousand five hundred pounds. (5) For
the registration of a pick-up truck having a gross vehicle weight rating of less than twelve
thousand five hundred pounds that is not used in part for commercial purposes, the
commissioner shall charge a biennial fee for gross weight as for commercial registration,
as provided in section 14-47, plus the sum of fourteen dollars. The commissioner may
issue passenger registration to any such vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of
eight thousand five hundred pounds or less.
(f) For the registration of each electric motor vehicle, the commissioner shall charge
a fee of fifteen dollars for each year or part thereof. On and after July 1, 2011, the fee
shall be nineteen dollars.
(g) For the registration of all motorcycles, registered under a general distinguishing
number and mark, owned or operated by, or in the custody of, a manufacturer of, dealer
in or repairer of motorcycles, there shall be charged an annual fee at the rate of thirty-one dollars for each set of number plates furnished. On and after July 1, 2011, the fee
shall be thirty-seven dollars.
(h) The minimum annual fee for any commercial registration of a motor vehicle
not equipped with pneumatic tires shall be fifty dollars. On and after July 1, 2011, the
fee shall be sixty dollars.
(i) For the transfer of the registration of a motor vehicle previously registered, except
as provided in subsection (e) of section 14-16 and subsection (d) of section 14-253a,
there shall be charged a fee of twenty-one dollars.
(j) Repealed by 1972, P.A. 255, S. 6.
(k) For the registration of each motor hearse used exclusively for transportation of
the dead, the commissioner shall charge a fee of thirty-one dollars. On and after July 1,
2011, the fee shall be thirty-seven dollars. The commissioner may furnish distinguishing
number plates for any motor hearse.
(l) The fee for the registration of each truck to be used between parts of an industrial
plant, as provided in section 13a-117, shall be twenty-five dollars for the first two hundred feet of the public highway, the use of which is granted by such permit, and on and
after July 1, 2011, the fee shall be thirty dollars. For each additional two hundred feet
or fraction thereof, the fee shall be eleven dollars, and on and after July 1, 1992, the fee
shall be twelve dollars.
(m) (1) For the registration of a trailer used exclusively for camping or any other
recreational purpose, the commissioner shall charge a biennial fee of sixteen dollars.
On and after July 1, 2011, the fee shall be nineteen dollars. (2) For any other trailer or
semitrailer not drawn by a truck-tractor he shall charge the same fee as prescribed for
commercial registrations in section 14-47, provided the fee for a heavy duty trailer, a
crane or any other heavy construction equipment shall be three hundred twenty-six
dollars for each year; except that the registration fee for each motor vehicle classed as
a tractor-crane and equipped with rubber tires shall be one-half the fee charged for the
gross weight of commercial vehicles.
(n) For each temporary registration of a motor vehicle not used for commercial
purposes, or renewal of such registration, the commissioner shall charge a fee computed
at the rate of twenty-one dollars for each ten-day period, or part thereof. For each temporary registration of a motor vehicle used for commercial purposes, or renewal of such
registration, the commissioner shall charge a fee computed at the rate of twenty-seven
dollars for each ten-day period, or part thereof, if the motor vehicle has a gross vehicle
weight rating of six thousand pounds or less. For each temporary registration of a motor
vehicle used for commercial purposes, or renewal of such registration, the commissioner
shall charge a fee computed at the rate of forty-nine dollars for each ten-day period, or
part thereof, if the motor vehicle has a gross vehicle weight rating of more than six
thousand pounds.
(o) No registration fee shall be charged in respect to any motor vehicle owned by
a municipality, as defined in section 7-245, any other governmental agency or a military
agency and used exclusively for the conduct of official business. No registration fee
shall be charged for any motor vehicle owned by or leased to a transit district and used
exclusively to provide public transportation. No fee shall be charged for the registration
of ambulances owned by hospitals or any nonprofit civic organization approved by the
commissioner, but a fee of twenty dollars shall be charged for the inspection of any such
ambulance. No fee shall be charged for the registration of fire department apparatus as
provided by section 14-19. No registration fee shall be charged to a disabled veteran,
as defined in section 14-254, residing in this state for the registration of three passenger,
camper or passenger and commercial motor vehicles leased or owned by such veteran
in any registration year, provided such vehicles shall not be used for hire. No registration
fee shall be charged for any motor vehicle leased to an agency of this state on or after
June 4, 1982.
(p) For the registration of a service bus owned by an individual, firm or corporation,
exclusive of any nonprofit charitable, religious, educational or community service
organization, and used for the transportation of persons without charge, the commissioner shall charge a fee of two hundred thirteen dollars for vehicles having a seating
capacity of sixteen passengers or less, including the driver, and seven hundred forty-seven dollars for vehicles having a seating capacity of more than sixteen passengers.
For the registration of any service bus owned by any nonprofit charitable, religious,
educational or community service organization, the commissioner shall charge a fee of
one hundred sixty dollars for vehicles having a seating capacity of sixteen passengers
or less, and five hundred thirty-three dollars for vehicles having a seating capacity of
more than sixteen passengers, provided such service bus is used exclusively for the
purpose of transporting persons in relation to the purposes and activities of such organization. Each such registration shall be issued for a biennial period in accordance with
a schedule established by the commissioner. Nothing herein contained shall affect the
provisions of subsection (e) of this section.
(q) The commissioner shall collect a biennial fee of thirty dollars for the registration
of each motor vehicle used exclusively for farming purposes. No such motor vehicle
may be used for the purpose of transporting goods for hire or taking the on-the-road
skills test portion of the examination for a motor vehicle operator's license. No farm
registration shall be issued to any person operating a farm that has gross annual sales
of less than two thousand five hundred dollars in the calendar year preceding registration.
The commissioner may issue a farm registration for a passenger motor vehicle under
such conditions as said commissioner shall prescribe in regulations adopted in accordance with chapter 54. No motor vehicle issued a farm registration may be used to
transport ten or more passengers on any highway unless such motor vehicle meets the
requirements for equipment and mechanical condition set forth in this chapter, and, in
the case of a vehicle used to transport more than fifteen passengers, including the driver,
the applicable requirements of the Code of Federal Regulations, as adopted by the commissioner, in accordance with the provisions of subsection (a) of section 14-163c. The
operator of such motor vehicle used to transport ten or more passengers shall hold a
public transportation permit or endorsement issued in accordance with the provisions
of section 14-44. Any farm registration used otherwise than as provided by this subsection shall be revoked.
(r) Repealed by P.A. 73-549, S. 2, 4.
(s) A fee of sixty-nine dollars shall be charged in addition to the regular fee prescribed for the registration of a motor vehicle, including but not limited to any passenger
motor vehicle or motorcycle, in accordance with this section for a number plate or
plates for such vehicle bearing any combination of letters or numbers requested by the
registrant and which may be issued in the discretion of the commissioner, except in any
case in which the number plates bear the official call letters of an amateur radio station.
On and after July 1, 2011, the fee shall be sixty-nine dollars.
(t) For the registration of each camper, the commissioner shall charge a biennial
fee of sixty-two dollars. On and after July 1, 2011, the fee shall be seventy-five dollars.
The commissioner shall refund one-half of the registration fee for any camper registration when the number plate or plates and registration certificate are returned with one
year or more remaining until the expiration of such registration.
(u) Repealed by P.A. 85-81.
(v) There shall be charged for each motor vehicle learner's permit or renewal thereof
a fee of nineteen dollars. There shall be charged for each motorcycle training permit or
renewal thereof a fee of sixteen dollars.
(w) In addition to the fee established for the issuance of motor vehicle number plates
and except as provided in subsection (a) of section 14-21b and subsection (c) of section
14-253a, there shall be an additional safety fee of five dollars charged at the time of
issuance of any reflectorized safety number plate or set of plates. All moneys derived
from said safety fee shall be deposited in the Special Transportation Fund.
(x) For the registration of each high-mileage vehicle, the commissioner shall charge
a fee of thirty-nine dollars for each year or part thereof. On and after July 1, 2011, the
fee shall be forty-seven dollars.
(y) For each special use registration for a period of thirty days or less, the fee shall
be twenty-one dollars.
(z) The commissioner shall assess a ten-dollar late fee for renewal of a motor vehicle
registration in the event a registrant fails to renew his registration within five days after
the expiration of such registration, except that no such fee shall be assessed for the late
renewal of the registration, pursuant to subdivision (1) of subsection (m) of this section,
of (1) a trailer used exclusively for camping or any other recreational purpose, or (2) a
motor vehicle designed or permanently altered in such a way as to provide living quarters
for travel or camping. Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection, if a registrant
who is required to register a motor vehicle under section 14-34a fails to renew such
registration not later than five days after the expiration date of such registration, the
commissioner shall assess a late fee of one hundred fifty dollars.
(aa) The commissioner shall refund one-half of the registration fee for any motor
vehicle when the number plate or plates and registration certificate are returned on
or after July 1, 2004, with one year or more remaining until the expiration of such
registration.
(1949 Rev., S. 2388; 1953, 1955, S. 1306d; 1955, S. 1303d, 1304d, 1305d; 1957, P.A. 164; 450; 608; 668; 1959, P.A.
62, S. 1; 545, S. 1; 1961, P.A. 22, S. 1; 233, S. 8; 441; 581, S. 8; 591; February, 1965, P.A. 220; 414, S. 2; 1967, P.A. 501,
S. 2; 1969, P.A. 302, S. 2; 759, S. 6, 7, 8; 816; 1971, P.A. 526, S. 4; 529; 598; 1972, P.A. 255, S. 6; P.A. 73-454, S. 2, 5;
73-549, S. 2, 4; P.A. 75-213, S. 5, 53; P.A. 76-386; P.A. 77-538, S. 1, 2; P.A. 78-81; 78-284, S. 1, 2; P.A. 79-244, S. 3;
79-502; P.A. 80-71, S. 28, 30; 80-457, S. 2, 3; 80-466, S. 13, 14, 25; P.A. 81-394, S. 5; P.A. 82-333, S. 1, 2; 82-382, S. 2,
4; 82-460, S. 3, 6; P.A. 83-489, S. 4-6, 17; 83-515, S. 2; P.A. 84-254, S. 34, 62; 84-306, S. 1, 2; 84-429, S. 54; P.A. 85-81; 85-213; 85-525, S. 2, 6; 85-613, S. 146, 154; P.A. 86-157, S. 2; 86-383, S. 2, 3, 6; 86-388, S. 29, 31; P.A. 87-304, S.
1, 4; 87-329, S. 10; 87-362, S. 2, 3; 87-425; P.A. 88-194; P.A. 89-232, S. 1; P.A. 90-263, S. 14-16, 46, 74; 90-299, S. 1;
P.A. 92-156, S. 2, 7; 92-177, S. 7, 12; P.A. 93-74, S. 42, 67; 93-341, S. 17-19, 38; P.A. 94-189, S. 6, 25, 34; P.A. 95-260,
S. 18, 24; P.A. 96-167, S. 7; 96-222, S. 16, 17, 41; 96-248, S. 2, 4; P.A. 97-226, S. 3, 6; 97-309, S. 6, 23; 97-322, S. 7, 9;
P.A. 98-152, S. 1, 2; P.A. 99-118; 99-232, S. 4; P.A. 00-169, S. 4, 26; P.A. 02-70, S. 44, 51; 02-105, S. 2; June 30 Sp.
Sess. P.A. 03-4, S. 21, 25, 26, 32, 33; P.A. 04-143, S. 20; 04-182, S. 4-6; 04-199, S. 8-10, 17; P.A. 05-218, S. 17; P.A.
07-167, S. 28; P.A. 08-150, S. 9; P.A. 09-187, S. 39; P.A. 10-110, S. 1; P.A. 11-6, S. 139.)
History: 1959 acts repealed provisions for testing of equipment by commissioner and amended Subsec. (r) to increase
certain fees; 1961 acts increased fees in Subsecs. (a) through (e), (g) through (n) and (p), (q) and (r) and added the last
clause to Subsec. (r); 1965 acts changed "hundredweight" in Subsec. (p) to "hundred pounds or fraction thereof" and added
Subsec. (t); 1967 act added Subsec. (u); 1969 acts added Subsec. (v), increased fees in Subsecs. (a) to (i), (k) to (n) and
(p) to (s) and revised provisions re mileage factor calculation in Subsec. (d); 1971 acts specified applicability of Subsec.
(m) to semitrailers "not drawn by a truck tractor", clarified fees charged in Subsec. (r) replacing reference to records of
registration or license with records "including, but not limited to, transcripts of hearings ... but excluding lists of owners
of motor vehicles and supplements to such lists" and clarified Subsec. (s) by adding phrase "including but not limited to
any passenger motor vehicle or motorcycle"; 1972 act repealed Subsec. (j); P.A. 73-454 added Subsec. (w); P.A. 73-549
repealed Subsec. (r); P.A. 75-213 increased fees in all subsections except Subsec. (w); P.A. 76-386 included other motor
vehicles used as school buses in Subsec. (e); P.A. 77-538 included provision re vehicles owned or leased by transit district
in Subsec. (o); P.A. 78-81 extended area of operation allowed for farm vehicles in Subsec. (q) from 7 to 25 miles; P.A.
78-284 added special provisions in Subsec. (p) re service buses owned by nonprofit organizations and required annual
inspection of service buses; P.A. 79-244 added Subsec. (x); P.A. 79-502 specified that registration of buses under Subsec.
(d) is "sufficient for all types of operation under this chapter"; P.A. 80-71 changed Subsec. (a) to reflect change to biennial
registration; P.A. 80-457 added exception in Subsec. (a) re registrations by persons 65 or older; P.A. 80-466 added refund
provision in Subsec. (a) and added reference to single license plate in Subsec. (s); P.A. 81-394 added Subsec. (y) which
set registration fee for high-mileage vehicles; P.A. 82-333 amended Subsec. (b) by increasing the fee from $8 to $10 and
providing that the additional $2 for each registration shall become part of the general fund, however, it shall be deemed
to be appropriated for a program of motorcycle rider education formerly supported by federal funds; P.A. 82-382 added
provision to Subsec. (o) that no registration fee shall be charged for any motor vehicle leased to an agency of the state;
P.A. 82-460 included provisions re "combination" motor vehicles in Subsec. (e), changing seating capacity of vehicles
not used as public service motor vehicles from seven to ten and made a technical correction in Subsec. (w); P.A. 83-489
amended Subsec. (g) to increase fee for each set of number plates furnished from $10 to $20, amended Subsec. (i) to
increase fee for the transfer of registration of a motor vehicle previously registered from $5 to $6 and amended Subsec.
(w) to increase safety fee from $1 to $2; P.A. 83-515 amended Subsec. (a), increasing the registration fee for antique, rare
or special interest motor vehicles from $7 to $20; P.A. 84-254 increased the motor vehicle registration fees in all Subsecs.
except (o) and (w), with the increases taking effect as of July first of 1984, 1986, 1988 and 1992, except under Subsec. (v)
as of July first of 1985, 1989, 1991 and 1993; P.A. 84-306 amended Subsec. (w), requiring that moneys from the safety
fee be deposited in the general fund rather than in special safety fund; P.A. 84-429 made technical changes for statutory
consistency; P.A. 85-81 repealed former Subsec. (u) concerning registration fees for vehicles with consular plates; P.A.
85-213 amended Subsec. (q), increasing the distance from the farm which farm vehicles may be operated on highways
from 25 to 35 miles; P.A. 85-525 amended Subsec. (a) to require biennial, instead of annual, registration of any motor
vehicle for which special plates have been issued under Sec. 14-20, amended Subsec. (b) to require biennial, instead of
annual, registration of motorcycles, amended Subsec. (e)(1) to require biennial, instead of annual, registration of a passenger
motor vehicle used in part for commercial purposes or of a passenger motor vehicle used as a school bus having a seating
capacity of seven or less, amended Subsec. (e)(3) to require biennial, instead of annual, registration of a commercial motor
vehicle used in part as a passenger motor vehicle or of a motor vehicle having a seating capacity greater than ten and not
used as a public service motor vehicle, amended Subsec. (g) to require biennial, instead of annual, registration of motorcycles
owned or operated by, or in the custody of, a manufacturer of, dealer in or repairer of motorcycles, amended Subsec. (m)(1)
to require biennial, instead of annual, registration of a trailer used exclusively for camping or any other recreational purpose,
amended Subsec. (q) to require biennial, instead of annual, registration of motor vehicles used exclusively for farming
purposes, amended Subsec. (t) to require biennial, instead of annual, registration of campers, and amended Subsec. (x) to
require biennial, instead of annual, registration of vanpool vehicles; P.A. 85-613 amended Subsec. (o) to apply to vehicles
owned by municipalities "as defined in section 7-245"; P.A. 86-157 added Subsec. (z), specifying fee for special use
registration; P.A. 86-383 amended Subsec. (e) to prohibit registration of "combination" motor vehicles weighing over
10,000 pounds and to require registration fee refunds for "combination" registrations and amended Subsec. (g) to reflect
change from imposition of biennial to annual fee; P.A. 86-388 amended Subsec. (w), substituting "number" plate for
marker plate and providing that the $2 fee be charged for issuance of a set of plates; P.A. 87-304 amended Subsec. (i) to
add an exemption from assessment of the fee for transfer of registration of a vehicle previously registered for handicapped
persons receiving a special international symbol of access number plate after transfer of their previously unexpired registrations and amended Subsec. (w) to add an exemption from assessment of the safety fee for handicapped persons receiving
a special international symbol of access number plate after transfer of their previously unexpired registrations; P.A. 87-329 maintained the fees at the levels existing on and after July 1, 1986, and decreased the fees effective July 1, 1992, to
the levels formerly existing on and after July 1, 1988, and made several technical changes; P.A. 87-362 amended Subsec.
(t) to require registration fee refunds for camper registrations and amended Subsec. (w) to include an exemption from
assessment of the safety fee; P.A. 87-425 amended Subsec. (b) by changing the amount deemed appropriated to the
department of transportation for purposes of continuing the program of motorcycle rider education from $2 of the total
fee with respect to the registration of such motorcycle to $4, and by specifying that such amount shall be entered upon the
records of the special transportation fund, rather than the general fund; P.A. 88-194 amended Subsec. (a) to eliminate the
registration fee for antique fire apparatus and transit buses owned by nonprofit organizations and used primarily for public
events; P.A. 89-232 amended Subsec. (q) to eliminate the mileage limitation on operation of motor vehicles used exclusively
for farming purposes, to prohibit the use of such vehicles for transporting goods for hire and to prohibit the issuance of
farm registrations to any person having gross annual farm sales of less than $1,000; P.A. 90-263 amended Subsec. (b)(1)
to substitute phrase "for commercial purposes" for "as a commercial motor vehicle" with respect to registration of motorcycle with side car or box attached, amended Subsec. (c) to substitute taxicab or motor vehicle in livery service for public
service motor vehicle other than a motor bus, amended Subsec. (e)(1) to delete phrase re registration "of a passenger motor
vehicle used as a school bus having a seating capacity of seven or less", to substitute ten for seven in Subsec. (e)(2) with
regard to seating capacity of a school bus or other vehicle used as a school bus, to provide that fees specified in Subsec.
(e)(3) apply to registration of motor vehicle used in part for commercial purposes and as a passenger motor vehicle, deleting
reference to public service motor vehicle, and to provide in Subsec. (e)(4) that motor vehicles used in part for commercial
purposes and private passenger purposes be issued a combination registration, deleting reference to passenger and commercial registration, amended Subsec. (h) to add phrase "registration of a" after "the minimum annual fee for any commercial",
amended Subsec. (m)(2) to substitute commercial registrations for commercial motor vehicles, and amended Subsec. (n)(2)
to substitute motor vehicle used to transport passengers for hire for public service motor vehicle and Subsec. (n)(3) to
substitute motor vehicle used for commercial purposes for commercial motor vehicle; P.A. 90-299 added Subsec. (aa)
concerning assessment of fees for late registration renewals; P.A. 92-156 amended Subsec. (aa) to require commissioner
to assess a $10 late fee for registration renewal if registrant fails to renew within 5 days after expiration, eliminating
schedule of graduated increases in late fees; P.A. 92-177 amended Subsecs. (a) and (e) to eliminate requirement that
commissioner refund one-half of registration fee when plates are returned with one year or more remaining until expiration,
amended Subsecs. (o) and (p) to require that a $20 fee be charged for inspection, amended Subsec. (s) to increase additional
registration fee from $47 to $65, making fee applicable to plates bearing any combination of letters or numbers requested
by registrant and issued in discretion of commissioner, to increase fee effective July 1, 1992, from $53 to $65, and to
require that a $30 fee be charged for registration renewals in addition to regular fee prescribed, deleting prohibition re
charging an additional fee except for first year of issuance, and amended Subsec. (w) to increase safety fee from $2 to $5;
P.A. 93-74 amended Subsec. (s) by eliminating fee for renewal of vanity plate, effective July 1, 1994; P.A. 93-341 amended
Subsec. (c) to delete fee provisions rendered obsolete as of July 1, 1992, amended Subsec. (e) to delete fee provisions
rendered obsolete as of July 1, 1992 and to specify fees for type I and type II school buses, and amended Subsec. (p) by
eliminating the weight-based registration fees and replacing them with fees based on seating capacity and deleting provisions re annual inspection and fees, effective July 1, 1994 (Revisor's note: The phrase "added shall be" which should have
been deleted from before the words "eight dollars" at the end of Subsec. (e)(3) was deleted editorially by the Revisors to
correct a technical clerical error); P.A. 94-189 amended Subsec. (i) by changing the reference to Subsec. (b) of Sec. 14-153a to Subsec. (d) and deleted obsolete language re fee increases, and further, amended Subsec. (aa) by adding exception
re trailers used exclusively for camping or any other recreational purpose, effective July 1, 1994; P.A. 95-260 amended
Subsec. (a) to require commissioner to refund one-half of registration fee for passenger registration when plates are returned
on or after January 1, 1995, with one year or more remaining until expiration, effective June 13, 1995; P.A. 96-167 amended
Subsec. (q) to make a technical change, to prohibit the use of motor vehicles used exclusively for farming purposes for
taking the on-the-road skills test portion of the motor vehicle operator's license examination, to prohibit the issuance of
farm registrations to any person having gross annual farm sales of less than $2,500 instead of $1,000 and to authorize
commissioner to issue farm registrations for passenger motor vehicles under such conditions as prescribed in regulations;
P.A. 96-222 amended Subsec. (d) to insert "or its successor agency" after "Interstate Commerce Commission" and amended
Subsec. (m)(2) to eliminate the commissioner's authority to charge fee for heavy duty trailer or other heavy construction
equipment for part of a year and to make a technical change, effective July 1, 1996; P.A. 96-248 amended Subsec. (v) to
increase fee for motor vehicle learner's permit or renewal from $5.50 to $6 and deleted obsolete fee schedule, effective
January 1, 1997; P.A. 97-226 amended Subsec. (w) to make a technical change and to allow commissioner to waive safety
fee for any person who submits a police report indicating that number plate has been stolen or mutilated for purpose of
obtaining the sticker attached to plate, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 97-309 amended Subsec. (w) to require deposit of safety
fee in Special Transportation Fund rather than General Fund, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 97-322 changed effective date
of P.A. 97-309 but without affecting this section; P.A. 98-152 amended Subsec. (a) by making technical changes and
deleting a provision mandating the commissioner to refund one-half of certain registration fees and added Subsec. (bb) re
the refund of one-half of a registration fee; P.A. 99-118 amended Subsec. (o) by increasing the number of vehicles a
disabled veteran may register without fee from one owned passenger motor vehicle to three passenger motor vehicles,
campers or passenger and commercial motor vehicles leased or owned; P.A. 99-232 amended Subsec. (aa) to insert designator for Subpara. (A) and add Subpara. (B) re a motor vehicle designed or permanently altered to provide living quarters
for travel or camping (Revisor's note: In Subsec. (aa) the subparagraph designators (A) and (B) were changed editorially
by the Revisors to subdivision designators (1) and (2) for consistency with customary statutory usage); P.A. 00-169 made
technical corrections in Subsec. (o) and amended Subsec. (q) to add provisions that motor vehicles with farm registrations
used for transporting ten or more passengers meet certain equipment and mechanical condition requirements and such
vehicles used for transporting fifteen or more passengers also meet the applicable requirements of the Code of Federal
Regulations adopted by the commissioner, and that the operator of such a vehicle hold a public transportation permit or
endorsement under Sec. 14-44, and made a technical change for the purpose of gender neutrality; P.A. 02-70 amended
Subsec. (e)(4) to revise the basis for issuing a combination registration from the vehicle's gross weight to its gross vehicle
weight rating and, effective July 1, 2002, amended Subsec. (q) to make a technical change; P.A. 02-105 made a technical
change in Subsec. (i), effective January 1, 2003; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-4 amended Subsec. (a) to increase fees for
registration of passenger motor vehicle other than electric motor vehicle from $70 to $75 for two years and, for persons
age 65 or older, from $35 to $38 for one year and from $70 to $75 for two years, and to increase fee for biennial registration
of vehicle with special license plates from $70 to $75, amended Subsec. (b) to increase biennial fee for registration of
motorcycle to $40 and to make a technical change, amended Subsec. (c) to increase registration fee for each taxicab or
motor vehicle in livery service, with seating capacity of seven or less, from $105 to $125, amended Subsec. (e) to increase
biennial fee for registration of passenger motor vehicle used in part for commercial purposes from $78 to $83 in Subdiv.
(1) and to increase registration fee for motor vehicle used in part for commercial purposes and as passenger vehicle, and
for motor vehicle having seating capacity of greater than ten and not used as conveyance for hire, to amount for commercial
vehicle based on weight plus $13, rather than $8, in Subdiv. (3), and amended Subsec. (v) to increase fees for learner's
permit or renewal from $6 to $18 and for motorcycle learner's permit or renewal from $5.50 to $15, effective January 1,
2004; P.A. 04-143 amended Subsec. (v) to substitute "training" permit for "learner's" permit, effective May 21, 2004;
P.A. 04-182 amended Subsec. (i) to increase fee from $11 to $20 for registration of motor vehicle previously registered,
amended Subsec. (n) by replacing former provisions with provisions to increase fee for temporary registration or renewal
of such registration of a noncommercial motor vehicle to $20 for each 10-day period, or part thereof, of a commercial
motor vehicle with a gross vehicle weight of 6,000 pounds or less to $25 for each 10-day period, or part thereof, and of a
commercial motor vehicle with a gross vehicle weight of more than 6,000 pounds to $46 for each 10-day period, or part
thereof, and amended Subsec. (z) to increase fee for special use registration for period of 30 days or less from $10 to $20,
effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 04-199 amended Subsec. (c) to change registration fee from annual in amount of $125 to
biennial in amount of $250, effective July 1, 2004, amended Subsec. (e) to except pick-up trucks and to require commissioner
to issue combination registration to passenger vehicle used in part for commercial purposes in Subdiv. (1), to require
commissioner to issue combination registration to passenger vehicle used in part for commercial purposes or to vehicle
having seating capacity greater than ten not used for conveyance of passengers for hire in Subdiv. (3), to make conforming
changes in Subdiv. (4), and to add Subdiv. (5) to establish biennial registration fee for pick-up truck and to permit issuance
of passenger registration for pick-up truck meeting specified requirements, effective June 3, 2004, and amended Subsec.
(p) to change registration fees from annual to biennial, double amount of each fee and add provision re registration schedule,
and amended Subsec. (bb) to delete former Subdivs. (1) and (2) and provide for refunding of registration fee for any motor
vehicle when number plates and registration certificate returned with one year or more remaining before expiration of
registration, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 05-218 amended Subsec. (e) by specifying applicability to pick-up truck "having
a gross vehicle weight rating of less than 12,500 pounds" in Subdivs. (1) and (5) and, in Subdiv. (4), changing weight limit
from 10,000 to 12,500 pounds; P.A. 07-167 deleted former Subsec. (x) re biennial fee for vanpool vehicle registration and
redesignated existing Subsecs. (y) to (bb) as Subsecs. (x) to (aa), effective July 1, 2007; P.A. 08-150 amended Subsec. (w)
to delete requirement that police report indicate that number plate or set of number plates have been stolen or mutilated
"for the purpose of obtaining the sticker attached to the plate denoting the expiration date of the registration"; P.A. 09-187
amended Subsec. (w) to delete provision re waiver of safety fee if number plates were stolen or mutilated; P.A. 10-110
amended Subsec. (o) to delete operator's license fee exemption re motor vehicles owned by municipality or governmental
or military agency, effective July 1, 2010; P.A. 11-6 increased fees in Subsec. (a) for biennial registration from $75 to $80,
one-year registration from $38 to $40, and biennial registration of vehicle with special plates from $75 to $80, in Subsec.
(b) for biennial registration of motorcycle from $40 to $42, and biennial registration of motorcycle with side car from $56
to $60, in Subsec. (c) for a taxicab from $250 to $266, in Subsec. (d) for a motor bus, from $53 to $56, and for a multiple-state passenger carrier, from $1.25 plus $39 to $1.25 plus $42, in Subsec. (e)(1) for passenger vehicle used in part for
commercial purposes from $83 to $88, in Subsec. (e)(2) for a type I school bus from $100 to $107 and for a type II school
bus from $60 to $64, in Subsec. (e)(3) for a vehicle used in part for commercial purposes or one having seating capacity
greater than ten, from a biennial fee for gross weight plus $13 to a biennial fee for gross weight plus $14, and in Subsec.
(e)(5) for a pick-up truck from a biennial fee for gross weight plus $13 to a biennial fee for gross weight plus $14, in
Subsec. (f) for registration of an electric motor vehicle, from $18 to $19, in Subsec. (g) for motorcycles, from $35 to $37,
in Subsec. (h) for commercial registration from $56 to $60, in Subsec. (i) for previously-registered vehicle from $20 to
$21, in Subsec. (k) for a hearse from $35 to $37, in Subsec. (l) for truck used in industrial plant from $28 to $30, in Subsec.
(m) for trailer from $18 to $19 and for construction equipment from $306 to $326, in Subsec. (n) for temporary registration
from $20 to $21, for temporary registration of vehicle used for commercial purposes from $25 to $27, and for temporary
registration of a high-weight vehicle used for commercial purposes from $46 to $49, in Subsec. (p) for registration of
service bus with capacity of 16 or fewer, from $200 to $213, for service bus with capacity of more than 16, from $700 to
$747, for service bus with capacity of 16 or fewer owned by nonprofit from $150 to $160 and for service bus with capacity
of more than 16 owned by nonprofit from $500 to $533, in Subsec. (q) for farming vehicle from $28 to $30, in Subsec. (s)
for vanity plates from $65 to $69, in Subsec. (t) for a camper from $70 to $75, in Subsec. (v) for a learner's permit from
$18 to $19 and for a motorcycle training permit from $15 to $16, in Subsec. (x) for a high-mileage vehicle from $44 to
$47, and in Subsec. (y) for a special use registration from $20 to $21, and amended Subsec. (z) by adding a late registration
fee of $150 dollars, effective July 1, 2011.
| (Return to Chapter Table of Contents) | (Return to List of Chapters) | (Return to List of Titles) |
Sec. 14-50a. Fees for copies, abstracts, duplicates, replacements and searches.
Restriction on use of information. Penalty. (a) Except as otherwise provided in this
section, the fee charged by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles for the following items
or services shall be twenty dollars:
(1) Duplicate of a registration certificate.
(2) For each duplicate of a motor vehicle operator's license or identity card, thirty
dollars. As used in this section, "duplicate" shall include any license or identity card
that is reissued prior to the expiration date of a previously issued license or identity card,
and (A) is identical to the holder's most recently issued license or identity card, or (B)
contains modifications to one or more items of information that appear on the holder's
most recently issued license or identity card. Notwithstanding the provisions of this
subdivision, one duplicate shall be issued, for a fee of five dollars, to the holder of a
license or identity card who reaches the age of twenty-one years.
(3) Replacement number plate or set of number plates, except as provided in subsection (c) of section 14-253a.
(4) Replacement number plate or set of number plates bearing same number as set
of replaced plates.
(5) Certified abstract of driving history record, or driving history record for applicants for commercial driver's license with passenger endorsement or transportation
permit.
(6) Name of registered owner.
(7) Operator license information.
(8) Certification of any copy or record.
(9) Certified transcripts of hearing held by the commissioner, three dollars and fifty
cents per page with a minimum charge of twenty dollars.
(10) Each copy of a motor vehicle operator's completed application for a license.
(11) Each copy of a completed application for registration of a motor vehicle.
(12) Each copy of a title document provided to a municipality.
(13) Each request for information as provided in section 14-10, the amount provided
in said section.
(14) Each document from a motor vehicle record, as defined in section 14-10, that
is electronically maintained by the Department of Motor Vehicles.
(15) For any copy or material released from information maintained by the Department of Motor Vehicles for which no fee is established by statute, an amount determined
by the commissioner.
(b) The commissioner may establish fees not conforming to those of subsection (a)
of this section for information furnished on a volume basis to persons or firms who satisfy
the commissioner that the information furnished is properly required in connection with
the conduct of such person's or firm's business, except that commencing on August 16,
2003, the fee established under this subsection for driving history records furnished to
for-profit businesses shall be not less than fifteen dollars.
(c) The commissioner may waive any fee specified in subdivision (3) or (4) of
subsection (a) of this section in the case of any person who submits a police report to
the commissioner indicating that the number plate or set of number plates have been
stolen or mutilated.
(d) No person, firm or corporation furnished information by the commissioner as
provided by this section shall distribute such information for any other purpose than
that for which it was furnished.
(e) Any person, firm or corporation which violates any provision of this section
shall be fined not more than one hundred dollars.
(P.A. 73-549, S. 1, 4; P.A. 74-283, S. 1, 2; P.A. 77-381, S. 1, 2; P.A. 80-466, S. 15, 25; P.A. 82-413; P.A. 83-443; 83-489, S. 15, 17; P.A. 84-254, S. 36, 62; 84-546, S. 41, 173; P.A. 85-525, S. 4, 6; P.A. 87-304, S. 2; 87-329, S. 13; P.A. 92-177, S. 1, 12; P.A. 94-206, S. 2; P.A. 97-226, S. 4, 6; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-1, S. 117; P.A. 04-199, S. 16; P.A. 09-187, S. 40; P.A. 11-6, S. 141.)
History: P.A. 74-283 amended Item 4 in Subsec. (a) table to refer to set of plates rather than one plate; P.A. 77-381
changed fee for duplicate of operator's license (Item 2) in Subsec. (a) table from $2 to $3; P.A. 80-466 amended Items 3
and 4 in table in Subsec. (a) to include references to single plates; P.A. 82-413 raised fee for a driving history record from
$4 to $5; P.A. 83-443 amended Subsec. (a) to impose a fee of $3 for each search of the department's accident record files
made as a result of a request for a copy of an accident report which resulted in no document being found; P.A. 83-489
amended Subsec. (a) to increase the fee for a replacement number plate or set of number plates from $3 to $5; P.A. 84-254 amended Subsec. (a) to increase all the fees except under item 9., making the increases effective on successive July
first dates of varying years; P.A. 84-546 made technical changes in Subsec. (a); P.A. 85-525 amended Subdivs. 3. and 4.
of Subsec. (a) to increase fee for replacement number plate or set of plates from $6 to $7.50, on and after July 1, 1984,
from $8 to $10, on and after July 1, 1986, from $9 to $11, on and after July 1, 1988, and from $10 to $12, on and after July
1, 1992; P.A. 87-304 amended Subsec. (a)(3) to include an exemption from assessment of the fee for issuance of replacement
number plates for handicapped persons receiving a special international symbol of access number plate after transfer of
their previously unexpired registrations; P.A. 87-329 amended Subsec. (a) to maintain fees at the levels existing on and
after July 1, 1986, where appropriate and decreasing the fees effective July 1, 1992, to the levels formerly existing on and
after July 1, 1988, and to make technical changes throughout the subsection; P.A. 92-177 amended Subsec. (a)(1) to increase
fee for duplicate of registration certificate from $3 to $5 and to eliminate fee increase effective July 1, 1992, amended
Subsec. (a)(2) to establish fees for first, second and subsequent duplicate of motor vehicle operator's license and to eliminate
fee increase effective July 1, 1992, amended Subsec. (a)(9) to increase fee for certified abstract of driving history record
from $5 to $10 and to impose such fee for certified abstract of driving history record for applicants for commercial driver's
license or transportation permit, amended Subsec. (a)(10) to increase fee for name of registered owner from $0.75 to $4.50
and to eliminate fee increase effective July 1, 1992, amended Subsec. (a)(11) to increase fee for operator license information
to $5.50 and to eliminate schedule of fee increases, added new language in Subsec. (a)(14) to establish $7 fee for copy of
motor vehicle operator's completed license application, added Subsec. (a)(15), establishing new $7 fee for copy of completed registration application, and added Subsec. (a)(16), establishing new $10 fee for copy of title document provided
to a municipality and renumbered remaining Subdiv. accordingly; P.A. 94-206 created a new Subsec. (a)(17) re fees for
providing information under Sec. 14-10 and renumbered former Subdiv. (17) as Subdiv. (18); P.A. 97-226 amended Subsec.
(a)(3) to make a technical change, amended Subdivs. (3) to (8), inclusive, and (12) and (13) of said Subsec. to eliminate
obsolete provisions, inserted new Subsec. (c), allowing commissioner to waive any fee in Subsec. (a)(3) or (4) for any
person who submits a police report indicating that number plate has been stolen or mutilated for purpose of obtaining the
sticker attached to plate, and relettered existing Subsecs. (c) and (d) as (d) and (e), respectively, effective July 1, 1997;
June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-1 amended Subsec. (a) to provide that the fee under said subsection, unless otherwise provided,
shall be $20 and amended Subsec. (b) to provide that the fee for driving history records shall be not less than $15, effective
August 16, 2003; P.A. 04-199 amended Subsec. (b) to limit minimum $15 fee to driving history records furnished to for-profit businesses, effective June 3, 2004; P.A. 09-187 amended Subsec. (c) to delete "for the purpose of obtaining the
sticker attached to the plate denoting the expiration date of the registration"; P.A. 11-6 amended Subsec. (a) to add identity
card, define "duplicate", add $5 fee for duplicate of license or identity card issued to holder who turns 21 and make technical
changes in Subdiv. (1), delete former Subdivs. (5) to (8) and redesignate existing Subdivs. (9) to (17) as Subdivs. (5) to
(13), add new Subdiv. (14) re document electronically maintained and redesignate existing Subdiv. (18) as Subdiv. (15),
effective July 1, 2011.
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(D)
DEALERS' AND REPAIRERS' LICENSES
Sec. 14-52. New car dealer's, used car dealer's, repairer's and limited repairer's licenses. Cash or surety bonds. Penalty. (a) No person, firm or corporation may
engage in the business of the buying, selling, offering for sale or brokerage of any motor
vehicle or the repairing of any motor vehicle without having been issued either a new
car dealer's, a used car dealer's, a repairer's or a limited repairer's license. The license
fee for each such license, payable to the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles, shall be as
follows: (1) New motor vehicle dealer, seven hundred dollars; (2) used motor vehicle
dealer, five hundred sixty dollars; and (3) repairer or limited repairer, three hundred forty
dollars. Each such license shall be renewed biennially according to renewal schedules
established by the commissioner so as to effect staggered renewal of all such licenses.
If the adoption of a staggered system results in the expiration of any license more or
less than one year from its issuance, the commissioner may charge a prorated amount
for such license fee. Not less than forty-five days prior to the date of expiration of each
such license, the commissioner shall send or transmit to each licensee, in a manner
determined by the commissioner, an application for renewal. Any licensee which has
not filed the application for renewal accompanied by the prescribed fee prior to the date
of expiration of its license shall cease to engage in business. An application for renewal
filed with the commissioner after the date of expiration shall be accompanied by a late
fee of one hundred dollars. The commissioner shall not renew any license under this
subsection which has expired for more than forty-five days.
(b) (1) Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, each applicant for a
repairer's or a limited repairer's license shall furnish a cash bond or a surety bond in
the amount of five thousand dollars.
(2) Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, each applicant for a new
car dealer's or a used car dealer's license shall furnish a cash bond or a surety bond in
the amount of fifty thousand dollars.
(3) Each applicant for a leasing or rental license issued pursuant to section 14-15,
who is engaged in the leasing or renting of motor vehicles for periods of thirty days or
more shall furnish a cash bond or a surety bond in the amount of ten thousand dollars.
(4) Each such bond required under subdivisions (1) to (3), inclusive, of this subsection shall be conditioned upon the applicant or licensee complying with the provisions
of any state or federal law or regulation relating to the conduct of such business and
provided as indemnity for any loss sustained by any person by reason of any acts of the
licensee constituting grounds for suspension or revocation of the license or such licensee
going out of business. Each cash bond shall be deposited with the commissioner and
each surety bond shall be executed in the name of the state of Connecticut for the benefit
of any aggrieved party, but the penalty of the bond shall not be invoked except upon
order of the commissioner after a hearing held before said commissioner in accordance
with the provisions of chapter 54.
(c) The commissioner may request information from any applicant for a repairer's
license or used car dealer's license concerning the financial status and ability of such
applicant to comply with the requirements of this subpart and the regulations adopted
thereunder. The commissioner shall review such information to determine if the applicant has sufficient financial resources to conduct the business in a manner consistent
with the reasonable security and protection of its customers in regard to the duties and
responsibilities imposed by the provisions of this subpart and the regulations adopted
thereunder. The commissioner may refuse to issue a license if the applicant fails to
provide any such information requested or, if, after review by the commissioner, the
commissioner is not satisfied as to such applicant's financial status. The commissioner
may, in any case deemed appropriate, grant a license on condition that the applicant
post a cash bond or a surety bond, in accordance with the provisions of subsection (b)
of this section, in an amount prescribed by the commissioner that is greater than the
minimum amount required by the applicable provisions of said subsection (b). Any
applicant aggrieved by any decision of the commissioner made pursuant to this subsection shall be afforded an opportunity for hearing in accordance with the provisions of
chapter 54. The commissioner may adopt regulations in accordance with chapter 54 to
carry out the provisions of this subsection.
(d) Any person, firm or corporation engaging in the business of the buying, selling,
offering for sale or brokerage of any motor vehicle or of the repairing of any motor
vehicle without a license shall be guilty of a class B misdemeanor.
(e) The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles shall transmit to the Commissioner of
Revenue Services and the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection a
summary of any complaint that the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles receives alleging
that a person, firm or corporation is engaging in the business of the buying, selling,
offering for sale or brokerage of any motor vehicle or of the repairing of any motor
vehicle without a license.
(1949 Rev., S. 2392; 1953, S. 1308d; 1961, P.A. 581, S. 10; 1967, P.A. 384; P.A. 75-577, S. 25, 126; P.A. 77-305; 77-376, S. 1, 3; P.A. 81-172, S. 4; P.A. 83-489, S. 8, 17; P.A. 84-254, S. 37, 62; 84-391, S. 5, 8; 84-508; 84-528, S. 1; P.A.
85-613, S. 29, 154; P.A. 86-58; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-13, S. 6, 21; P.A. 93-164, S. 2; P.A. 95-301; P.A. 96-167, S. 8; P.A.
02-70, S. 22; P.A. 10-110, S. 12; P.A. 11-213, S. 22, 57.)
History: 1961 act increased license fees; 1967 act included brokerage of motor vehicles in activities requiring license;
P.A. 75-577 added provision that failure to secure license is an infraction; P.A. 77-305 deleted provision re infraction;
P.A. 77-376 increased fee for new motor vehicle dealer from $25 to $50, for used motor vehicle dealer from $20 to $40
and for repairer from $12 to $24; P.A. 81-172 included a provision for a limited repairer's license; P.A. 83-489 doubled
license fees; P.A. 84-254 increased the license fees scheduling increases to take effect as of July first of 1985, 1989, 1991
and 1993, and made editorial change for grammatical correctness in sentence following Subdiv. (3), substituting "shall"
for "to"; P.A. 84-391 provided for the staggered renewal of dealers' and repairers' licenses, deleting provision whereby
licenses ran from day of issuance to last day of February next following; P.A. 84-508 specified that license fee is payable
to motor vehicles commissioner and added Subsec. (b) requiring an applicant for a dealer's or repairer's license to furnish
a surety bond; P.A. 84-528 added Subsec. (c) providing that any person, firm or corporation repairing motor vehicles
without a license shall be guilty of a class C misdemeanor; P.A. 85-613 made technical change in Subsec. (a)(3); P.A. 86-58 amended Subsec. (b)(3) to provide that surety bond penalty may be invoked upon order of motor vehicle commissioner
after administrative hearing and eliminated reference to court adjudication; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-13 increased new motor
vehicle dealer license fee from $225 to $560 and $700 after July 1, 1993, increased the used motor vehicle license fee from
$225 to $450 and $500 after July 1, 1993, increased the repairer or limited repairer license fee from $235 to $270 and $340
after July 1, 1993, changed renewal requirement of each license from annual to biennial and deleted obsolete fee increases;
P.A. 93-164 amended Subsec. (b) by increasing the repairer's and limited repairer's license surety bond from $2,500 to
$5,000, increasing the new car dealer's and used car dealer's license surety bond from $5,000 to $20,000 and inserting
new Subdiv. (3) requiring an applicant for a leasing or rental license pursuant to Sec. 14-15 to furnish a $10,000 surety
bond, renumbering and revising former Subdiv. (3) accordingly; P.A. 95-301 amended Subsec. (c) to change penalty for
unlicensed motor vehicle repair business, from class C misdemeanor to class B misdemeanor, and added Subsec. (d) re
transmission of summaries of complaints re such unlicensed businesses; P.A. 96-167 amended Subsec. (a) to add provisions
re mailing of application for renewal, failure to file such application with fee, imposition of $100 late fee for application
filed after date of license expiration and to provide that commissioner shall not renew license which has expired for more
than 45 days; P.A. 02-70 amended Subsec. (a) to delete provisions re fees applicable prior to July 1, 1993, and re payment
of fees to commissioner, amended Subsec. (b) to add an exception re Subsec. (c) in Subdivs. (1) and (2) and to make a
technical change for purposes of gender neutrality in Subdiv. (4), inserted new Subsec. (c) to allow commissioner to request
financial information from any applicant for a repairer's license or used car dealer's license, to review the information to
determine if the applicant has sufficient financial resources to conduct business, to allow commissioner to refuse to issue
a license if the applicant fails to provide information or if the commissioner is unsatisfied as to the applicant's financial
status, to allow commissioner to grant a license on condition that applicant post a surety bond, to provide opportunity for
a hearing and to allow commissioner to adopt regulations, redesignated existing Subsecs. (c) and (d) as Subsecs. (d) and
(e), amended Subsec. (d) to make the buying, selling, offering for sale or brokerage of any motor vehicle without a
license a class B misdemeanor and amended Subsec. (e) to require commissioner to transmit to the Revenue Services and
Environmental Protection Commissioners a summary of any complaint alleging the buying, selling, offering for sale or
brokerage of any motor vehicle without a license and to make a technical change for purposes of gender neutrality; P.A.
10-110 amended Subsec. (b)(2) to increase surety bond amount from $20,000 to $50,000; P.A. 11-213 amended Subsec.
(a) to replace "mail" with "send or transmit" and add "in a manner determined by the commissioner" re renewal applications,
amended Subsecs. (b) and (c) to insert "cash bond" and amended Subsec. (b)(4) to require each cash bond to be deposited
with commissioner, effective July 13, 2011 (Revisor's note: In Subsec. (e), "Commissioner of Environmental Protection"
was changed editorially by the Revisors to "Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection" to conform with
changes made by P.A. 11-80, S. 1).
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Sec. 14-61. Issuance of temporary transfer of registration by dealer. Fee. Return of number plates and registration applications by dealer. (a) Any dealer licensed under the provisions of this subpart who in the opinion of the commissioner is
qualified and sells or trades a passenger motor vehicle, motorcycle, camper, camp trailer,
commercial trailer, service bus, school bus or truck to a transferee who holds a current
registration certificate for a passenger motor vehicle, motorcycle, camper, camp trailer,
commercial trailer, service bus, school bus or truck registered in this state may issue a
sixty-day temporary transfer of such registration to the vehicle transferred with an official stamp issued by the commissioner, under regulations adopted by the commissioner,
to such dealer. The commissioner shall charge such dealer a fee of ten dollars for each
new temporary dealer transfer form furnished for the purposes of this section. No dealer
may make such temporary transfer of a registration unless the transferee surrenders the
current registration certificate to the dealer indicating the disposition of the vehicle
described thereon in the space provided on the reverse side of such certificate and unless
the transferee is eighteen years of age or older. The dealer shall, within five days from
the issuance of such temporary registration, submit to the commissioner an application
together with all necessary documents for a permanent registration for the vehicle transferred. No such temporary registration may be issued if (1) the transferred passenger
motor vehicle, motorcycle, camper, camp trailer, commercial trailer, service bus, school
bus or truck is used and was not previously registered in this state, unless the inspection
requirements of section 14-12 have been met, (2) such motor vehicle is ten or more
years old, unless the inspection requirements of section 14-16a have been met, or (3)
such motor vehicle has been declared a total loss by an insurance company, unless the
inspection requirements of section 14-103a have been met.
(b) The commissioner may require any dealer who is authorized to issue a temporary
transfer of registration in accordance with subsection (a) of this section or a new registration in accordance with subsection (c) of section 14-12 to file each application for a
permanent registration by electronic transmission of an electronic record if the commissioner determines that the dealer files, on average, ten or more such applications for
permanent registration each month with the Department of Motor Vehicles. The provisions of this subsection do not preclude any such dealer from filing an application for
a permanent registration in person at any branch office of the department.
(c) If any dealer licensed under this subpart holds a dealer license that is no longer
valid or if any such licensed dealer is no longer conducting its licensed business, such
dealer shall return to the commissioner, within five business days of such license becoming invalid or the termination of such business, (1) any number plates or other materials
supplied by the commissioner to enable such dealer to issue new registrations under
subsection (c) of section 14-12 or to complete the temporary transfer of registrations
under subsection (a) of this section, and (2) any applications for new registrations or
registration transfers that were not acted upon or completed by such dealer when it was
conducting its licensed business. A violation of any provision of this subsection shall
be an infraction.
(1949 Rev., S. 2401; 1961, P.A. 178; 1967, P.A. 197; 1969, P.A. 279; 1972, P.A. 127, S. 18; P.A. 73-417; P.A. 81-172, S. 6; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-13, S. 7, 21; P.A. 93-341, S. 21; P.A. 95-260, S. 10, 24; P.A. 00-169, S. 2; June Sp. Sess.
P.A. 01-9, S. 53, 131; P.A. 09-187, S. 15; P.A. 10-110, S. 19; P.A. 11-213, S. 23.)
History: 1961 act extended temporary transfer period from 10 to 20 days; 1967 act expanded provisions re temporary
transfers and deleted provision re authorization to issue new registrations and transfer registrations; 1969 act included
temporary transfers of motorcycles; 1972 act changed age of majority from 21 to 18; P.A. 73-417 included transfers of
trucks with gross weight not exceeding 10,000 pounds and limited transfer power to dealers whom commissioner considers
to be qualified; P.A. 81-172 required totalled motor vehicles to be inspected prior to being issued a temporary transfer of
registration; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-13 added fee for book of twenty-five new temporary dealer transfer forms; P.A. 93-341 changed the temporary transfer period from 20 days to 45 days and extended the deadline for submission of an
application to the commissioner from 5 days after issuance of the temporary registration to 7 days; P.A. 95-260 included
temporary transfers of campers, camp trailers and trucks with gross weight not exceeding 25,000 pounds in lieu of 10,000
pounds, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 00-169 replaced a 45-day with a 60-day temporary transfer of a registration, changed
the period of time a dealer shall submit an application to the commissioner for a permanent registration from 7 to 5 days,
and made a technical change for the purpose of gender neutrality; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-9 designated existing provisions
as Subsec. (a), increased the fee for a new temporary dealer transfer form from $5 for a book of twenty-five forms to $10
for each form and added new Subsec. (b) to allow the commissioner to require a dealer who is authorized to issue a
temporary transfer of registration or a new registration to file each application for a permanent registration electronically
if such dealer files an average of twenty-five applications or more each month, effective July 1, 2001 (Revisor's note: The
reference in Subsec. (a) to "subdivision (D)" was changed editorially by the Revisors to "subpart (D)" for clarity of
reference); P.A. 09-187 amended Subsec. (b) to reduce average monthly applications filed by dealer from 25 or more to
10 or more, effective July 1, 2009; P.A. 10-110 made a technical change in Subsec. (a) and added Subsec. (c) re return of
number plates and applications by dealer holding invalid dealer license or dealer no longer in business, effective July 1,
2010; P.A. 11-213 amended Subsec. (a) to add "commercial trailer, service bus, school bus", delete gross vehicle weight
limit, insert numeric Subdiv. designators, and make technical changes.
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(G)
MANUFACTURERS
Sec. 14-67d. Manufacturer's registrations. Fees. Financial responsibility. The
commissioner may issue to each manufacturer licensed under the provisions of sections
14-67a to 14-67d, inclusive, registrations with the same distinguishing number. Each
such registration shall expire biennially on the last day of June. For the issuance of each
such registration and for the biennial renewal thereof there shall be charged a fee of one
hundred forty dollars; except that the fee for a commercial registration shall be the fee
charged for the maximum gross weight of the motor vehicle on which such number
or mark is used and except as otherwise provided by subsection (g) of section 14-49.
Registration certificates issued under the provisions of this section shall not be required
to be carried upon such motor vehicles when on the public highways as required under
subsection (a) of section 14-13. The manufacturer shall furnish financial responsibility
satisfactory to the commissioner, in accordance with section 14-112, provided such
financial responsibility shall not be required from a manufacturer if the commissioner
finds that such manufacturer is of sufficient financial responsibility to meet such legal
liability.
(1972, P.A. 255, S. 5; P.A. 83-428; P.A. 84-254, S. 43, 62; 84-429, S. 59; P.A. 87-329, S. 17; P.A. 90-263, S. 62, 74;
P.A. 11-6, S. 142.)
History: P.A. 83-428 increased the registration fee for manufacturer's vehicles from $8 to $20 and included a separate
fee provision for commercial motor vehicles; P.A. 84-254 periodically increased the fee from $20 to $40 as of July 1,
1992; P.A. 84-429 made technical changes for statutory consistency; P.A. 87-329 maintained the fee at the level existing
on and after July 1, 1986, and decreased the fee effective July 1, 1992, to the level formerly existing on and after July 1,
1988; P.A. 90-263 substituted commercial registration for commercial motor vehicles in the exception; P.A. 11-6 changed
registration from annual with $35 fee to biennial with $140 fee, changed fee for commercial registration from half the fee
for maximum gross weight to amount equal to such fee, and added requirement for manufacturer to furnish financial
responsibility, effective July 1, 2011.
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Sec. 14-69. License to conduct a drivers' school. Penalty. (a) No person shall
engage in the business of conducting a drivers' school without being licensed by the
Commissioner of Motor Vehicles. An application for a license shall be in writing and
shall contain such information as the commissioner requires. Each applicant for a license
shall be fingerprinted before such application is approved. The commissioner shall subject each applicant for a license to state and national criminal history records checks
conducted in accordance with section 29-17a, and a check of the state child abuse and
neglect registry established pursuant to section 17a-101k. If any such applicant has a
criminal record or is listed on the state child abuse and neglect registry, the commissioner
shall make a determination of whether to issue a license to conduct a drivers' school in
accordance with the standards and procedures set forth in section 14-44 and the regulations adopted pursuant to said section. If the application is approved, the applicant shall
be granted a license upon the payment of a fee of three hundred fifty dollars and a deposit
with the commissioner of cash or a bond of a surety company authorized to do business
in this state, conditioned on the faithful performance by the applicant of any contract
to furnish instruction, in either case in such amount as the commissioner may require,
such cash or bond to be held by the commissioner to satisfy any execution issued against
such school in a cause arising out of failure of such school to perform such contract.
For each additional place of business of such school, the commissioner shall charge a
fee of eighty-eight dollars. No license shall be required in the case of any board of
education, or any public, private or parochial school, which conducts a course in driver
education established in accordance with sections 14-36e and 14-36f. A license so issued
shall be valid for one year. The commissioner shall issue a license certificate or certificates to each licensee, one of which shall be displayed in each place of business of the
licensee. In case of the loss, mutilation or destruction of a certificate, the commissioner
shall issue a duplicate upon proof of the facts and the payment of a fee of twenty dollars.
(b) The annual fee for the renewal of a license shall be three hundred fifty dollars
and the annual renewal fee for each additional place of business shall be eighty-eight
dollars. If the commissioner has not received a complete renewal application and all
applicable renewal fees on or before the expiration date of an applicant's license, the
commissioner shall charge such applicant, in addition to such renewal fees, a late fee
of three hundred fifty dollars.
(c) Any person who engages in the business of conducting a drivers' school without
being licensed in accordance with this section shall be guilty of a class B misdemeanor.
(1957, P.A. 507, S. 2; 1967, P.A. 406; 531, S. 2; 778; 1971, P.A. 95; P.A. 84-254, S. 45, 62; P.A. 03-265, S. 10; P.A.
04-143, S. 21; 04-182, S. 9; P.A. 10-110, S. 38; P.A. 11-213, S. 24.)
History: 1967 acts provided for charge of $25 for each additional place of business, excluded from license requirements
persons or schools providing instruction in operation of vehicles other than passenger vehicles and under the jurisdiction
of the state board of education pursuant to Sec. 10-8, and added provision re cash or bond security; 1971 act raised cost
of duplicate certificate from $1 to $2; P.A. 84-254 increased the fees, scheduling the increases to take effect as of July first
of 1985, 1989, 1991 and 1993; P.A. 03-265 deleted provisions re fees applicable before July 1, 1993, and replaced provisions
re waiver of license for board of education or school conducting driver education course approved by the State Board of
Education or person or school under jurisdiction of said board with provisions re waiver of license for board of education
or school conducting driver education course "established in accordance with sections 14-36e and 14-36f"; P.A. 04-143
provided that fee for license to conduct a drivers' school is $350 and fee for replacement license is $7, effective May 21,
2004; P.A. 04-182 increased fee for duplicate certificate to $20, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 10-110 designated existing
provisions as Subsec. (a) and amended same to require criminal history records checks and check of state child abuse and
neglect registry for drivers' school license or license renewal applicant, delete provision re annual renewal fee and deposit
of security and make technical changes, and added Subsec. (b) establishing annual renewal fee for license and for each
additional place of business and late fee, effective July 1, 2010; P.A. 11-213 deleted provisions re renewal of license in
Subsec. (a) and added Subsec. (c) re penalty for conduct of school without license, effective July 1, 2011.
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Sec. 14-73. Instructor's license. Master instructor's license. Regulations. (a)
No person shall be employed by any such school licensee to give instruction in driving
a motor vehicle unless such person is licensed to act as an instructor by the commissioner.
(b) Application for an instructor's license shall be in writing and shall contain such
information as the commissioner requires. Each applicant for a license shall be fingerprinted and shall furnish evidence satisfactory to the commissioner that such applicant
(1) is of good moral character considering such person's state and national criminal
history records checks conducted in accordance with section 29-17a, and record, if any,
on the state child abuse and neglect registry established pursuant to section 17a-101k.
If any applicant for a license or the renewal of a license has a criminal record or is listed
on the state child abuse and neglect registry, the commissioner shall make a determination of whether to issue or renew an instructor's license in accordance with the standards
and procedures set forth in section 14-44 and the regulations adopted pursuant to said
section; (2) has held a license to drive a motor vehicle for the past four consecutive
years and has a driving record satisfactory to the commissioner, including no record of
a conviction or administrative license suspension for a drug or alcohol-related offense
during such four-year period; (3) has had a recent medical examination by a physician
licensed to practice within the state and the physician certifies that the applicant is
physically fit to operate a motor vehicle and instruct in driving; (4) has received a high
school diploma or has an equivalent academic education; and (5) has completed an
instructor training course of forty-five clock hours given by a school or agency approved
by the commissioner, except that any such course given by an institution under the
jurisdiction of the board of trustees of the Connecticut State University System shall be
approved by the commissioner and the State Board of Education. During the period of
licensure, an instructor shall notify the commissioner, within forty-eight hours, of an
arrest or conviction for a misdemeanor or felony, or an arrest, conviction or administrative license suspension for a drug or alcohol-related offense.
(c) The commissioner may deny the application of any person for an instructor's
license if he determines that the applicant has made a material false statement or concealed a material fact in connection with his application for the instructor's license.
(d) The commissioner shall conduct such written, oral and practical examinations
as he deems necessary to determine whether an applicant has sufficient skill in the
operation of motor vehicles to ensure their safe operation, a satisfactory knowledge of
the motor vehicle laws and the ability to impart such skill and knowledge to others. If
the applicant successfully completes the examinations and meets all other requirements
of this section, the commissioner shall issue an instructor's license to such applicant.
The license shall be valid for use only in connection with the business of the drivers'
school or schools listed on the license. If the applicant fails the examination, such applicant may apply for reexamination after one month. The license and the license renewal
shall be valid for one year.
(e) The licensee shall be reexamined periodically in accordance with standards
specified in regulations adopted under section 14-78. Persons licensed for the first time
as instructors shall, in the three years following their initial licensure, attend seminars,
annually, in traffic safety sponsored by the Department of Motor Vehicles or take an
advanced instructor course of not less than forty-five clock hours in traffic safety approved by the commissioner. Proof of compliance with the requirement for attendance
at seminars or the taking of instruction shall be made before license renewals are issued.
The seminars shall be self-sustaining.
(f) The commissioner may establish, by regulations adopted in accordance with the
provisions of chapter 54, standards and procedures for the training and licensing of
master instructors who are qualified to train driving instructors. The provisions of subsection (b) of this section and section 14-74 shall apply to master instructors.
(g) The fee for an instructor's license, or for any renewal thereof, shall be fifty
dollars. The fee for a master instructor's license, or for any renewal thereof, shall be
one hundred dollars. If the commissioner has not received a complete renewal application and fee on or before the expiration date of an applicant's license, such applicant
shall be charged, in addition to the renewal fee, a late fee in an amount equal to the fee
for such applicant's license.
(h) Any person who is not licensed in accordance with this section shall be guilty
of a class B misdemeanor if such person: (1) Engages in the business of providing, for
compensation, instruction in driving a motor vehicle; or (2) is employed by a drivers'
school to give instruction in driving a motor vehicle.
(1957, P.A. 507, S. 6; 1971, P.A. 456, S. 1; 1972, P.A. 127, S. 19; P.A. 73-252; P.A. 76-379; P.A. 78-355, S. 2; P.A.
83-587, S. 28, 96; P.A. 84-254, S. 46, 62; 84-429, S. 27; 84-546, S. 42, 173; P.A. 86-90, S. 2; P.A. 91-256, S. 65, 69; P.A.
02-70, S. 31; P.A. 04-182, S. 10; P.A. 08-150, S. 11; P.A. 10-110, S. 39; P.A. 11-213, S. 25.)
History: 1971 act expanded requirements re qualifications and licensure of driving instructors adding to requirements
that applicant never have been convicted of crime involving moral turpitude, have had recent medical exam, have high
school diploma or its equivalent and have completed instructor training course and elaborating on examination, reexamination, annual course requirements etc.; 1972 act changed minimum age requirement from 21 to 18 reflecting change in age
of majority; P.A. 73-252 replaced requirement that instructors take courses in traffic safety annually until 80 hours completed in first four years following licensure with requirement that they take advanced instructor course of at least 45 hours
during three years following licensure; P.A. 76-379 amended Subsec. (a)(6) to allow courses approved by motor vehicle
commissioner or state board of education rather than by both and added exception re approval by both for courses given
by state college; P.A. 78-355 amended Subsec. (a)(6) to delete reference to state board of education approval except with
regard to state college programs, amended Subsec. (c) to allow option of taking advanced course or attending annual
seminars in traffic safety; P.A. 83-587 substituted reference to institution governed by Connecticut State University board
of trustees for "state college" in Subsec. (a); P.A. 84-254 amended Subsec. (e) to increase periodically the fee from $3 to
$10.75 as of July 1, 1993; P.A. 84-429 relettered Subsecs., rephrased provisions, deleted obsolete provisions re instructors
issued licenses before January 1, 1972, and made other technical changes; P.A. 84-546 made technical changes to Subsec.
(a) to clarify reference to "state board of education"; P.A. 86-90 amended Subsec. (b) to require applicant for instructor's
license to hold operator's license for past four consecutive years, rather than past two years, and to eliminate reference to
age of such applicant; P.A. 91-256 made a technical change in Subsec. (b); P.A. 02-70 amended Subsec. (e) to require that
the licensee be reexamined periodically in accordance with standards specified in regulations adopted under Sec. 14-78,
in lieu of reexamination prior to issuance of a renewal of license or at any time during the license period, and to delete
"after January 1, 1972"; P.A. 04-182 amended Subsec. (f) to increase fee for instructor's license to $50 and delete provision
re past fee increases, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 08-150 amended Subsec. (b)(1) to delete provision re evidence that
applicant "has never been convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude" and add provision re person's "criminal record
and record, if any, on the state child abuse and neglect registry established pursuant to section 17a-101k, as obtained and
reviewed by the commissioner in accordance with the standards of section 14-44", amended Subsec. (b)(2) to add "including
no record of a conviction for a drug or alcohol-related offense during such four-year period", amended Subsec. (d) to add
"and meets all other requirements of this section" and made technical changes; P.A. 10-110 amended Subsec. (b) to require
fingerprinting of applicant, to replace consideration of criminal record with consideration of state and national criminal
history records checks and require decision re issuance or renewal to persons with criminal records or listed on abuse and
neglect registry to be made in accordance with Sec. 14-44 and regulations in Subdiv. (1), to add administrative license
suspension in Subdiv. (2) and to require instructor to notify commissioner of arrest or conviction for misdemeanor or
felony, or arrest, conviction or administrative license suspension for drug or alcohol-related offense, amended Subsec. (d)
to allow application for reexamination after 1 month, instead of 3 months, and to change licensure and validity from
calendar year to 1 year, added new Subsec. (f) to authorize adoption of regulations re master instructors and to make
Subsec. (b) and Sec. 14-74 applicable to such instructors, redesignated existing Subsec. (f) as Subsec. (g) and amended
same to establish fee for issuance or renewal of master instructor's license and late fee, and made technical changes in
Subsecs. (b) and (d); P.A. 11-213 added Subsec. (h) re penalty for provision of instruction without license, effective July
1, 2011.
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Sec. 14-96p. Color of lights. Flashing or revolving lights. Authorized use of
blue or green lights. (a)(1) No person shall display upon any motor vehicle any light
visible from the front thereof other than white, yellow or amber, or any light other than
red, yellow, amber or white visible from the rear thereof, except a light used with any
school bus, without a special permit from the commissioner, in accordance with the
provisions of subsection (c) of section 14-96q. Notwithstanding this subsection, no
permit shall be required for motor vehicles that are (A) equipped with lights in accordance with this section and section 14-96q, (B) owned or leased by the federal government, the state of Connecticut or a Connecticut municipality, (C) registered to such
governmental entity, and (D) displaying government plates.
(2) Any vehicle accommodating fifteen or fewer handicapped students may use a
flashing red light or lights during the time such vehicle is stopped for the purpose of
receiving or discharging such handicapped students, any motor bus may carry a purple
light or lights, any interstate public service vehicle may carry a green light or lights,
any taxicab may carry a lunar white light or lights, and any interstate commercial motor
vehicle may display green identification lights, in front thereof, as the commissioner
may permit.
(3) A vehicle being operated by the chief executive officer of an emergency medical
service organization, as defined in section 19a-175, the first or second deputies, or if
there are no deputies, the first or second assistants, of such an organization that is a
municipal or volunteer or licensed organization, an ambulance, as defined in section
19a-175, a vehicle being operated by a local fire marshal or a local director of emergency
management may use a flashing red light or lights or flashing white head lamps and a
flashing amber light while on the way to the scene of an emergency, except that an
ambulance may use flashing lights of other colors specified by federal requirements for
the manufacture of such vehicle. The chief executive officer of each such organization
shall provide annually during the month of January, on forms provided by the commissioner, such officer's name and address and the registration number on the number plate
or plates of the vehicle on which the authorized red light is or white head lamps and
amber light are to be used. A vehicle being operated by a member of a volunteer fire
department or company or a volunteer emergency medical technician may use flashing
white head lamps, provided such member or emergency medical technician is on the
way to the scene of a fire or medical emergency and has received written authorization
from the chief law enforcement officer of the municipality to use such head lamps. Such
head lamps shall only be used within the municipality granting such authorization or
from a personal residence or place of employment, if located in an adjoining municipality. Such authorization may be revoked for use of such head lamps in violation of this
subdivision.
(4) Flashing or revolving white lights may not be displayed upon a motor vehicle
except (A) on fire emergency apparatus, (B) on motor vehicles of paid fire chiefs and
their deputies and assistants, up to a total of five individuals per department, and may
be displayed in combination with flashing or revolving red lights, (C) on motor vehicles
of volunteer fire chiefs and their deputies and assistants, up to a total of five individuals
per department, and may be displayed in combination with flashing or revolving red
lights, (D) as a means of indicating a right or left turn, (E) in conjunction with flashing
red lights on an ambulance responding to an emergency call, or (F) on the top rear of
any school bus. For the purpose of this subsection, the term "handicapped students"
means mentally retarded, hard of hearing, deaf, speech-impaired, visually handicapped,
emotionally disturbed, orthopedically impaired or other health-impaired students, or
students with specific learning disabilities, who by reason thereof, require special education and related services; and the term "flashing white lights" shall not include the
simultaneous flashing of head lamps.
(b) A blue light may not be illuminated upon a motor vehicle, except that a vehicle
being operated by an active member of a volunteer fire department or company or an
active member of an organized civil preparedness auxiliary fire company who has been
authorized in writing by the chief executive officer of such department or company may
use such a light, including a flashing blue light, while on the way to the scene of a fire
or other emergency requiring his services. Such authorization may be revoked by such
officer or his successor. The chief executive officer of each volunteer fire department
or company or organized civil preparedness auxiliary fire company shall certify annually
during the month of January, on forms provided by the commissioner, the names and
addresses of members whom he has authorized to use a blue light as provided in this
subsection. Such listing shall also designate the registration number on the number plate
or plates of the vehicle on which the authorized blue light is to be used.
(c) A flashing green light may not be used upon a motor vehicle, except that a vehicle
being operated by an active member of a volunteer ambulance association or company
who has been authorized in writing by the chief executive officer of such association
or company may use such a light while on the way to the scene of an emergency requiring
his services. Such authorization may be revoked by such officer or his successor. The
chief executive officer of each volunteer ambulance association or company shall certify
annually during the month of January, on forms provided by the commissioner, the
names and addresses of members whom he has authorized to use a green light as provided
in this subsection. Such listing shall also designate the registration number on the number
plate or plates of the vehicle on which the authorized green light is to be used.
(d) Use of lights except as authorized by this section shall be an infraction.
(1967, P.A. 834, S. 17, 18; 1969, P.A. 710; P.A. 73-544, S. 23; P.A. 74-99, S. 1, 3; P.A. 75-577, S. 42, 126; P.A. 78-156, S. 2; P.A. 80-466, S. 16, 25; P.A. 83-41; 83-412, S. 3, 5; P.A. 85-153; 85-217, S. 1; P.A. 87-41, S. 1; P.A. 93-307, S.
4, 34; P.A. 94-189, S. 7; P.A. 96-167, S. 29; P.A. 99-150, S. 1; P.A. 01-192, S. 1; P.A. 04-161, S. 1; P.A. 05-218, S. 9; 05-288, S. 234; P.A. 11-213, S. 26.)
History: 1969 act replaced "displayed" with "illuminated" and "display" with "use" for clarity; P.A. 73-544 replaced
"civil defense" with "civil preparedness" in Subsec. (b); P.A. 74-99 added Subsec. (c) re flashing green lights; P.A. 75-577 added Subsec. (d); P.A. 78-156 amended Subsec. (a) re use of flashing red lights on vehicles accommodating nine or
less handicapped students when vehicle stopped to pick up or discharge the students; P.A. 80-466 amended Subsecs. (b)
and (c) to refer to single license plate; P.A. 83-41 amended Subsec. (a) re blanket permits for department of transportation
motor vehicles; P.A. 83-412 amended Subsec. (a), permitting any motor vehicle accommodating fifteen or less handicapped
students (increased from nine) to use flashing red lights while receiving or discharging passengers and defining "handicapped students" for the purposes of this subsection; P.A. 85-153 amended Subsec. (a) to specify that term "flashing white
lights" shall not include simultaneous flashing of head lamps; P.A. 85-217 amended Subsec. (a), permitting the chief
executive officer of an emergency medical service organization to use flashing red lights while responding to an emergency;
P.A. 87-41 amended Subsec. (a), permitting the use of flashing white lights with flashing red lights on an ambulance
responding to an emergency call; P.A. 93-307 amended Subsec. (a) to provide that an ambulance on the way to the scene
of an emergency may use "flashing white head lamps", effective June 29, 1993; P.A. 94-189 amended Subsec. (a) by
making minor grammatical changes and providing for the use of flashing white head lamps and a flashing amber light
while on the way to the scene of an emergency; P.A. 96-167 amended Subsec. (a) to add exception to allow ambulances
to use flashing lights of other colors specified by federal requirements for manufacture of such vehicles; P.A. 99-150
amended Subsec. (a) by specifying that local fire marshals, emergency management directors and school buses may use
certain flashing lights and by making a technical change; P.A. 01-192 amended Subsec. (a) by dividing existing provisions
into Subdivs. (1) to (4), changing "less" to "fewer" in Subdiv. (2), adding provision in Subdiv. (3) which allows a member
of a volunteer fire department or company or a volunteer emergency medical technician to use flashing white lamps in
certain circumstances, deleting "or" in Subdiv. (3) and redesignating existing Subdivs. (1) to (5) as Subparas. (A) to (E),
in Subdiv. (4); P.A. 04-161 amended Subsec. (a)(4) to provide that both volunteer and paid fire chiefs, deputies and
assistants may display flashing or revolving white lights in combination with flashing or revolving red lights up to four
paid and four volunteer individuals per municipality, to move provisions re volunteers from Subpara. (B) to new Subpara.
(C) and to redesignate existing Subparas. (C) to (E) as new Subparas. (D) to (F), respectively; P.A. 05-218 amended Subsec.
(a) by changing "written" to "special" permit and inserting "in accordance with the provisions of subsection (c) of section
14-96q" in Subdiv. (1) and, in Subdiv. (3) by adding "the first or second deputies, or if there are no deputies, the first or
second assistants, of such an organization that is a municipal or volunteer organization" and, in Subdiv. (4), by changing
"four" to "five" and "municipality" to "department", effective July 6, 2005; P.A. 05-288 amended Subsec. (a)(3) by
replacing "municipal or volunteer organization" with "municipal or volunteer or licensed organization", effective July 13,
2005; P.A. 11-213 amended Subsec. (a)(1) to delete provision re single permit for display of lights on more than one
Department of Transportation vehicle and add exemption from permit requirements for government vehicles, effective
July 13, 2011.
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Sec. 14-99h. Etching of vehicle identification numbers. Marking of component
parts. Penalty. Regulations. (a) Each new car dealer or used car dealer, as defined in
section 14-51, or lessor licensed under the provisions of section 14-15 shall offer the
purchaser or lessee of a new or used motor vehicle, at the time of sale or lease, the
optional service of etching the complete identification number of the vehicle on a lower
corner of the windshield and on each side or rear window in such vehicle. Each such
dealer or lessor may etch the complete identification number of a motor vehicle on any
such vehicle in its inventory prior to its sale or lease provided it specifies the charge for
such service separately on the order for the sale of the motor vehicle as prescribed by
the provisions of section 14-62.
(b) If a new car dealer or used car dealer, as defined in section 14-51, offers the
purchaser of a new or used motor vehicle, at the time of sale, the optional service of
marking vehicle components with the complete vehicle identification number, the dealer
shall specify the charge for such service separately on the order for the sale of the motor
vehicle as prescribed by the provisions of section 14-62. The commissioner may adopt
regulations, in accordance with chapter 54, to implement the provisions of this subsection. Such regulations may provide standards for the marking of component parts in a
secure manner, and for telephone or on-line access to a secure database of vehicles
including motorcycles and parts that have been marked and registered in such database.
Such regulations may also provide for the marking of parts used to replace parts that
have been marked in accordance with the provisions of this subsection, by repairers
licensed in accordance with section 14-52. Each new or used dealer that sells a motorcycle shall offer to the purchaser to mark the complete vehicle identification number on
the component parts of said motorcycle. Such service shall be subject to the regulations
and standards adopted by the commissioner in accordance with this subsection.
(c) Each new car dealer, used car dealer or lessor shall charge reasonable rates
for etching services and parts marking services rendered within the state pursuant to
subsections (a) and (b) of this section and shall file a schedule of such rates with the
Commissioner of Motor Vehicles. Each such dealer or lessor may from time to time
file an amended schedule of such rates with the commissioner. No such dealer or lessor
may charge any rate for such etching services or parts marking services which is greater
than the rates contained in the most recent schedule filed with the commissioner.
(d) A motor vehicle dealer, licensed in accordance with section 14-52 and meeting
qualifications established by the commissioner, may verify a manufacturer's vehicle
identification number to satisfy any provision requiring such verification in this chapter,
or chapter 246a or 247. Such verification shall be provided in a written affidavit signed
by such a motor vehicle dealer, or his designee, and submitted to the commissioner.
Such affidavit shall contain a statement that the manufacturer's vehicle identification
number corresponds to such number (1) on the manufacturer's or importer's certificate
of origin, if the motor vehicle is new, or (2) on a current certificate of title, for all other
vehicles. Such affidavit shall also contain a statement that the vehicle identification
number has not been mutilated, altered or removed.
(e) Any person violating the provisions of subsection (c) of this section, shall be
subject to the penalties of false statement, provided for in sections 14-110 and 53a-157b.
(f) The commissioner may adopt regulations, in accordance with chapter 54, to
implement the provisions of this section.
(P.A. 89-313, S. 1, 5; P.A. 97-236, S. 13, 27; P.A. 98-182, S. 16, 22; P.A. 02-70, S. 32; P.A. 04-199, S. 36; P.A. 06-130, S. 23; P.A. 11-213, S. 27.)
History: P.A. 97-236 amended Subsec. (a) to make a technical change, to require used car dealers and lessors to offer
purchaser or lessee of a new or used motor vehicle, at the time of sale or lease, optional service of etching vehicle identification number on windshield and each side or rear window, to delete references to "passenger" motor vehicle and "truck
having a gross weight of ten thousand pounds or less" and to allow each dealer or lessor to etch the vehicle identification
number of a vehicle on any vehicle in its inventory prior to its sale or lease, provided it specifies the charge for such service,
and amended Subsec. (b) to apply provisions of Subsec. to used car dealers and lessors; P.A. 98-182 added Subsecs. (c)
to (e), inclusive, allowing a licensed motor vehicle dealer to verify a vehicle identification number for certain purposes,
establishing penalties for violating the provisions of verification and authorizing the commissioner to adopt regulations,
effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 02-70 amended Subsec. (a) to require dealers or lessors to specify charges for etching on the
sale order as prescribed by Sec. 14-62 in lieu of the label required by the federal Automobile Information Disclosure Act,
effective June 3, 2002; P.A. 04-199 added new Subsec. (b) re marking of vehicle components, redesignating existing
Subsecs. (b) to (e) as new Subsecs. (c) to (f), respectively, and added references to parts marking services in new Subsec.
(c), effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 06-130 amended Subsec. (b) to include motorcycles and motorcycle dealers; P.A. 11-213
amended Subsec. (c) to delete annual September first filing deadline, effective July 1, 2011.
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Sec. 14-111. Suspension or revocation of registration, license or right to operate. (a) Authority of commissioner. No provision of this chapter shall be construed
to prohibit the commissioner from suspending or revoking any registration or any operator's license issued under the provisions of any statute relating to motor vehicles, or
from suspending the right of any person to operate a motor vehicle in this state, or
from suspending or revoking the right of any nonresident to operate, or the right to any
operation of, any motor vehicle within this state, for any cause that he deems sufficient,
with or without a hearing. Whenever any certificate of registration is suspended or
revoked, all evidence of the same shall be delivered forthwith to the commissioner or
to any person authorized by the commissioner to receive the same, and the commissioner
or any person authorized by the commissioner may seize such certificate of registration
and all evidence of the same. Except as otherwise provided by law, the commissioner
may cancel any such suspension or revocation and may return such certificate of registration or restore the operator's license either with or without an additional fee, provided
no certificate of registration or operator's license which has been suspended for any
definite term, except as provided in subsection (k) of this section, shall be returned or
restored until the term of suspension has been completed. Any appeal taken from the
action of the commissioner shall not act as a stay of suspension or revocation except
with his consent. No service of process shall be necessary in connection with any of the
prescribed activities of the commissioner, but a notice forwarded by bulk certified mail
to the address of the person registered as owner or operator of any motor vehicle as
shown by the records of the commissioner shall be sufficient notice to such person that
the certificate of registration or operator's license is revoked or under suspension.
(b) Suspension of operator's license or privilege. (1) Except as provided in subdivision (2) of this subsection, whenever the holder of any motor vehicle operator's license
has been convicted or has forfeited any bond taken or has received a suspended judgment
or sentence for any of the following violations, the commissioner shall, without hearing,
suspend such person's operator's license or privilege to operate a motor vehicle in this
state as follows: For a first violation of subsection (a) of section 14-224 or section 14-110, 14-215 or 53a-119b, for a period of not less than one year and, for a subsequent
violation thereof, for a period of not less than two years; for a violation of subsection
(a) of section 14-222 or subsection (c) of section 14-224, for a period of not less than
thirty days or more than ninety days and, for a subsequent violation thereof, for a period
of not less than ninety days; for a violation of subsection (b) of section 14-224, for a
period of not less than ninety days and for a subsequent violation thereof, for a period
of not less than one year; for a first violation of subsection (b) of section 14-147, for a
period of not less than ninety days and, for a subsequent violation thereof, for a period
of not less than five years; for a first violation of subsection (c) of section 14-147, for
a period of not less than thirty days and, for a subsequent violation thereof, for a period
of not less than one year.
(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 14-111b, whenever the holder of any
motor vehicle operator's license or learner's permit who is less than eighteen years of
age or whenever a person who does not hold an operator's license who is less than
eighteen years of age has been convicted or has forfeited any bond taken or has received
a suspended judgment or sentence for any of the following violations, the commissioner
shall suspend such person's operator's license or privilege to obtain an operator's license
as follows: For a first violation of subdivision (4) of subsection (a) of section 14-219
or subdivision (4) of subsection (b) of section 14-219, for a period of sixty days and,
for a second violation thereof, for a period of ninety days and, for a third or subsequent
violation thereof, for a period of six months; for a first violation of subsection (a) of
section 14-222, for a period of six months and, for a subsequent violation thereof, for
a period of one year; for a violation of subsection (c) of section 14-224, for a period of
six months and, for a subsequent violation thereof, for a period of one year; for a first
violation of section 14-296aa, for a period of thirty days and, for a second violation
thereof, for a period of ninety days and, for a third or subsequent violation thereof, for
a period of six months.
(c) Suspension of license after fatal accident. Repealed by P.A. 95-260, S. 23, 24.
(d) Hearings. The commissioner may hold hearings in each judicial district on all
matters arising within such judicial district under the provisions of this chapter. He may
use any court room, when the same is not in use by the court, for the purpose of holding
hearings and may require the attendance of any officer authorized to serve criminal
process, and such officer shall be under the direction of the commissioner. The fees of
witnesses and officers shall be the same as in criminal cases before the Superior Court
and shall be paid by the Treasurer upon order of the Comptroller.
(e) Enforcement of order. The Superior Court may, by mandamus or other appropriate remedy, upon application of the commissioner, enforce any order issued by the
commissioner under the provisions of this section.
(f) Failure to return registration, plates or license. In case of failure forthwith
to return any certificate of registration, number plate or plates of any motor vehicle or
operator's license upon order of the commissioner, no certificate of registration shall
be issued for any motor vehicle licensed by the certificate not returned and no operator's
license shall be issued to the negligent party within a period of one year except by an
order of the commissioner.
(g) Person not holding Connecticut operator's license. When any person who
does not hold a Connecticut operator's license is convicted or has his case nolled or is
given a suspended judgment or sentence for a violation of any provision of section 14-36, 14-110, 14-145, subsection (b) of section 14-147, 14-215, 14-224, subsection (a) of
section 14-227a or 14-229, the commissioner shall not issue to him a nonresident or
resident operator's license during such period as the commissioner may determine,
which period shall not be less than the period provided for suspension in subsection (b)
of this section or in subsection (g) of section 14-227a. When any person is convicted
or has his case nolled or is given a suspended judgment or sentence for any violation
of any of the provisions of section 14-12, the commissioner shall not issue registration
for any motor vehicle owned by such person until thirty days after application therefor.
(h) Perjury or false statement. Whenever any person has been prosecuted for
perjury or false statement under the provisions of section 14-110 and the case has been
nolled or a suspended sentence or judgment entered, and when the false statement refers
to the name or age or a former suspension or former conviction of the applicant, the
commissioner shall suspend or withhold such applicant's license for a period of not less
than thirty days plus the period of time wherein the applicant was in possession of the
void license.
(i) Reversal or reduction of suspension or revocation. (1) Whenever any person
has been convicted of any violation of section 14-110, 14-147, 14-215, 14-222 or 14-224 and such person's license has been suspended by the commissioner, such person
may make application to the commissioner for the reversal or reduction of the term of
such suspension. Such application shall be in writing and shall state specifically the
reasons why such applicant believes that the applicant is entitled to such reversal or
reduction. The commissioner shall consider each such application and the applicant's
driver control record, as defined in section 14-111h, and may grant a hearing to the
applicant in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 and section 14-4a.
(2) Any person whose license has been revoked in accordance with subparagraph
(C) of subdivision (3) of subsection (g) of section 14-227a may, at any time after six
years from the date of such revocation, request a hearing before the commissioner,
conducted in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, and the provisions of subdivision (1) of this subsection for reversal or reduction of such revocation. The commissioner
shall require such person to provide evidence that any reversal or reduction of such
revocation shall not endanger the public safety or welfare. Such evidence shall include,
but not be limited to, proof that such person has successfully completed an alcohol
education and treatment program, and proof that such person has not been convicted of
any offense related to alcohol, controlled substances or drugs during the preceding six
years. The commissioner shall require any person, as a condition of granting such reversal or reduction, to install and maintain an approved ignition interlock device, in accordance with the provisions of subsection (i) of section 14-227a. The approved ignition
interlock device shall be installed and maintained for a period of ten years after the date
of the granting of such reversal or reduction. The commissioner may adopt regulations,
in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, to establish standards to implement the
provisions of this section.
(j) Ignition interlock device. Any person whose motor vehicle operator's license
is suspended by the commissioner and whose license is subsequently restricted to the
operation of a motor vehicle that is equipped with an approved, ignition interlock device
who fails to comply with the requirements for the installation and use of such device in
a motor vehicle owned or operated by such person, as set forth in regulations adopted
by the commissioner in accordance with the provisions of subsection (i) of section 14-227a, shall be subject to the resuspension of such person's operator's license for such
period of time, not to exceed the period of the original suspension, as the commissioner
may prescribe.
(1949 Rev., S. 2456; 1949, S. 1345d; 1951, S. 1346d; 1957, P.A. 612, S. 1, 2, 3; 1959, P.A. 220, S. 1; 1961, P.A. 517,
S. 128; February, 1965, P.A. 574, S. 15, 16, 17; 1967, P.A. 263; 1971, P.A. 871, S. 86; P.A. 73-386; P.A. 74-338, S. 53,
94; P.A. 76-42, S. 2; P.A. 78-280, S. 2, 127; P.A. 79-245, S. 1, 2; P.A. 80-438, S. 1; 80-466, S. 18, 25; P.A. 83-534, S. 4-
6; P.A. 93-177; P.A. 95-260, S. 23, 24; P.A. 98-182, S. 13, 22; P.A. 02-70, S. 47, 48; May 9 Sp. Sess. P.A. 02-1, S. 114;
P.A. 03-278, S. 44; P.A. 05-215, S. 2, 5; P.A. 07-167, S. 41; P.A. 08-32, S. 6; 08-150, S. 47, 62; P.A. 09-187, S. 4, 5, 35;
P.A. 11-48, S. 54; 11-51, S. 219; 11-213, S. 28.)
History: 1959 act amended Subsec. (k) to include reference to Secs. 14-219 and 14-222 and deleted reference to a
second violation of Sec. 14-222; 1961 act amended Subsec. (b) to delete provision for suspension for violation of any
statute relating to motor vehicles; 1965 act deleted reference to repealed statute and substituted "subsection (a) of section
14-227a" in Subsecs. (b), (h) and (k); 1967 act clarified provisions of Subsec. (c); 1971 act included reference to prosecution
for false statement in Subsec. (i); P.A. 73-386 deleted reference to "second" violation of Sec. 14-222(a) in Subsec. (b);
P.A. 74-338 deleted provision allowing suspension of license when license holder has had his case nolled upon payment
of any sum of money in Subsec. (b); P.A. 76-42 substituted Sec. 53a-119b for reference to repealed Sec. 14-229; P.A. 78-280 replaced county with judicial district in Subsec. (e); P.A. 79-245 replaced reference to "registered or certified" mail
with "bulk certified" mail in Subsec. (a); P.A. 80-438 amended Subsec. (k) to add provision re treatment and rehabilitation
programs; P.A. 80-466 amended Subsec. (g) to add reference to single license plate; P.A. 83-534 amended Subsec. (b) to
delete a violation of "subsection (a) of section 14-227a" from the list of violations with specified periods of license suspension to reflect inclusion of such suspension periods in Sec. 14-227a, amended Subsec. (h) to include the period provided
for suspension "in subsection (h) of section 14-227a", and amended Subsec. (k) to delete the authorization for a person
convicted of a violation of "subsection (a) of section 14-227a" to apply to the commissioner for a reversal of the suspension
or revocation of his license imposed as a result of such conviction and to delete provision that authorized the commissioner
to require such person to participate in a treatment or rehabilitation program as a condition to the return of his license; P.A.
93-177 amended Subsec. (c) to add provision re the inadmissibility in a civil or criminal proceeding of the fact of a license
suspension when the operator waives his right to a hearing and consents to the license suspension for a period of not less
than one year; P.A. 95-260 repealed Subsec. (c) re suspension of license following fatal accident, effective June 13, 1995;
P.A. 98-182 divided Subsec. (b) into Subdivs. and in Subdiv. (2) allowed the commissioner to suspend the operator's
license of a person who has been arrested for a felony and for whom there is an outstanding warrant for rearrest for failure
to appear, effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 02-70 amended Subsec. (b)(1) to delete reference to periods of suspension of an
operator's license for a first and a subsequent violation of Sec. 14-145 and amended Subsec. (k) to delete references to
Secs. 14-145, 14-219 and 14-229, to eliminate provision re application to commissioner for reversal or reduction of term
of suspension for any person who has had his case nolled or judgment or execution suspended or has forfeited his bond
and to add provision re such application for any person who has had his or her license suspended in accordance with Sec.
14-111c or 14-111n, to allow a person whose license is suspended for specified violations to apply to commissioner for
the reduction of the term of such suspension, deleting references throughout Subsec. to reversal of the revocation, to require
commissioner to consider each application for reversal or reduction of the term of suspension and the applicant's driver
control record and to allow commissioner to grant a hearing to applicant, to eliminate provisions re filing of a trial fee,
and to make technical changes for purposes of gender neutrality, effective July 1, 2002; May 9 Sp. Sess. P.A. 02-1 amended
Subsec. (h) to make a technical change, effective July 1, 2002; P.A. 03-278 made a technical change in Subsec. (b)(1),
effective July 9, 2003; P.A. 05-215 amended Subsec. (b)(1) to reduce from five years to two years the minimum period
of suspension for a subsequent violation of Sec. 14-224(a), 14-110, 14-215 or 53a-119b, effective October 1, 2005, and
applicable to any suspension of an operator's license on or after October 1, 2000, and amended Subsec. (k) to designate
existing provisions as Subdiv. (1) and make technical changes therein and add Subdiv. (2) authorizing a person whose
license has been revoked in accordance with Sec. 14-227a(g)(3)(C) on or after October 1, 1999, to apply for reversal or
reduction of such revocation; P.A. 07-167 amended Subsec. (k)(2) by changing required time period after date of revocation
from 10 years to 6 years, replacing provision re application to commissioner with provision re request for a hearing before
commissioner, conducted in accordance with chapter 54, and added provisions re evidence, installation and maintenance
of ignition interlock device and adoption of regulations; P.A. 08-32 amended Subsec. (b)(1) to add exception re provisions
of new Subsec. (b)(2) and make a technical change, added new Subsec. (b)(2) re suspension provisions for certain violations
by holders of operator's licenses who are less than 18 years of age and redesignated existing Subsec. (b)(2) as Subsec.
(b)(3), effective August 1, 2008; P.A. 08-150 amended Subsec. (b)(2) to require commissioner to suspend operator's license
of holder who is less than 18 years of age for first violation of Sec. 14-219(b)(4), effective August 1, 2008, and added
Subsec. (l) re ignition interlock device, effective October 1, 2008; P.A. 09-187 amended Subsec. (b)(1) to provide penalty
for violation of Sec. 14-224(c) and subsequent violation of Sec. 14-224(b) and to require suspension of privilege to operate
motor vehicle in this state for violations which require suspension of operator's license, effective July 8, 2009, and amended
Subsec. (b)(2) to provide that holder of learner's permit who is less than 18 years of age and person less than 18 years of
age who does not hold an operator's license shall have privilege to obtain operator's license suspended for listed violations
and amended Subsec. (k)(2) to delete "on or after October 1, 1999", effective October 1, 2009; P.A. 11-48 amended Subsec.
(k)(2) to require ignition interlock device be installed and maintained "for a period of ten years after the date of the granting
of such reversal or reduction" rather than "from the date such reversal or reduction is granted until ten years has passed
since the date of such revocation", effective January 1, 2012; P.A. 11-51 made identical changes as P.A. 11-48, effective
January 1, 2012; P.A. 11-213 amended Subsec. (a) to delete references to delivery or seizure of operator's license following
suspension or revocation, add provisions re restoration of license and make technical changes, deleted former Subsec.
(b)(3) re suspension of license upon arrest for a felony and issuance of rearrest warrant for failure to appear, deleted former
Subsec. (d) re notice to municipal officials of revocation or suspension of license or registration and former Subsec. (j) re
filing of surety and redesignated existing Subsecs. (e) to (i), (k) and (l) as Subsecs. (d) to (h), (i) and (j) and amended
Subsec. (i)(1) to delete reference to license suspension in accordance with Sec. 14-111c or 14-111n.
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Sec. 14-111e. Suspension or delay in issuance of operator's license for person
under twenty-one convicted of certain violations. (a) The Commissioner of Motor
Vehicles shall suspend, for a period of one hundred fifty days, the motor vehicle operator's license or nonresident operating privilege of any person under the age of twenty-one who has been convicted of a violation of section 30-88a involving the misuse of an
operator's license. The commissioner shall suspend, for a period of sixty days, the motor
vehicle operator's license or nonresident operating privilege of any person under the
age of twenty-one who has been convicted of a violation of subdivision (1) of subsection
(b) of section 30-89, subsection (a) of section 21a-279a or subsection (d) of section 21a-267. The commissioner shall suspend, for a period of thirty days, the motor vehicle
operator's license or nonresident operating privilege of any person under the age of
twenty-one who has been convicted of a violation of subdivision (2) of subsection (b)
of section 30-89. The commissioner shall conform any suspension for violation of section 30-89 that is in effect on June 25, 2007, to comply with the provisions of this section.
(b) Any person under the age of twenty-one who has not been issued a motor vehicle
operator's license under section 14-36 and who has been convicted of a violation of
section 30-88a involving the misuse of an operator's license, section 30-89 involving
the purchase and possession of alcoholic liquor by a minor, subsection (e) of section 1-1h involving the misuse of an identity card, subsection (a) of section 21a-279a or subsection (d) of section 21a-267 shall not be issued a new operator's license by the commissioner under section 14-36 until a period of one hundred fifty days has elapsed from the
date all applicable requirements for any such license have been satisfied by the applicant.
(P.A. 93-315, S. 1; P.A. 96-199; P.A. 97-201; P.A. 03-171, S. 10; P.A. 07-167, S. 50; P.A. 11-71, S. 4.)
History: P.A. 96-199 increased maximum penalty to 90 days' suspension from 30 days, provided for suspension of a
nonresident operating privilege and made the penalty applicable to violations of Sec. 30-89; P.A. 97-201 designated existing
provisions as Subsec. (a), amended Subsec. (a) to increase the suspension period from 90 days to 150 days, to add provision
re motorcycle operator's license and to make Subsec. (a) applicable to persons under the age of 21, and added Subsec. (b)
re delay of issuance of new operator's license; P.A. 03-171 amended Subsecs. (a) and (b) to delete references to motorcycle
operator's license and amended Subsec. (b) to delete references to Sec. 14-40a; P.A. 07-167 amended Subsec. (a) by
replacing provision re 150-day suspension for conviction of violation of Sec. 30-89 involving purchase and possession of
alcoholic liquor by a minor with provisions re 60-day suspension for conviction of violation of Sec. 30-89(b)(1) and re
30-day suspension for conviction of violation of Sec. 30-89(b)(2) and by adding provision requiring commissioner to
conform suspension for Sec. 30-89 violation in effect on June 25, 2007, to comply with section, effective June 25, 2007;
P.A. 11-71 amended Subsec. (a) to include violation of Sec. 21a-279a(a) or Sec. 21a-267(d) re 60-day suspension and
amended Subsec. (b) to include violation of Sec. 21a-279a(a) or Sec. 21a-267(d), effective July 1, 2011.
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Sec. 14-111g. Operator's retraining program. (a) For the purposes of this subsection, "moving violation" means any violation of subsection (c) of section 14-36 or
section 14-36g, 14-218a, 14-219, 14-222, 14-223, 14-230 to 14-249, inclusive, 14-279,
14-283, 14-289b, 14-296aa, or 14-299 to 14-303, inclusive, and "suspension violation"
means a violation of section 14-222a or 14-224, subsection (a) of section 14-227a, or
section 53a-56b, 53a-57 or 53a-60d. The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles may require
any motor vehicle operator who is twenty-four years of age or less, who has been convicted of a moving violation or a suspension violation, or both, committed on two or
more occasions to attend a motor vehicle operator's retraining program. The commissioner may require any motor vehicle operator over twenty-four years of age, who has
been convicted of a moving violation or a suspension violation or a combination of said
violations, committed on three or more occasions to attend a motor vehicle operator's
retraining program. The commissioner shall notify such operator, in writing, of such
requirement. A fee of not more than sixty dollars shall be charged for the retraining
program. The commissioner, after notice and opportunity for hearing, may suspend the
motor vehicle operator's license of any such operator who fails to attend or successfully
complete the program until the operator successfully completes the program. The hearing shall be limited to any claim of impossibility of the operator to attend the retraining
program, or to a determination of mistake or misidentification.
(b) The retraining program shall be taught by a designee of the Commissioner of
Motor Vehicles or by an instructor approved by the commissioner and shall (1) review
principles of motor vehicle operation, (2) develop alternative attitudes for those attitudes
contributing to aggressive driving behavior, and (3) emphasize the need to practice safe
driving behavior. The retraining program shall be offered by the Department of Motor
Vehicles or by any other organization certified by the commissioner to conduct such
program. Any drivers' school, as defined in section 14-68, that meets the licensure
requirements of part IV of this chapter shall be eligible to seek certification to offer the
motor vehicle operator's retraining program. The commissioner shall determine the
number of program providers necessary to serve the needs of the public. Each organization or drivers' school seeking certification or recertification to conduct such retraining program shall submit an application to the department in such form as the commissioner shall require and an application fee of three hundred fifty dollars. Each such
applicant shall: (A) Be registered to do business in this state and continuously maintain
good standing with the office of the Secretary of the State; (B) file and continuously
maintain a surety bond in the amount of fifty thousand dollars. Such bond shall be
conditioned upon compliance with the provisions of any state or federal law or regulation
concerning the conduct of an operator retraining program and provided as indemnity
for any loss or expense sustained by either the state or any person by reason of any acts
or omissions of the program provider. Such bond shall be executed in the name of the
State of Connecticut for the benefit of any aggrieved party, but the penalty of the bond
shall not be invoked except upon order of the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles after a
hearing held before the commissioner in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54;
(C) have a permanent place of business in this state where all operator retraining program
records shall be maintained and accessible to the commissioner during normal business
hours; (D) submit for approval by the commissioner a detailed curriculum and lesson
plan, including any changes to such curriculum and lesson plan, which shall be used in
each operator retraining class; and (E) electronically transmit information concerning
enrollment and class completion to the commissioner at such times and in such form as
the commissioner shall prescribe. Prior to the certification of an applicant, the commissioner shall investigate the applicant's character, driving history and criminal history.
If the applicant is a business entity, such investigation shall include the principals and
officers of such entity. The applicant shall submit to the commissioner any information
pertaining to current or past criminal or civil actions. The certification of a program
provider by the commissioner shall not be transferable and shall be valid for a two-year
period. Recertification of a provider shall be at the discretion of the commissioner and
in such form and manner determined by the commissioner.
(c) Any person who is required to attend an operator retraining program shall have
such requirement and the completion date of such requirement posted on such person's
driving history record maintained by the commissioner. The date of class completion
shall remain on such person's driving history record until such person has attained thirty-six consecutive months without any additional moving violations or suspension violations specified in subsection (a) of this section being posted to such person's driving
history record. Until the completion of such thirty-six consecutive months, the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles shall suspend such person's operator's license or operating
privilege for: (1) Thirty days upon a first conviction for any specified moving violation
or suspension violation; (2) sixty days upon a second conviction of any specified moving
violation or suspension violation; and (3) ninety days for a third or subsequent conviction
of a specified moving violation or suspension violation.
(d) The commissioner shall adopt regulations in accordance with chapter 54 to implement the provisions of subsections (a) and (b) of this section.
(P.A. 93-181, S. 1, 4; P.A. 95-221, S. 3, 4; P.A. 98-182, S. 12, 22; May 9 Sp. Sess. P.A. 02-1, S. 115; P.A. 03-278, S.
45; P.A. 08-32, S. 7; P.A. 10-110, S. 31; P.A. 11-213, S. 54.)
History: P.A. 93-181 effective June 23, 1993; P.A. 95-221 made the retraining program applicable to all licensed motor
vehicle operators by deleting the provision limiting such program to operators under 18 years of age and the provision
authorizing the commissioner to suspend the operator's license of an operator who does not successfully complete the
program until the operator attains the age of 18 years, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 98-182 amended Subsec. (a) by creating
a suspension violation, altering the requirements for attending a retraining program for persons 24 years of age or younger
and persons over 24 years of age, expanding the retraining program to include the development of alternative attitudes for
those contributing to aggressive behavior and an emphasis on safe driving behavior and added a new Subsec. (b) allowing
the commissioner to retain a portion of the fees collected for the cost of implementing the retraining program, effective
July 1, 1998; May 9 Sp. Sess. P.A. 02-1 amended Subsec. (a) to delete reference to Sec. 14-227a(b), effective July 1, 2002;
P.A. 03-278 made technical changes in Subsec. (a), effective July 9, 2003; P.A. 08-32 redefined "moving violation" in
Subsec. (a) to include violation of Sec. 14-36(c), Sec. 14-36g or Sec. 14-296aa(d), effective August 1, 2008; P.A. 10-110
amended Subsec. (a) to replace "licensed motor vehicle operator" with "motor vehicle operator" and to delete components
of retraining program, deleted former Subsec. (b) re authority of commissioner to retain not more than $10 from each fee
collected pursuant to Subsec. (a) for program costs and added new Subsec. (b) re components of retraining program and
certification of organizations to conduct such program, effective January 1, 2011; P.A. 11-213 redefined "moving violation"
in Subsec. (a), added new Subsec. (c) re operator retraining requirement, driving history record and suspension provisions
during 36 consecutive months following completion of requirement and redesignated existing Subsec. (c) as Subsec. (d).
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Sec. 14-163d. Vehicles in intrastate or interstate commerce. Evidence of security requirements or insurance. Suspension of registration. (a) At least once every
year, each owner of a motor vehicle described in subsection (a) of section 14-163c shall
file with the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles evidence that the owner has in effect the
security requirements imposed by law for each such motor vehicle. The evidence shall
be filed in such form as the commissioner prescribes in accordance with a schedule
established by the commissioner.
(b) The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles may establish a system to verify, by means
of electronic communication, that an owner of a motor vehicle described in subsection
(a) of section 14-163c has the security requirements imposed by law. If the commissioner
uses such system to make an inquiry to any insurance company that is licensed to issue
automobile liability insurance in this state, or to any data source maintained by the
United States Department of Transportation pursuant to the provisions of Title 49, Part
387 of the Code of Federal Regulations, as amended, the commissioner may accept the
results of such inquiry in lieu of a filing by the owner pursuant to subsection (a) of this
section, for the period for which such filing is required.
(c) In addition to other penalties provided by law, the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles, after notice and opportunity for hearing in accordance with chapter 54, shall suspend the registration of each motor vehicle registered in the name of any owner who
fails to file a motor carrier identification report or to provide satisfactory evidence of
the security requirements imposed by law.
(d) Each filing made in accordance with the provisions of subsection (a) of this
section by each for-hire motor carrier or private motor carrier of property or passengers,
and each owner of any motor vehicle that transports hazardous materials, as described
in subsection (a) of section 14-163c, shall provide satisfactory evidence of insurance
coverage or other security in amounts not less than are required by the provisions of
Title 49, Part 387 of the Code of Federal Regulations, as amended. Such requirement
concerning the amount of security that must be evidenced to the commissioner may be
made applicable by the commissioner to the initial registration of any such motor vehicle,
including the registration of any motor vehicle under the International Registration Plan,
in accordance with the provisions of section 14-34a.
(Oct. 25 Sp. Sess. P.A. 05-3, S. 4; P.A. 07-167, S. 11; P.A. 08-150, S. 19; P.A. 11-213, S. 29.)
History: Oct. 25 Sp. Sess. P.A. 05-3 effective January 1, 2006; P.A. 07-167 added Subsec. (c) re evidence of amount
of insurance coverage or other security; P.A. 08-150 added new Subsec. (b) re establishment and use of system to verify
by electronic means that owner of motor vehicle has security requirements imposed by law and redesignated existing
Subsecs. (b) and (c) as Subsecs. (c) and (d), respectively; P.A. 11-213 amended Subsec. (a) to change filing requirement
from biannual to annual and to delete biennial filing requirement for motor carrier identification report, effective July
1, 2011.
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Sec. 14-163e. Periodic inspection of certain vehicles or combinations. (a) No
person or motor carrier, as defined in 49 CFR Section 390.5, as amended from time to
time, shall operate on the highways of this state any motor vehicle or combination of
motor vehicles described in subsection (a) of section 14-163c unless it has had a periodic
inspection as required under 49 CFR Section 396.17, as amended from time to time,
during the preceding twelve months.
(b) No person, dealer or repairer licensed in accordance with section 14-52 or motor
carrier, as defined in 49 CFR Section 390.5, as amended from time to time, shall perform
a periodic inspection in a manner other than as prescribed in 49 CFR Sections 396.17,
396.19 and 396.21, as amended from time to time.
(c) No person, dealer or repairer licensed in accordance with section 14-52 or motor
carrier, as defined in 49 CFR Section 390.5, as amended from time to time, shall make
a false statement regarding the inspection or condition of any vehicle or component that
it is required to inspect under 49 CFR Section 396.17, as amended from time to time,
or regarding the repair or repairs that it has undertaken on any vehicle or component
that is required to be inspected. In addition to the penalties prescribed by this section,
such person, licensed dealer or repairer or motor carrier may be subject to the penalties
prescribed in section 53a-157b.
(d) Any person, motor carrier or licensed dealer or repairer who violates the provisions of subsection (a) or (b) of this section shall be subject to the penalties prescribed
in subsection (e) of section 14-163c. In addition to any civil penalties prescribed in
subsection (e) of section 14-163c, any person, motor carrier or licensed dealer or repairer
who violates the provisions of subsection (c) of this section shall, for a first offense, be
fined not more than one thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than ninety days, or
both, and, for any subsequent offense, be fined not less than two thousand dollars or
imprisoned not more than one year, or both.
(P.A. 11-213, S. 43.)
History: P.A. 11-213 effective July 1, 2011.
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