2023 Connecticut General Statutes › Title 21a - Consumer Protection › Chapter 416 - Department of Consumer Protection › Section 21a-4. (Formerly Sec. 19-171b). - Refund of fees for unused permits. Fine for payment by check or electronic funds transfer returned as uncollectible. Fine for late renewal of license, certificate or registration. Reinstatement of lapsed license.

(a) The Commissioner of Consumer Protection may refund to any permittee the fee paid by him for any permit issued by said commissioner and returned to him prior to its use, provided application for such refund shall be made not later than sixty days after the effective date of such permit.
(b) The Commissioner of Consumer Protection may impose a fine of twenty dollars on any applicant for a permit or license issued by the Commissioner of Consumer Protection who issues to the commissioner a check or electronic funds transfer drawn on the account of such applicant in payment of a permit or license fee and whose check or electronic funds transfer is returned to the Department of Consumer Protection as uncollectible. In addition, the commissioner may require the applicant to pay to the department any fees charged by a financial institution to the department as a result of such returned check or electronic funds transfer.
(c) The Commissioner of Consumer Protection may impose a fine on any applicant who fails to renew a license, permit, certificate or registration not later than the expiration date of such license, permit, certificate or registration. The amount of the fine shall be equal to ten per cent of the renewal fee but shall not be less than ten dollars or more than one hundred dollars.
(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of the general statutes, each applicant whose license has lapsed for a period longer than the length of time allowing automatic reinstatement may apply for reinstatement to the appropriate board. Upon receipt of such application and payment of the fee, the department may, at its discretion, reinstate a lapsed license without examination, provided such application for reinstatement is accompanied by a notarized letter and supporting documentation attesting to the applicant's related work experience in their occupation or profession from the time he or she had let such license lapse. Such applicant, upon approval by the department, shall pay all back license and late fees in order for such license to be reinstated.
(e) When a license, permit, certification or registration has lapsed for a period longer than the length of time allowing automatic reinstatement, or the general statutes are silent as to the period of time during which reinstatement of the license, permit, certification or registration is permissible, an applicant may apply for reinstatement to the department. Upon receipt of such application and payment of the corresponding application fee, the department may, if application was made not later than three years after the date allowing automatic reinstatement, reinstate the lapsed license, permit, certification or registration without examination. The applicant, prior to reinstatement by the department, shall pay all back license and late fees, unless the applicant attests that he or she has not worked in the applicable occupation or profession in this state while the license, permit, certification or registration was lapsed, in which case the applicant shall pay the current year's renewal fee for reinstatement. If the license, permit, certification or registration lapse is three years or more, the applicant shall apply for a new license, permit, certification or registration.
(f) Unless expressly provided otherwise by law, application fees for a license, permit, certification or registration within the purview of the Department of Consumer Protection shall be nonrefundable.
(1959, P.A. 206; P.A. 84-340, S. 1; P.A. 94-36, S. 39, 42; P.A. 99-194, S. 4; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 146(c), (d); P.A. 04-169, S. 17; 04-189, S. 1; P.A. 10-9, S. 7; P.A. 13-196, S. 20, 22; P.A. 17-77, S. 12; P.A. 18-40, S. 5; P.A. 19-177, S. 37.)
History: Sec. 19-171b transferred to Sec. 21a-4 in 1983; P.A. 84-340 added Subsec. (b), allowing the commissioner to fine applicants who pay permit or license fees with a check which is returned as uncollectible; P.A. 94-36 added Subsec. (c) re fine for late renewal, effective January 1, 1995; P.A. 99-194 amended Subsec. (c) to make technical changes and adjust parameters of fine from the greater of 10% of renewal fee or $10, to an amount equal to 10% of renewal fee but no less than $10 and no greater than $100; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6 and P.A. 04-169 replaced Commissioner and Department of Consumer Protection with Commissioner and Department of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 04-189 repealed Sec. 146 of June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, thereby reversing the merger of the Departments of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, effective June 1, 2004; P.A. 10-9 changed “within thirty days of” to “not later than” re expiration date in Subsec. (c), effective May 5, 2010; P.A. 13-196 amended Subsec. (b) by adding provision allowing commissioner to require applicant to pay fees charged by financial institution to department as a result of returned check and added Subsec. (d) re board reinstatement of lapsed license without examination, effective June 21, 2013; P.A. 17-77 amended Subsec. (d) to replace “board” with “department” and added Subsec. (e) re application for reinstatement of lapsed license, permit, certificate and registration, effective July 1, 2017; P.A. 18-40 added Subsec. (f) re nonrefundable application fees, effective July 1, 2018; P.A. 19-177 amended Subsec. (b) by adding references to electronic funds transfer, effective July 9, 2019.