§ 14-50 — Fees for operator's license renewal, passenger endorsement, operator's examination, collection cost and returned check or rejected payment. Waiver of fees.

Connecticut § 14-50

• Jurisdiction: Connecticut
• Title 14: Motor Vehicles. Use of the Highway By Vehicles. Gasoline
• Ch. 246: Motor Vehicles

Text

(a) Subject to the provisions of subsection (c) of section 14-41, any person who renews a motor vehicle operator's license which contains one or more passenger endorsements shall be charged an additional fee of twelve dollars for each year or part thereof for each passenger endorsement. (b) There shall be charged for each examination of an operator of a motor vehicle a fee of forty dollars which shall be paid in such time and manner as the commissioner shall direct. The fee shall cover all parts of the examination. If the applicant fails the examination, or any part thereof, the applicant shall be charged an additional fee of forty dollars to retake the examination, or retake the part that was failed. (c) The commissioner shall waive any operator's license or registration fee, including any renewal fee, in the case of any person in the active service of the armed forces of the United States who was a legal resident of Connecticut at the time of his or her induction; and for one licensing period to any person who is a veteran, as defined in section 27-103 , which person applies for such operator's license or registration within two years following the date of separation and was a legal resident of Connecticut at the time of his or her induction. The commissioner may adopt regulations, in accordance with chapter 54, to implement the provisions of this subsection. (d) The commissioner may adopt procedures for issuing licenses on an expedited basis and may charge a fee of not more than seventy-five dollars for such expedited service. (e) The commissioner may assess a fee to cover the cost of the collection of number plates, motor vehicle registration certificates or operators' licenses, upon the holders thereof; and such number plates, motor vehicle registration certificates or operators' licenses shall not be returned to the holder thereof or reissued until such fee is paid. (f) Whenever any check issued to the commissioner in payment of any fee is returned as uncollectible or a payment of any fee by means of a credit or debit card is rejected or dishonored, the commissioner shall charge the drawer of such check or the person presenting such check to him, or the holder of the credit or debit card or the person presenting such credit or debit card to the commissioner, a fee of thirty-five dollars for each such fee that is due in an amount of not more than two hundred dollars, and a fee of fifteen per cent of the full amount of each such fee that is due in an amount in excess of two hundred dollars, plus all protest fees or charges, to cover the cost of collection. (g) All fees provided for in this chapter shall be construed to be license fees imposed for the administration of this chapter and as compensation for the privilege of using the highways of this state, and to reimburse the state in whole or in part for injury done to the highways by the operation of motor vehicles. See Sec. 14-41(b) re fee for issuance of original operators' license.

Legislative History

(1949 Rev., S. 2389; 1953, 1955, S. 1299d; 1957, P.A. 322; 599, S. 1; 1961, P.A. 481, S. 2; 581, S. 9; 1967, P.A. 807, S. 5, 6; 1969, P.A. 759, S. 9; 1971, P.A. 91; 508; P.A. 74-81; P.A. 75-213, S. 4, 53; P.A. 76-263, S. 7, 9; P.A. 77-6, S. 1, 2; P.A. 78-252, S. 1, 2; P.A. 83-489, S. 7, 17; P.A. 84-254, S. 35, 62; 84-429, S. 55; P.A. 85-525, S. 3, 6; P.A. 87-329, S. 11, 12; P.A. 90-263, S. 18, 74; P.A. 91-13, S. 2, 3; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-9, S. 2, 4; P.A. 93-341, S. 20, 38; P.A. 97-1, S. 2, 4; P.A. 98-95; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-6, S. 78, 85; June Sp. Sess. P. A 01-9, S. 51, 131; P.A. 03-171, S. 9; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-4, S. 22; P.A. 04-182, S. 7; 04-199, S. 21; P.A. 09-187, S. 3, 52; P.A. 12-81, S. 6; P.A. 13-271, S. 21; P.A. 14-130, S. 13; P.A. 18-47, S. 17; P.A. 19-165, S. 13; P.A. 21-79, S. 24.) History: 1961 acts increased inspection fee in Subsec. (b) and added Subsec. (f); 1967 act added provisions re fees for motorcycle operator's licenses in Subsecs. (a) and (b); 1969 act increased fees for motor vehicle or motorcycle operator's license from $6 to $8 and additional fee for public service operator's license from $3 to $4 in Subsec. (a); 1971 acts replaced “discharge” and “discharged” with “separation” and “separated” in Subsec. (c) and required application within two years rather than one year of date of separation and made $5 charge in Subsec. (e) applicable to checks of $50 or less, adding 10% charge for checks over $50; P.A. 74-81 inserted new Subsec. (d) re waiver of fees upon request of fire chief and relettered former Subsec. (d) and remaining subsections accordingly; P.A. 75-213 increased fees in Subsec. (a) from $8 to $10 and from $4 to $5 and in Subsec. (b) from $5 to $6.50; P.A. 76-263 amended Subsec. (a) to include reference to Sec. 14-41 and to increase fee from $10 to $21; P.A. 77-6 included drawers of checks in Subsec. (f); P.A. 78-252 increased charges in Subsec. (f) to $10 for checks not exceeding $100 and 10% for checks over $100; P.A. 83-489 amended Subsec. (b) to increase operator examination fee from $6.50 to $10; P.A. 84-254 increased the fee amounts reflected in the Subsecs., with the increases taking effect on successive July first dates of various years; P.A. 84-429 made technical changes for statutory consistency; P.A. 85-525 amended Subsec. (a) to increase license renewal fee from $26 to $26.50, on and after July 1, 1984, to reduce fee from $32 to $31, on and after July 1, 1986, to reduce fee from $37 to $35.50, on and after July 1, 1988, and to increase fee from $42 to $44, on and after July 1, 1992; P.A. 87-329 amended Subsec. (a), maintaining the fees at the levels existing on and after July 1, 1986, and decreasing the fees effective July 1, 1992, to the levels formerly existing on and after July 1, 1988, and amended Subsec. (g), maintaining the fee at the level existing on and after July 1, 1986, and delaying until July 1, 1992, the fee increase formerly effective on and after July 1, 1988; P.A. 90-263 amended Subsec. (a) to substitute public passenger transportation permit for public service operator's license; and amended Subsec. (b) to delete provisions re inspection fee for public service motor vehicles; P.A. 91-13 amended Subsec. (b) to establish a fee for each advance appointment for operator's license examination; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-9 amended Subsec. (b) to make imposition of the fee for an advance appointment for operator's license examination permissive instead of mandatory; P.A. 93-341 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing reference to “public passenger transportation permit” with “passenger endorsement” and amended Subsec. (d) by deleting references to “class 2” licenses, effective July 1, 1994; P.A. 97-1 deleted obsolete references re fees throughout section, eliminated fee for issuance of home training certificate in Subsec. (g) and relettered existing Subsec. (h) as (g), effective January 30, 1997; P.A. 98-95 amended Subsec. (f) to change fee from $36 to $15 for checks of not more than $100 and from 36% to 15% for checks over $100, limited application of percentage to a $200 maximum and imposed new $35 charge for amounts in excess of $200; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-6 amended Subsec. (a) to provide increased license fees for six-year license and to make technical changes, effective July 1, 2001; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-9 amended Subsec. (a) to provide for the option of a four or six-year license and a corresponding fee structure, effective July 1, 2001; P.A. 03-171 amended Subsec. (a) to delete fees for renewals of motorcycle operator's licenses and amended Subsec. (b) to make examination fee applicable to operator of motor vehicle and delete “motorcycle or other”; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-4 amended Subsec. (a) to increase fees for renewal of motor vehicle operator's licenses from $35.50 to $43 for four-year renewal and from $53 to $65 for six-year renewal, and to increase additional fee for each passenger endorsement from $9 to $12, and amended Subsec. (b) to increase fee for examination of operator of motor vehicle from $36 to $40, effective January 1, 2004; P.A. 04-182 amended Subsec. (f) to increase fees to $35 for returned check issued to commissioner in an amount not more than $200 and to 15% of amount of check in excess of $200, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 04-199 amended Subsec. (c) to require commissioner to waive any operator's license or registration fees, including renewal fees, of persons in active service of the armed forces of the United States meeting requirements of subsection and to permit commissioner to adopt regulations to implement provisions of subsection, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 09-187 amended Subsec. (b) to add provisions re fee payment and coverage, require additional fee to retake examination and delete provisions re advance appointment fee, effective October 1, 2009, and amended Subsec. (f) to add provisions re payment by credit or debit card and make conforming changes, effective July 1, 2009; P.A. 12-81 amended Subsec. (a) to delete provision re fee for renewal of a 4-year license and make additional fee for passenger endorsement apply to part of year, effective July 1, 2012; P.A. 13-271 amended Subsec. (a) to increase fee from $65 to $72; P.A. 14-130 amended Subsec. (d) by replacing provisions re waiver of operator's examination fee for member of fire department or company with provision re expedited service, effective January 1, 2015; P.A. 18-47 amended Subsec. (c) to designate existing provision re honorably separated as Subdiv. (1), add Subdiv. (2) re person with qualifying condition and separation other than with bad conduct characterization or dishonorably, and to make technical changes; P.A. 19-165 amended Subsec. (a) to replace “there shall be charged a fee of seventy-two dollars for each renewal of a motor vehicle operator's license issued for a period of six years and” with “any person who renews a motor vehicle operator's license which contains one or more passenger endorsements shall be charged”, effective January 1, 2020; P.A. 21-79 amended Subsec. (c) to redefine “veteran”. Failure to endorse his license does not make the operator “an unlicensed person.” 104 C. 487; 114 C. 76.