§ 14-50a — Fees for copies, abstracts, duplicates, replacements and searches. Restriction on use of information. Penalty.

Connecticut § 14-50a

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

Text

(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 provided at the main office or a branch office of the Department of Motor Vehicles or by a contractor authorized by the commissioner pursuant to subsection (b) of section 14-41 . (2) For each duplicate of a motor vehicle operator's license or identity card, thirty dollars. As used in this section, “duplicate” includes 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 and transcribed 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.

Legislative History

(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; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5, S. 209; P.A. 23-40, S. 40.) 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; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5 amended Subsec. (a)(9) to add “and transcribed”, effective June 30, 2015; P.A. 23-40 amended Subsec. (a)(1) to add provision re duplication provided at main office or branch office of department or by contractor and amended Subsec. (a)(2) to make a technical change, effective June 12, 2023. Cited. 7 CA 286. Subsec. (d): Statute does not prohibit municipal tax assessor from disclosing information contained in records received from Department of Motor Vehicles or the motor vehicle grand lists compiled from such records; Freedom of Information Commission correctly concluded that assessor violated Sec. 1-210(a) by failing to provide complainant with access to requested motor vehicle grand lists. 47 CS 309.