State Codes and Statutes
Statutes > Connecticut > Title14 > Chap246 > Sec14-41Sec. 14-41. Expiration and renewal of operators' licenses and permits. Vision screening. Notice. (a) Except as provided in section 14-41a, each motor vehicle operator's license shall be renewed every six years or every four years on the date of the operator's birthday in accordance with a schedule to be established by the commissioner. On and after July 1, 2009, the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles shall screen the vision of each motor vehicle operator prior to every other renewal of the operator's license of such operator in accordance with a schedule adopted by the commissioner. Such screening requirement shall apply to every other renewal following the initial screening. In lieu of the vision screening by the commissioner, such operator may submit the results of a vision screening conducted by a licensed health care professional qualified to conduct such screening on a form prescribed by the commissioner during the twelve months preceding such renewal. No motor vehicle operator's license may be renewed unless the operator passes such vision screening. The commissioner shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, to implement the provisions of this subsection related to the administration of vision screening.
(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-four dollars for a four-year license, sixty-six dollars for a six-year license and eleven dollars per year for any part of a year thereof. 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 perform license renewals 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 renewal.
(c) The commissioner shall, at least fifteen days before the date on which each motor vehicle operator's license expires, notify the operator of the expiration date. 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 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 section 14-36 shall apply after the sixty-day period.
(d) 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.)
History: 1965 act added proviso clause re holder reaching twenty-one 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 six-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.
See chapter 881b re infractions of the law.
Failure to endorse his license does not make the operator "an unlicensed person." 104 C. 487; 114 C. 76.
