State Codes and Statutes
Statutes > Connecticut > Title14 > Chap246 > Sec14-73Sec. 14-73. Instructor's license. (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. The applicant shall furnish evidence satisfactory to the commissioner that such applicant (1) is of good moral character considering such 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; (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 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 must be approved by the commissioner and the State Board of Education.
(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 cause him to be fingerprinted and shall issue to him an instructor's license. 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, he may apply for reexamination after three months have elapsed. The license shall be valid for the calendar year within which it is issued, and renewals shall be for succeeding calendar years.
(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. The course shall have been 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 fee for an instructor's license, or for any renewal thereof, shall be fifty dollars.
(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.)
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.
