Conn. Gen. Stat. § 20-314

Current with legislation from the 2024 Regular and Special Sessions.

Section 20-314 - License qualifications. Examinations. Renewals. Fees. Reinstatement. Hearings

(a) Licenses shall be granted under this chapter only to persons who bear a good reputation for honesty, truthfulness and fair dealing and who are competent to transact the business of a real estate broker or real estate salesperson in such manner as to safeguard the interests of the public.

(b) Each application for a license or for a renewal thereof shall be made in writing, on such forms and in such manner as is prescribed by the department.

(c) In order to determine the competency of any applicant for a real estate licensee's license, the commission or Commissioner of Consumer Protection shall, on payment of an application fee of one hundred twenty dollars by an applicant for a real estate broker's license or an application fee of eighty dollars by an applicant for a real estate salesperson's license, subject such applicant to personal written examination as to the applicant's competency to act as a real estate broker or real estate salesperson, as the case may be. Each examination shall be prepared by the department or by a national testing service designated by the commissioner and shall be administered to applicants by the department or by such testing service at such times and places as the commissioner may deem necessary. The commission or commissioner may waive the uniform portion of the written examination requirement in the case of an applicant who has taken the national testing service examination in another state within two years from the date of application and has received a score deemed satisfactory by the commission or commissioner. The commissioner shall adopt regulations, in accordance with chapter 54, establishing passing scores for examinations. In addition to such application fee, applicants taking the examination administered by a national testing service shall be required to pay directly to such testing service an examination fee covering the cost of such examination. Each payment of such application fee shall entitle the applicant to take such examination within the one-year period from the date of payment.

(d)

(1) Each applicant shall, before being admitted to such examination, prove to the satisfaction of the commission or the Commissioner of Consumer Protection that the applicant (A) (i) has been actively engaged as a licensed real estate salesperson under the supervision of a supervising licensee, who is licensed in this state, for a minimum period of three years immediately preceding the date the applicant filed such applicant's application, during which period such salesperson engaged in the real estate business for at least one thousand five hundred hours and such supervising licensee, or such supervising licensee's authorized representative, has certified the accuracy of a record of such applicant's active engagement on a form provided by such applicant to such supervising licensee or authorized representative, (ii) has successfully completed a course approved by the commission or commissioner in real estate principles and practices of at least sixty classroom hours of study, (iii) has successfully completed a course approved by the commission or commissioner in real estate legal compliance consisting of at least fifteen classroom hours of study, (iv) has successfully completed a course approved by the commission or commissioner in real estate brokerage principles and practices consisting of at least fifteen classroom hours, (v) has successfully completed two elective courses, each consisting of fifteen classroom hours of study, as prescribed by the commission or commissioner, and (vi) has represented a seller, buyer, lessor or lessee in at least four real estate transactions that closed during the three years immediately preceding the date on which such applicant filed such applicant's application, or (B) has equivalent experience or education as determined by the commission or commissioner. Each supervising licensee, or authorized representative of such supervising licensee, shall certify the accuracy or inaccuracy of a record provided by an applicant to such supervising licensee or authorized representative under subparagraph (A)(i) of this subdivision not later than ninety days after such applicant provides such record to such supervising licensee or authorized representative.

(2) The commission or the commissioner shall waive the elective courses under subparagraph (A)(v) of subdivision (1) of this subsection if the applicant has successfully completed at least twenty real estate transactions within five years immediately preceding the date of application.

(3) Each applicant for a real estate salesperson's license shall, before being admitted to such examination, prove to the satisfaction of the commission or the commissioner that the applicant (A) has successfully completed a course approved by the commission or commissioner in real estate principles and practices consisting of at least sixty classroom hours of study, or (B) has equivalent experience or education as determined by the commission or commissioner.

(e) The provisions of subsections (c) and (d) of this section shall not apply to any renewal of a real estate broker's license, or a real estate salesperson's license issued prior to October 1, 1973.

(f) All licenses issued under the provisions of this chapter shall expire biennially. At the time of application for a real estate broker's license, there shall be paid to the department, for each individual applicant and for each business entity, the sum of one thousand one hundred thirty dollars, and for the biennial renewal thereof, the sum of seven hundred fifty dollars, except that for licenses expiring on March 31, 2022, a prorated renewal fee shall be charged to reflect the fact that the March 2022, renewal shall expire on November 30, 2023. At the time of application for a real estate salesperson's license, there shall be paid to the department five hundred seventy dollars and for the biennial renewal thereof the sum of five hundred seventy dollars. Six dollars of each such biennial renewal fee shall be payable to the Real Estate Guaranty Fund established pursuant to section 20-324a. A real estate broker's license issued to any business entity shall entitle the designated broker, upon compliance with the terms of this chapter, but without the payment of any further fee, to perform all of the acts of a real estate broker under this chapter on behalf of such business entity. Any license which expires and is not renewed on or before the ninetieth day following the expiration date of such license may be reinstated by the commission or department, in the commission's or department's discretion, provided such license has expired for less than three years and the former licensee (1) attests that such former licensee did not work in this state in the occupation or profession in which such former licensee was licensed while such former licensee's license was lapsed, (2) pays the renewal fee due for such license for the year in which such license is reinstated, and (3) completes any continuing education required for such license for the year preceding such reinstatement. If an applicant for reinstatement worked in this state in the occupation or profession in which such applicant was formerly licensed while such license was lapsed, the applicant shall pay all license and late fees due and owing for the lapse period and demonstrate that such applicant has completed all continuing education required for such license for the year preceding such reinstatement. Such late fees shall be assessed for each real estate broker's license in the amount of three hundred seventy-five dollars and for each real estate salesperson's license in the amount of two hundred eighty-five dollars for each year or fraction thereof from the date of expiration of the previous license to the date of payment for reinstatement. If a license has lapsed for at least three years, the former licensee is ineligible for reinstatement under this subsection and may apply for a new license. Notwithstanding any contrary provision of this subsection, a former licensee whose license expired after such former licensee entered military service shall be reinstated without payment of any fee if an application for reinstatement is filed with the commission or department before the third anniversary of such expiration date, and the former licensee provides evidence that is sufficient to demonstrate to the commission or department that such former licensee completed at least six hours of continuing education for such license, including, but not limited to, the mandatory continuing education required for such license, during the calendar year preceding the date on which such application for reinstatement is filed. Any such reinstated broker's license shall expire on the next succeeding November thirtieth. Any such reinstated real estate salesperson's license shall expire on the next succeeding May thirty-first.

(g) Following a denial of a license or license renewal application filed under this section, the department shall send a notice to the applicant who filed such application disclosing such denial and that such applicant may request a hearing by submitting to the Commissioner of Consumer Protection a written hearing request not later than thirty days after the date such denial notice was sent to such applicant. If the applicant requests a hearing during such thirty-day period, the department shall send a notice to such applicant disclosing the grounds for such denial and conduct a hearing concerning such denial in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54. If the commissioner's denial is sustained after such hearing, the applicant may file a new application for such license or license renewal not sooner than one year after the date on which such denial was sustained.

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 20-314

(1953, 1955, S. 2343d; 1959, P.A. 349, S. 1; 462, S. 1; 1961, P.A. 159; February, 1965, P.A. 621, S. 6; 1967, P.A. 445, S. 1, 2; 1969, P.A. 12, S. 1; 398, S. 1; 1971, P.A. 381, S. 1; June, 1971, P.A. 8, S. 92; 1972, P.A. 223, S. 23; P.A. 73-163, S. 2; 73-259, S. 3, 4; 73-616, S. 42; P.A. 77-614, S. 223, 224, 610; P.A. 80-150, S. 1, 2; P.A. 81-361, S. 19, 39; P.A. 82-165; 82-422, S. 6, 14; P.A. 84-140; P.A. 85-41; 85-613, S. 54, 154; P.A 88-329, S. 6, 15; P.A. 89-251, S. 125, 203; P.A. 90-332, S. 7, 31, 32; P.A. 91-229 , S. 6 , 19 ; P.A. 93-354 , S. 9 , 54 ; P.A. 94-36 , S. 13 , 41 , 42 ; P.A. 96-200 , S. 9 ; P.A. 98-10 , S. 8 ; P.A. 99-231 , S. 2 , 7 ; P.A. 03-14 , S. 1 ; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 146 (c), (d); P.A. 04-169 , S. 17 ; 04-189 , S. 1 ; P.A. 07-214 , S. 1 ; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3 , S. 242 ; P.A. 10-9 , S. 10 ; P.A. 13-196 , S. 10 ; P.A. 15-98 , S. 1 ; P.A. 16-185 , S. 25 , 26 .)

Amended by P.A. 23-0084,S. 11 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2023 Regular Session, eff. 4/1/2024.

Amended by P.A. 21-0167, S. 3 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2021 Regular Session, eff. 1/1/2022.

Amended by P.A. 21-0037, S. 26 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2021 Regular Session, eff. 6/4/2021.

Amended by P.A. 16-0185, S. 26 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2016 Regular Session, eff. 7/1/2016.

Amended by P.A. 16-0185, S. 25 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2016 Regular Session, eff. 7/1/2016.

Amended by P.A. 15-0098, S. 1 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2015 Regular Session, eff. 7/1/2016.

Cited. 144 Conn. 647 . Cited. 36 CS 217 .

See Sec. 10a-125 re use of real estate brokers' license fees for maintenance of University of Connecticut Center for Real Estate and Urban Studies. See Sec. 21a-10(b) re staggered schedule for license renewals.