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General Assembly Committee Bill No. 1150
January Session, 2025
LCO No. 5832
Referred to Committee on VETERANS' AND MILITARY
AFFAIRS
Introduced by:
(VA)
AN ACT PROVIDING FOR NO -COST DRIVER'S LICENSE AND
IDENTITY CARD RENEWALS FOR VETERANS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 14-41 of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2025): 2
(a) (1) An original motor vehicle operator's license shall expire within 3
a period not exceeding seven years following the date of the operator's 4
next birthday. The fee for such license shall be eighty-four dollars. Upon 5
renewal of a license, the commissioner may issue a license for a period 6
to be determined by the commissioner, provided such period does not 7
exceed eight years. The fee for the renewal of a license that expires eight 8
years from the date of issuance shall be ninety-six dollars. The 9
commissioner shall charge a prorated amount of such fee for a license 10
that expires less than eight years from the date of issuance. 11
(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (1) of this 12
subsection, upon application at any time to renew a motor vehicle 13
operator's license of any person whose current license contains such 14 Committee Bill No. 1150
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person's status as a veteran in accordance with subsection (e) of section 15
14-36h, the commissioner shall waive the fee to renew such license. For 16
any such renewal application made earlier than six months prior to the 17
date on which such license expires, the commissioner shall issue to such 18
person a voucher entitling such person to renewal of such person's 19
license, free of charge, during such six-month period. 20
(b) The commissioner may authorize a contractor, including, but not 21
limited to, an automobile club or association licensed in accordance with 22
the provisions of section 14-67 on or before July 1, 2007, or any 23
municipality, to issue duplicate licenses and identity cards pursuant to 24
section 14-50a, renew licenses, renew identity cards issued pursuant to 25
section 1-1h, as amended by this act, and conduct registration 26
transactions. The commissioner may authorize such contractors and 27
municipalities to charge a convenience fee, which shall not exceed eight 28
dollars, to each applicant for a license or identity card renewal or 29
duplication, or for a registration transaction. 30
(c) Any previously licensed operator who fails to renew a motor 31
vehicle operator's license in accordance with subsection (a) of this 32
section shall be charged a late fee of twenty-five dollars upon renewal 33
of such operator's license. 34
(d) The commissioner may, at least fifteen days before the date on 35
which each motor vehicle operator's license or identity card expires, 36
notify the holder of such license or identity card of the expiration date, 37
in a manner determined by the commissioner. The commissioner shall 38
not provide such notification by mail to any such licensee or identity 39
card holder if the United States Postal Service has determined that mail 40
is undeliverable to the address for such person that is documented in 41
the records of the Department of Motor Vehicles. Any previously 42
licensed operator who operates a motor vehicle within sixty days after 43
the expiration date of the operator's license without obtaining a renewal 44
of the license shall be fined in accordance with the amount designated 45
for the infraction of failure to renew a motor vehicle operator's license. 46
Any operator so charged shall not be prosecuted under section 14-36 for 47 Committee Bill No. 1150
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the same act constituting a violation under this section but section 14-36 48
shall apply after the sixty-day period. 49
(e) On and after January 1, 2013, the commissioner may extend the 50
expiration date of an operator's license or identity card for a period of 51
six months when such licensee or identity card holder presents 52
documentation satisfactory to the commissioner that such person was 53
out of the state during the renewal period for such license or identity 54
card, or when the commissioner requires additional time to determine 55
whether such person qualifies for a renewal. The fee for such extension 56
shall be the same as that for a duplicate license under section 14-50a and 57
no part of such fee shall be subject to refund. The commissioner shall 58
not grant more than one extension to any such person pursuant to this 59
subsection. 60
(f) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 1-3a, if the expiration 61
date of any motor vehicle operator's license or any public passenger 62
endorsement falls on any day when the offices of the commissioner are 63
closed for business or are open for less than a full business day, the 64
license or permit shall be deemed valid until midnight of the next day 65
on which the offices of the commissioner are open for a full day of 66
business. 67
(g) The commissioner shall develop, and thereafter revise as needed, 68
a video presentation concerning current state laws that impact 69
motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists and ways to practice safe driving 70
behaviors and reduce transportation-related fatalities and severe 71
injuries. In developing such video presentation, the commissioner may 72
use materials and one or more video presentations developed by a 73
governmental entity, independent contractor or any other party. Upon 74
every other renewal of a motor vehicle operator's license, the 75
commissioner shall require the licensee to watch such video 76
presentation prior to issuing such license. 77
Sec. 2. Section 1-1h of the general statutes is repealed and the 78
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2025): 79 Committee Bill No. 1150
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(a) Any person who does not possess a valid motor vehicle operator's 80
license may apply to the Department of Motor Vehicles for an identity 81
card. The application for an identity card shall be accompanied by the 82
birth certificate of the applicant or a certificate of identification of the 83
applicant issued and authorized for such use by the Department of 84
Correction and a fee of twenty-eight dollars. Such application shall 85
include: (1) The applicant's name; (2) the applicant's address; (3) 86
whether the address is permanent or temporary; (4) the applicant's date 87
of birth; (5) notice to the applicant that false statements on such 88
application are punishable under section 53a-157b; and (6) such other 89
pertinent information as the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles deems 90
necessary. The applicant shall sign the application in the presence of an 91
official of the Department of Motor Vehicles. The commissioner may 92
waive the fee for any applicant (A) who has voluntarily surrendered 93
such applicant's motor vehicle operator's license, (B) whose license has 94
been refused by the commissioner pursuant to subdivision (4) of 95
subsection (e) of section 14-36, (C) who is both a veteran, as defined in 96
subsection (a) of section 27-103, and blind, as defined in subsection (a) 97
of section 1-1f, or (D) who is a resident of a homeless shelter or other 98
facility for homeless persons or a certified homeless youth or certified 99
homeless young adult. The commissioner shall adopt regulations, in 100
accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, to establish the procedure 101
and qualifications for the issuance of an identity card to any such 102
homeless applicant. For the purposes of this subsection, "certified 103
homeless youth" and "certified homeless young adult" have the same 104
meanings as provided in section 7-36. 105
(b) (1) An identity card shall indicate its date of expiration, contain a 106
picture of the applicant and specify the applicant's height, sex and eye 107
color. 108
(2) (A) An original identity card shall expire within a period not 109
exceeding seven years following the date of the applicant's next 110
birthday. Any person who holds an identity card may be notified by the 111
commissioner before its expiration and may renew such card in such 112
manner as the commissioner shall prescribe. Upon renewal of an 113 Committee Bill No. 1150
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identity card, the commissioner may issue an identity card for a period 114
to be determined by the commissioner, provided such period does not 115
exceed eight years. The fee for the renewal of an identity card that 116
expires eight years from the date of issuance shall be thirty-two dollars. 117
The commissioner shall charge a prorated amount of such fee for an 118
identity card that expires less than eight years from the date of issuance. 119
The commissioner shall not provide notification by mail to the holder of 120
an identity card if the United States Postal Service has determined that 121
mail is undeliverable to such person at the address for such person that 122
is in the records of the department. 123
(B) Notwithstanding the provisions of subparagraph (A) of this 124
subdivision, upon application at any time to renew an identity card of 125
any person whose current identity card contains such person's status as 126
a veteran in accordance with subsection (e) of section 14-36h, the 127
commissioner shall waive the fee to renew such identity card. For any 128
such renewal application made earlier than six months prior to the date 129
on which such identity card expires, the commissioner shall issue to 130
such person a voucher entitling such person to renewal of such person's 131
identity card, free of charge, during such six-month period. 132
(c) A distinctive identity card shall be issued to any applicant less 133
than twenty-one years of age. The identity card shall contain a statement 134
that it is issued subject to the same verification of the applicant's identity 135
as required for the issuance of a motor vehicle operator's license. The 136
card may thereafter be exhibited to establish the age and identity of the 137
person to whom it was issued. 138
(d) The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles, in consultation with the 139
Liquor Control Commission, shall adopt regulations in accordance with 140
the provisions of chapter 54 to carry out the purposes of this section and 141
section 30-86. 142
(e) Any person who misrepresents his or her age or practices any 143
other deceit in the procurement of an identity card, or uses or exhibits 144
an identity card belonging to any other person, shall be guilty of a class 145 Committee Bill No. 1150
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D misdemeanor and shall have such identity card revoked by the 146
commissioner. 147
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2025 14-41
Sec. 2 July 1, 2025 1-1h
VA Joint Favorable