Connecticut General Statutes
Chapter 246 - Motor Vehicles
Section 14-10. - Definitions. Records. Disclosure of personal information and highly restricted personal information. Penalty. Regulations.

(a) For the purposes of this section:

(1) “Disclose” means to engage in any practice or conduct to make available and make known, by any means of communication, personal information or highly restricted personal information contained in a motor vehicle record pertaining to an individual to any other individual, organization or entity;
(2) “Motor vehicle record” means any record that pertains to an operator's license, instruction permit, identity card, registration, certificate of title or any other document issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles. “Motor vehicle record” does not include any record relating to vessels and certificates of title for vessels, as provided in section 15-210;
(3) “Personal information” means information that identifies an individual and includes an individual's photograph or computerized image, Social Security number, operator's license number, name, address other than the zip code, telephone number, electronic mail address, or medical or disability information, but does not include information on motor vehicle accidents or violations, or information relative to the status of an operator's license, registration or insurance coverage;
(4) “Highly restricted personal information” means an individual's photograph or computerized image, Social Security number or medical or disability information; and
(5) “Express consent” means an affirmative agreement given by the individual who is the subject of personal information that specifically grants permission to the department to release such information to the requesting party. Such agreement shall (A) be in writing or such other form as the commissioner may determine in regulations adopted in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, and (B) specify a procedure for the individual to withdraw such consent, as provided in regulations adopted in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54.
(b) A number shall be assigned to each motor vehicle registration and operator's license and a record of all applications for motor vehicle registrations and operators' licenses issued shall be kept by the commissioner at the main office of the Department of Motor Vehicles.
(c) (1) All records of the Department of Motor Vehicles pertaining to the application for registration, and the registration, of motor vehicles of the current or previous three years shall be maintained by the commissioner at the main office of the department. Any such records over three years old may be destroyed at the discretion of the commissioner. (2) Before disclosing personal information pertaining to an applicant or registrant from such motor vehicle records or allowing the inspection of any such record containing such personal information in the course of any transaction conducted at such main office, the commissioner shall ascertain whether such disclosure is authorized under subsection (f) of this section, and require the person or entity making the request to (A) complete an application that shall be on a form prescribed by the commissioner, and (B) provide personal identification satisfactory to the commissioner. An attorney-at-law admitted to practice in this state may provide his or her juris number to the commissioner in lieu of the requirements of subparagraph (B) of this subdivision. The commissioner may disclose such personal information or permit the inspection of such record containing such information only if such disclosure is authorized under subsection (f) of this section.
(d) The commissioner may disclose personal information from a motor vehicle record pertaining to an operator's license or a driving history or permit the inspection or copying of any such record or history containing such information in the course of any transaction conducted at the main office of the department only if such disclosure is authorized under subsection (f) of this section. Any such records over five years old may be destroyed at the discretion of the commissioner.
(e) In the event (1) a federal court judge, federal court magistrate or judge of the Superior Court, Appellate Court or Supreme Court of the state, (2) a police officer, as defined in section 7-294a, or a member of the Division of State Police within the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, (3) an employee of the Department of Correction, (4) an attorney-at-law who represents or has represented the state in a criminal prosecution, (5) a member or employee of the Board of Pardons and Paroles, (6) a judicial branch employee regularly engaged in court-ordered enforcement or investigatory activities, (7) an inspector employed by the Division of Criminal Justice, (8) a federal law enforcement officer who works and resides in this state, (9) a state referee under section 52-434, (10) a lake patrolman appointed pursuant to subsection (a) of section 7-151b engaged in boating law enforcement, or (11) a state marshal, submits a written request and furnishes such individual's business address to the commissioner, such business address only shall be disclosed or available for public inspection to the extent authorized by this section.
(f) The commissioner may disclose personal information from a motor vehicle record to:
(1) Any federal, state or local government agency in carrying out its functions or to any individual or entity acting on behalf of any such agency, or
(2) Any individual, organization or entity that signs and files with the commissioner, under penalty of false statement as provided in section 53a-157b, a statement on a form approved by the commissioner, together with such supporting documentation or information as the commissioner may require, that such information will be used for any of the following purposes:
(A) In connection with matters of motor vehicle or driver safety and theft, motor vehicle emissions, motor vehicle product alterations, recalls or advisories, performance monitoring of motor vehicles and dealers by motor vehicle manufacturers, motor vehicle market research activities including survey research, motor vehicle product and service communications and removal of nonowner records from the original owner records of motor vehicle manufacturers to implement the provisions of the federal Automobile Information Disclosure Act, 15 USC 1231 et seq., the Clean Air Act, 42 USC 7401 et seq., and 49 USC Chapters 301, 305 and 321 to 331, inclusive, as amended from time to time, and any provision of the general statutes enacted to attain compliance with said federal provisions;
(B) In the normal course of business by the requesting party, but only to confirm the accuracy of personal information submitted by the individual to the requesting party;
(C) In connection with any civil, criminal, administrative or arbitral proceeding in any court or government agency or before any self-regulatory body, including the service of process, an investigation in anticipation of litigation by an attorney-at-law or any individual acting on behalf of an attorney-at-law and the execution or enforcement of judgments and orders, or pursuant to an order of any court provided the requesting party is a party in interest to such proceeding;
(D) In connection with matters of motor vehicle or driver safety and theft, motor vehicle emissions, motor vehicle product alterations, recalls or advisories, performance monitoring of motor vehicles and motor vehicle parts and dealers, producing statistical reports and removal of nonowner records from the original owner records of motor vehicle manufacturers, provided the personal information is not published, disclosed or used to contact individuals except as permitted under subparagraph (A) of this subdivision;
(E) By any insurer or insurance support organization or by a self-insured entity or its agents, employees or contractors, in connection with the investigation of claims arising under insurance policies, antifraud activities, rating or underwriting;
(F) In providing any notice required by law to owners or lienholders named in the certificate of title of towed, abandoned or impounded motor vehicles;
(G) By an employer or its agent or insurer to obtain or verify information relating to a holder of a passenger endorsement or commercial driver's license required under 49 USC Chapter 313, and sections 14-44 to 14-44m, inclusive;
(H) In connection with any lawful purpose of a labor organization, as defined in section 31-77, provided (i) such organization has entered into a contract with the commissioner, on such terms and conditions as the commissioner may require, and (ii) the information will be used only for the purposes specified in the contract other than campaign or political purposes;
(I) For bulk distribution for surveys, marketing or solicitations provided the commissioner has obtained the express consent of the individual to whom such personal information pertains;
(J) For the purpose of preventing fraud by verifying the accuracy of personal information contained in a motor vehicle record, including an individual's photograph or computerized image, as submitted by an individual to a legitimate business or an agent, employee or contractor of a legitimate business, provided the individual has provided express consent in accordance with subdivision (5) of subsection (a) of this section;
(K) Inclusion of personal information about persons who have indicated consent to become organ and tissue donors in a donor registry established by a procurement organization, as defined in section 19a-289a;
(L) By any private detective or private detective licensed in accordance with the provisions of chapter 534, in connection with an investigation involving matters concerning motor vehicles;
(M) By a state marshal, for use in the performance of duties under the provisions of section 6-38a. Such information may be requested by facsimile transmission, or by such other means as the commissioner may require, and shall be provided by facsimile transmission, or by such other means, within a reasonable time.
(g) Any person receiving personal information or highly restricted personal information from a motor vehicle record pursuant to subsection (f) of this section shall be entitled to use such information for any of the purposes set forth in said subsection for which such information may be disclosed by the commissioner. No such person may resell or redisclose the information for any purpose that is not set forth in subsection (f) of this section, or reasonably related to any such purpose.
(h) Notwithstanding any provision of this section, the disclosure of personal information from a motor vehicle record pursuant to subsection (f) of this section shall be subject to the provisions of section 14-50a concerning (1) the fees that shall be charged for copies of or information pertaining to motor vehicle records and (2) the authority of the commissioner to establish fees for information furnished on a volume basis in accordance with such terms and conditions regarding the use and distribution of such information as the commissioner may prescribe.
(i) Notwithstanding any provision of this section that restricts or prohibits the disclosure of personal information from a motor vehicle record, the commissioner may disclose personal information contained in any such record to any individual who is the subject of such personal information or to any person who certifies under penalty of false statement that such person has obtained the express consent of the subject of such personal information.
(j) Notwithstanding any provision of this section that permits the disclosure of personal information from a motor vehicle record, the commissioner may disclose highly restricted personal information contained in any such record only in accordance with the provisions of 18 USC 2721 et seq., as amended.
(k) Any person, including any officer, employee, agent or contractor of the Department of Motor Vehicles, who sells, transfers or otherwise discloses personal information or highly restricted personal information obtained from the Department of Motor Vehicles for any purpose not authorized by the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a class A misdemeanor.
(l) The commissioner may adopt regulations in accordance with chapter 54 to implement the provisions of this section.
(1949 Rev., S. 2359; P.A. 76-263, S. 2, 9; 76-402, S. 2, 3; P.A. 84-429, S. 2; P.A. 89-228; P.A. 90-230, S. 20, 101; P.A. 94-206, S. 1; P.A. 97-266, S. 1, 2; P.A. 99-77, S. 2; 99-232, S. 1; 99-268, S. 28; P.A. 00-169, S. 22, 33, 36; P.A. 02-70, S. 49; P.A. 03-265, S. 6, 7; P.A. 04-122, S. 2; 04-143, S. 17; 04-199, S. 28; 04-234, S. 2; 04-257, S. 115; P.A. 05-108, S. 3; P.A. 07-167, S. 6, 36; June Sp. Sess. 07-5, S. 30; P.A. 08-135, S. 1; 08-150, S. 3; P.A. 10-110, S. 28, 29; 10-123, S. 26; P.A. 11-48, S. 28; 11-51, S. 134; 11-213, S. 5; P.A. 12-81, S. 36; P.A. 14-63, S. 33; P.A. 22-26, S. 57.)
History: P.A. 76-263 removed operator's licenses from former provisions and removed provision re confidentiality of records and created new Subsecs. (b) and (c) re operator's licenses and confidentiality of records; P.A. 76-402 deleted Subsec. (c) re confidentiality of records; P.A. 84-429 added new Subsec. (a) re number assignments and records from Subsec. (a) of Sec. 14-42, relettered Subsecs. and made other technical changes; P.A. 89-228 added a new Subsec. (d), restricting public access to the residential address of a judge, magistrate or policeman; P.A. 90-230 made technical corrections to Subsec. (d); P.A. 94-206 added extensive provisions to Subsec. (b) concerning procedure for disclosure of motor vehicle department records, added provisions in Subsec. (c) detailing to whom operator license or driver history may be disclosed, added Subsec. (d)(3) and (4) and made some technical changes in order to conform the Subsec. to the revised language of the section, and added a new Subsec. (e) re inapplicability of section's provisions; (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. 97-266 inserted new language in Subsec. (a), defining “disclose”, “motor vehicle record”, “personal information” and “consent”; relettered former Subsec. (a) as (b) and added provision requiring notice re disclosure of personal information to be included on each form for issuance or renewal of registration, operator's license and identity card; relettered former Subsec. (b) as (c), deleted requirement in Subdiv. (1) that records re registration be open to public inspection at main office during office hours, substituting provision that such records be maintained by the commissioner at main office, restated provisions of Subdiv. (2), substituting “personal information” for name, address or registration number, requiring in the course of any transaction conducted at main office that commissioner ascertain whether individual who is the subject of request has elected to allow disclosure, eliminating requirement that commissioner mail notice of application to individual who is the subject of the request and make disclosure or permit inspection at least seven days after receipt of completed application, eliminating exemption from provisions of Subdiv. for federal, state or local agency, adding provision allowing commissioner to disclose personal information or permit inspection of such record only if individual who is the subject of the request has elected to allow disclosure and making technical changes; relettered former Subsec. (c) as (d) and restated provisions of Subsec., allowing commissioner to disclose personal information from a record re operator's license or driving history or permit inspection or copying in the course of any transaction conducted at main office only if individual who is the subject of the request has elected to allow disclosure, deleting Subdivs. (1) to (3), inclusive, and making technical changes; relettered former Subsec. (d) as (e), eliminating phrase “Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (b) and (c) of this section” and making a technical change; deleted former Subsec. (e), added Subsecs. (f) to (i), inclusive, re disclosure and use of personal information and added Subsec. (j), authorizing the adoption of regulations, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 99-77 added Subsec. (e)(5) permitting a member or employee of the Board of Parole to request that only his business address be disclosed or available for public inspection; P.A. 99-232 amended Subsec. (b) to delete requirement that not later than July 1, 1998, each form for issuance or renewal of a motor vehicle registration, operator's license or identity card contain the specified notice and consent form re disclosure of personal information and to delete such notice and consent form, amended Subsecs. (c) and (d) to substitute “such disclosure is authorized under subsection (f) of this section” for “the individual who is the subject of the request has elected to allow disclosure”, amended Subsec. (f) to delete language notwithstanding the provisions of Subsecs. (c) and (d), to delete reference to any person contracting with the department, and to amend Subdiv. (2)(D) to reference “motor vehicle product and service communications”, and throughout section made provisions gender neutral and substituted “that” for “which”; P.A. 99-268 added new Subsec. (i) prohibiting sale of photographs or computerized images on or before June 30, 2000, and relettered existing Subsecs. (i) and (j) as Subsecs. (j) and (k), respectively; P.A. 00-169 deleted the definition of “consent” in Subdiv. (a)(4) and replaced it with “express consent”, defined to mean “an affirmative agreement”, and required that such agreement be in writing, and prescribed the procedure for withdrawal of such consent, replaced the provision in Subdiv. (h)(I) that an individual be required to prohibit personal information from being distributed with a provision requiring an individual to give express consent for personal information to be distributed, added Subdiv. (h)(J) re prevention of fraud, deleted Subsec. (i) re prohibition on the sale of photographs or computerized images, relettered Subsecs. (j) and (k) as (i) and (j), respectively, and in Subsec. (i), required express consent from the subject of such personal information, effective June 1, 2000, and revised effective date of P.A. 99-268 but without affecting this section; P.A. 02-70 amended Subsec. (a)(1) to add “highly restricted personal information” within definition of “disclose”, added new Subdiv. (4) defining “highly restricted personal information” and redesignated existing Subdiv. (4) as Subdiv. (5), amended Subsec. (c)(2) to make a technical change for purposes of gender neutrality, added new Subsec. (j) authorizing commissioner to disclose highly restricted personal information contained in a motor vehicle record only in accordance with 18 USC 2721 et seq. and redesignated existing Subsec. (j) as Subsec. (k), effective June 3, 2002; P.A. 03-265 amended Subsec. (c)(2) to delete former Subpara. (C) re payment of fee to commissioner for disclosure of personal information from motor vehicle records, and, effective July 1, 2003, amended Subsec. (f)(2)(A) to change references to federal acts, amended Subsec. (f)(2)(C) to limit commissioner's disclosure of personal information from motor vehicle record in connection with investigation in anticipation of litigation to attorney-at-law or individual acting on behalf of attorney-at-law, amended Subsec. (f)(2)(G) to change reference to federal act, and made a technical change in Subsec. (f)(2)(J); P.A. 04-122 added Subsec. (f)(2)(K) allowing disclosure of personal information to procurement organizations; P.A. 04-143 made a technical change in Subsec. (f)(2)(A), effective May 21, 2004; P.A. 04-199 amended Subsec. (f)(2) to transfer “motor vehicle market research activities including survey research, motor vehicle product and service communications” from Subpara. (D) to Subpara. (A) and to include “producing statistical reports” in Subpara. (D), effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 04-234 replaced Board of Parole with Board of Pardons and Paroles in Subsec. (e)(5), effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 04-257 amended Subsec. (e)(5) to delete reference to an “employee” of the Board of Parole, effective June 14, 2004; P.A. 05-108 amended Subsec. (e)(5) to restore reference to an “employee” of the Board of Pardons and Paroles, effective June 7, 2005; P.A. 07-167 amended Subsec. (e) by adding Subdivs. (6) to (8) re business address of judicial branch employee regularly engaged in court-ordered enforcement or investigatory activities, federal law enforcement officer who works and resides in this state, and state referee and added Subsec. (f)(2)(L) re use of information by private detective in connection with investigation re motor vehicle matters; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-5 made technical changes in Subsec. (e)(8); P.A. 08-135 amended Subsec. (e) to add new Subdiv. (7) re inspector employed by Division of Criminal Justice and renumber existing Subdivs. (7) and (8) as new Subdivs. (8) and (9), effective June 5, 2008; P.A. 08-150 amended Subsec. (g) to make provisions applicable to the receipt of “highly restricted personal information”, limit the use of information for any of the purposes “for which such information may be disclosed by the commissioner” and add provision re prohibition on reselling or redisclosing information, added new Subsec. (k) re penalty for selling, transferring or otherwise disclosing information for unauthorized purpose, and redesignated existing Subsec. (k) as Subsec. (l); P.A. 10-110 amended Subsec. (e) to add Subdiv. (10) permitting lake patrolman engaged in boating law enforcement to request that only such patrolman's business address be disclosed or available for inspection and amended Subsec. (f)(2) by adding Subpara. (M) re disclosure of personal information from a motor vehicle record to a state marshal; P.A. 10-123 amended Subsec. (f)(2)(K) by replacing reference to Sec. 19a-279a with Sec. 19a-289a; P.A. 11-48 amended Subsec. (a)(3) by redefining “personal information” to include electronic mail address, effective July 1, 2011; pursuant to P.A. 11-51, “Department of Public Safety” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection” in Subsec. (e)(2), effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 11-213 amended Subsec. (c)(2)(B) to replace requirement for 2 forms of acceptable identification with requirement for personal identification satisfactory to commissioner, and amended Subsec. (e)(2) to replace “member of a municipal police department” with “police officer, as defined in section 7-294a”, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 12-81 amended Subsec. (a)(2) to replace “learner's permit” with “instruction permit” in definition of “motor vehicle record”, effective January 1, 2013; P.A. 14-63 redefined “motor vehicle record” in Subsec. (a)(2), effective January 1, 2016; P.A. 22-26 amended Subsec. (e) to add Subdiv. (11) permitting a state marshal to request that only such marshal's business address be disclosed or available for inspection, effective July 1, 2022.
Cited. 240 C. 10.
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.

Structure Connecticut General Statutes