Connecticut General Statutes
Chapter 392 - Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons
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 of Consumer Protection and accompanied by such evidence in support of such application as is prescribed by the commission. The commission may require such information with regard to an applicant as the commission deems desirable, with due regard to the paramount interests of the public, as to the honesty, truthfulness, integrity and competency of the applicant and, where the applicant is a corporation, association or partnership, as to the honesty, truthfulness, integrity and competency of the officers of such corporation or the members of such association or partnership.
(c) In order to determine the competency of any applicant for a real estate broker's license or a real estate salesperson'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. Such examination shall be prepared by the Department of Consumer Protection or by a national testing service designated by the Commissioner of Consumer Protection and shall be administered to applicants by the Department of Consumer Protection or by such testing service at such times and places as the commissioner may deem necessary. The commission or Commissioner of Consumer Protection 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 of Consumer Protection. The Commissioner of Consumer Protection 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) (A) Each applicant applying for a real estate broker's license on or after July 1, 2016, but before January 1, 2022, shall, before being admitted to such examination, prove to the satisfaction of the commission or the Commissioner of Consumer Protection that the applicant (i) (I) has been actively engaged for at least two years as a licensed real estate salesperson under the supervision of a licensed real estate broker in this state, (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, and (V) has successfully completed two elective courses, each consisting of fifteen classroom hours of study, as prescribed by the commission or commissioner, or (ii) has equivalent experience or education as determined by the commission or commissioner.
(B) Each applicant applying for a real estate broker's license on or after January 1, 2022, shall, before being admitted to such examination, prove to the satisfaction of the commission or the Commissioner of Consumer Protection that the applicant (i) (I) has been actively engaged as a licensed real estate salesperson under the supervision of a licensed real estate broker in this state for at least one thousand five hundred hours during the three years immediately preceding the date on which such applicant filed such applicant's application, and such supervising licensed real estate broker, or such supervising licensed real estate broker'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 licensed real estate broker 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 (ii) has equivalent experience or education as determined by the commission or commissioner. Each supervising licensed real estate broker, or authorized representative of such supervising licensed real estate broker, shall certify the accuracy or inaccuracy of a record provided by an applicant to such supervising licensed real estate broker or authorized representative under subparagraph (B)(i)(I) of this subdivision not later than ninety days after such applicant provides such record to such supervising licensed real estate broker or authorized representative.
(2) The commission or the Commissioner of Consumer Protection shall waive the elective courses under subparagraph (A)(i)(V) or (B)(i)(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. As used in this subdivision, “real estate transaction” means any transaction in which real property is legally transferred to another party or in which a lease agreement is executed between a landlord and a tenant.
(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 of Consumer Protection 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 annually. At the time of application for a real estate broker's license, there shall be paid to the commission, for each individual applicant and for each proposed active member or officer of a firm, partnership, association or corporation, the sum of five hundred sixty-five dollars, and for the annual renewal thereof, the sum of three hundred seventy-five 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 commission two hundred eighty-five dollars and for the annual renewal thereof the sum of two hundred eighty-five dollars. Three dollars of each such annual 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 partnership, association or corporation shall entitle the individual designated in the application, as provided in section 20-312, 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 partnership, association or corporation. Any license which expires and is not renewed pursuant to this subsection may be reinstated by the commission, if, not later than two years after the date of expiration, the former licensee pays to the commission for each real estate broker's license the sum of three hundred seventy-five dollars and for each real estate salesperson's license the sum 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, except that any licensee whose license expired after such licensee entered military service shall be reinstated without payment of any fee if an application for reinstatement is filed with the commission within two years after the date of expiration. Any such reinstated broker's license shall expire on the next succeeding November thirtieth, except that any broker's license that is reinstated before March 31, 2022, shall expire on March 31, 2022. Any such reinstated real estate salesperson's license shall expire on the next succeeding May thirty-first.
(g) Any person whose application has been filed as provided in this section and who is refused a license shall be given notice and afforded an opportunity for hearing as provided in the regulations adopted by the Commissioner of Consumer Protection.
(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; 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; P.A. 21-37, S. 26; 21-167, S. 3.)
History: 1959 acts amended Subsec. (c) to provide for examination fee and waiting period for reexamination and amended Subsec. (d) by increasing fee for broker's license from $15, doubling salesman's fee and deleting special fees for licenses held six months or less; 1961 act amended Subsec. (c) by restating and clarifying provision allowing applicants to take examination three times for each $5 fee paid and reducing maximum waiting period for reexamination from six to five months; 1965 act increased broker's license fee in Subsec. (d) from $25; 1967 act amended Subsec. (c) to add prerequisites for examination and stating that provisions of Subsec. (c) do not apply to renewals of broker's licenses; 1969 acts amended Subsec. (c) to raise application fee from $5 to $15 for broker's license and from $5 to $10 for salesman's license and to impose extra $5 charge for second and following reexaminations and amended Subsec. (d) to reflect change from annual to biennial renewal as of October 1, 1969, doubling fees accordingly and adding proviso re licenses which will expire less than one year after issuance; 1971 acts deleted “and without furnishing a separate bond” in Subsec. (d) re entitlements of partnership, corporation, etc. upon receipt of its broker's license, deleted obsolete reference to October 1, 1969, established fee differential between initial license and renewals, raising initial license fee for broker's license from $70 to $150 and setting renewal fee of $200 and raising initial fee for salesman's license from $20 to $75 and setting renewal fee of $150; 1972 act amended Subsec. (d) to reflect return to annual renewal, halving fees accordingly and changing renewal date from September thirtieth to April thirtieth; P.A. 73-163 amended Subsec. (c) to require that all prerequisites be met where previously one was required and to revise prerequisites for broker's license amending Subdiv. (1) to require two years, rather than one year, as salesman and to delete study course of 24 hours, amending Subdiv. (2) to require 30, rather than 24 class room hours and to delete requirement for high school diploma, amending Subdiv. (3) to require 30, rather than 24 classroom hours in real estate “appraisal” rather than in “principles and practices” and to delete requirement for 24 additional hours, replacing previous Subdiv. (4) now contained in Subdiv. (1) with new Subdiv. (4) requiring 30-hour course of study, to add prerequisites for salesman's license and to exempt from provisions licenses issued before October 1, 1973; P.A. 73-259 added proviso in Subsec. (d) covering interim period created by switch from biennial to annual renewal; P.A. 73-616 amended Subsec. (c) to raise application fee from $5 to $15 for broker's license and from $5 to $10 for salesman's license, reaffirming changes made in 1969 which apparently were never enacted; P.A. 77-614 clarified responsibilities for examinations dividing duties between commission and consumer protection department in Subsec. (c) and replaced notice and hearing provisions in Subsec. (e) with statement that notice and hearing shall be as provided in consumer protection commissioner's regulations, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 80-150 amended Subsec. (c) to include provisions for alternative examinations by national testing service and to delete provision re $5 fee for second and subsequent reexaminations; P.A. 81-361 specified that application forms are to be prescribed by the department rather than by commission on and after July 1, 1981; P.A. 82-165 permitted the real estate commission to waive the national testing service portion of the examination if the applicant received a satisfactory score on such exam taken in another state within two years of his application date; P.A. 82-422 amended Subsec. (c) to require commissioner to establish passing scores for examination; P.A. 84-140 amended Subsec. (d) to allow for the reinstatement of expired licenses; P.A. 85-41 amended Subsec. (c) to allow the applicant to take the examination four, rather than three, times per year, and eliminated the commission's authority to require a waiting period before reexamining an applicant; P.A. 85-613 made technical changes, deleting obsolete provisions re licenses issued prior to May 1, 1973; P.A. 88-329 amended section to establish license qualifications, examination requirements, renewal and reinstatement procedures, fees and the right to a hearing for real estate appraisers and residential appraisers, effective July 1, 1989; P.A. 89-251 amended Subsec. (c) to increase the examination fee for a real estate broker's license or a real estate appraiser's license from $15 to $60 and to increase the examination fee for a real estate salesman's license or residential real estate appraiser's license from $10 to $40 and amended Subsec. (f) to increase the fee for a real estate broker's license or real estate appraiser's license from $150 to $450, to increase the fee for a real estate salesman's license or a residential real estate appraiser's license from $75 to $225 to increase the reinstatement fee for a real estate broker's license or a real estate appraiser's license from $100 to $300 and to increase the reinstatement fee for a real estate salesman's license or a residential appraiser's license from $75 to $225; P.A. 90-332 amended section to include references to the real estate appraisal commission, to add provisions re licensing, certification, examinations and educational requirements for general certified and residential certified appraisers and changed the expiration date for all licenses to April thirtieth of each year; P.A. 91-229 amended the section to clarify the licensing, education and certification of residential and general appraisers, made provisions for out-of-state residential and general appraisers, deleted the references to general certified and residential certified appraisers, simplified the application and fee structure for appraisers and real estate salesmen and brokers, added a requirement that the commissioner of consumer protection make a roster of the real estate appraisers and submit it to the appropriate federal regulatory agency and added provision specifying that real estate salesmen and brokers seeking a residential appraiser's license or renewal, with the proper educational and experience requirements, shall not be required to pay the fee for such license or renewal until April 30, 1992; P.A. 93-354 deleted former Subsec. (d)(3) and (4) re qualifications for general appraiser's and residential appraiser's licenses, deleted former Subsec. (f) re qualifications for real estate appraiser's certificate, relettering Subsecs. (g) and (h) as (f) and (g), deleted provisions re appraisers' license and certificate fees in relettered Subsec. (f) and deleted all other references to real estate appraisers throughout section, effective in accordance with Sec. 20-528; P.A. 94-36 amended Subsec. (g) to delete the specific license renewal date of “April thirtieth”, effective January 1, 1995, and changed effective date of P.A. 94-354 but without affecting this section; P.A. 96-200 substituted “salesperson” for “salesman”; P.A. 98-10 made technical changes; P.A. 99-231 amended Subsec. (f) to add provision that $3 of renewal fee is payable to Real Estate Guaranty Fund, effective June 29, 1999; P.A. 03-14 amended Subsec. (d) to substitute 60 classroom hours for 30 classroom hours, effective October 1, 2004; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6 and P.A. 04-169 replaced Commissioner and Department of Consumer Protection with Commissioner and Department of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 04-189 repealed Sec. 146 of June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, thereby reversing the merger of the Departments of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, effective June 1, 2004; P.A. 07-214 deleted provision re $5.00 annual eligibility renewal fee in Subsec. (c), effective July 1, 2007; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3 increased fees in Subsecs. (c) and (f); P.A. 10-9 amended Subsec. (c) to delete provision entitling applicant to take examination 4 times within one-year period, effective May 5, 2010; P.A. 13-196 amended Subsec. (f) by deleting provision re April 30 expiration date for reinstated licenses and adding provision re reinstated license expiration date of March 31 for real estate brokers and May 31 for real estate salespersons, effective June 21, 2013; P.A. 15-98 amended Subsec. (d) to add reference to July 1, 2016, substitute 15 classroom hours of real estate legal compliance for 30 classroom hours of real estate appraisal, substitute 15 classroom hours of real estate brokerage principles and practices for 30 classroom hours of course approved by commission, and add Subpara. (A)(v) re 2 elective courses of 15 classroom hours each in Subdiv. (1), add new Subdiv. (2) re commission waiver of elective courses, redesignate existing Subdiv. (2) as Subdiv. (3), and make technical changes, effective July 1, 2016; P.A. 16-185 amended Subsec. (c) to delete references to payment of application fee to commission and amended Subsecs. (c) and (d) to add references to Commissioner of Consumer Protection, effective July 1, 2016; P.A. 21-37 amended Subsec. (f) to add provision re prorated renewal fee, delete provision re return of fee if license not issued, replace March 31 with November 30 for expiration date for broker's license and make technical changes, effective June 4, 2021; P.A. 21-167 amended Subsec. (d) by redesignating former Subdiv. (1) as Subdiv. (1)(A) and adding “but before January 1, 2022,” in redesignated Subdiv. (1)(A), and adding new Subdiv. (1)(B) re applicants applying for real estate broker's license on or after January 1, 2022, and making technical and conforming changes, effective January 1, 2022.

Structure Connecticut General Statutes