Connecticut General Statutes
Chapter 541 - Building, Fire and Demolition Codes. Fire Marshals and Fire Hazards. Safety of Public and Other Structures
Section 29-402. (Formerly Sec. 19-403c). - License for demolition business: Application; fees; refusal or revocation. Exemptions.

(a) As used in this part, the term “license” includes the whole or part of any permit which the Department of Administrative Services issues under authority of the general statutes, and which (1) requires persons to place their names on a list maintained by the department before they can engage in the business of demolition of buildings, (2) requires a person to demonstrate competence by examination or other means, and (3) may be revoked or suspended by the department for cause.

(b) No person shall engage in the business of demolition of buildings without a license obtained from the Department of Administrative Services. An applicant for an initial license shall file an application with the Department of Administrative Services, furnish evidence of expertise and pay a fee of four hundred forty dollars for a class B license and nine hundred forty dollars for a class A license. Each license shall be valid for twelve months from date of issuance and shall be renewable on application of the licensee upon payment of an annual fee of two hundred fifty dollars for a class B license and seven hundred fifty dollars for a class A license. The department may refuse to issue any such license for cause, and may revoke or refuse to renew any such license for failure to carry out and conform to the provisions of this part or to any regulations adopted hereunder, or for any violation of title 22a. No person shall be refused a license or a renewal thereof, and no license shall be revoked, without an opportunity for a hearing conducted by the Department of Administrative Services in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54.
(c) The provisions of this section shall not apply to (1) a person who is engaged in the disassembly, transportation and reconstruction of historic buildings for historical purposes, in the demolition of farm buildings, in the renovation, alteration or reconstruction of a single-family residence or in the disassembly of nonstructural building materials of a building for the purpose of reusing or recycling such building materials, (2) the removal of underground petroleum storage tanks, (3) the burning of a building or structure as part of an organized fire department training exercise, (4) the deconstruction or disassembly of swimming pools, or (5) the demolition of a single-family residence or outbuilding by an owner of such structure if it does not exceed a height of thirty feet, provided (A) the owner shall be present on site while such demolition work is in progress and shall be held personally liable for any injury to individuals or damage to public or private property caused by such demolition, and (B) such demolition shall be permitted only with respect to buildings which have clearance from other structures, roads or highways equal to or greater than the height of the structure subject to demolition. The local building official may require additional clearance when deemed necessary for safety.
(February, 1965, P.A. 551, S. 3; P.A. 73-491; P.A. 77-177, S. 1; P.A. 78-288, S. 1; P.A. 80-297, S. 4, 20; P.A. 82-451, S. 3, 9; P.A. 87-263, S. 1; P.A. 92-249, S. 6; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-6, S. 68, 117; P.A. 04-150, S. 6; P.A. 05-288, S. 197; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-1, S. 153; P.A. 09-35, S. 6; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3, S. 326; P.A. 11-51, S. 90; P.A. 13-247, S. 200; P.A. 15-131, S. 1; P.A. 17-80, S. 3.)
History: P.A. 73-491 required application for license to be filed with commission on demolition and set fees for Class A and B licenses; P.A. 77-177 exempted persons engaged in disassembling, transportation and reassembly of historical building for historical purposes from provisions; P.A. 78-288 exempted persons engaged in farm building demolition or in renovation, alteration or reconstruction of single-family residences; P.A. 80-297 increased fee for Class A license from $300 to $500 and for Class B license from $100 to $200; P.A. 82-451 transferred powers of state commission on demolition to department of public safety, changed “license” to “certificate of registration” and defined “registration” in new Subsec. (b); Sec. 19-403c transferred to Sec. 29-402 in 1983; P.A. 87-263 amended Subsec. (a) to require applicants for initial registration to furnish evidence of expertise and financial responsibility, and to delete the exemption, and added Subsec. (c), restating and expanding the exemption formerly in Subsec. (a); P.A. 92-249 added violations of title 22a as grounds for revocation of certificates under this section; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-6 amended Subsec. (a) to increase the fee for class B certificate from $200 to $300 and from $100 to $200 for a renewal and for class A certificate from $500 to $750 and from $300 to $600 for a renewal; P.A. 04-150 amended Subsec. (c) to add new Subdivs. (2) and (3) exempting the removal of underground petroleum storage tanks and the burning of a building or structure as part of an organized fire department training exercise and to redesignate existing Subdiv. (2) as Subdiv. (4); P.A. 05-288 made technical changes in Subsec. (c), effective July 13, 2005; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-1 increased fee for class B certificate from $300 to $350 in Subsec. (a) and made a technical change in Subsec. (b), effective July 1, 2007; P.A. 09-35 added new Subsec. (a) defining “license”, redesignated existing Subsec. (a) as Subsec. (b), substituted “license” for “registration” and made conforming changes therein and deleted former Subsec. (b) defining “registration”; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3 amended Subsec. (b) to increase fees; pursuant to P.A. 11-51, “Department of Public Safety” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Department of Construction Services” in Subsecs. (a) and (b), effective July 1, 2011; pursuant to P.A. 13-247, “Department of Construction Services” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Department of Administrative Services”, effective July 1, 2013; P.A. 15-131 amended Subsec. (c)(1) to add provision re person engaged in disassembly of nonstructural building materials of a building for purpose of reusing or recycling building materials, effective June 23, 2015; P.A. 17-80 amended Subsec. (b) to delete “and financial responsibility” and amended Subsec. (c) to add new Subdiv. (4) re deconstruction or disassembly of swimming pools to redesignate existing Subdiv. (4) as Subdiv. (5), and to make a technical change, effective July 1, 2017.

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