Sec. 12-456. Distributor's license. Surety bond. Service of process on nonresident distributor. - Connecticut Statutes

      Sec. 12-456. Distributor's license. Surety bond. Service of process on nonresident distributor. (a)(1) Each distributor shall, before transacting the business of a distributor, apply for a license issued by the Commissioner of Revenue Services to engage in said business within this state, which license shall remain in full force and effect until cancelled, suspended or revoked.

      (2) The commissioner may, in the commissioner's discretion, refuse to issue a license if there is reasonable ground to believe that the distributor has wilfully made any false statement of substance with respect to such application for license, the distributor has neglected to pay any taxes due to this state or the distributor has been convicted of violating any of the motor fuels tax laws of this or any other state or the motor fuels tax laws of the United States or has such a criminal record that the commissioner reasonably believes that such distributor is not a suitable person to be issued a license, provided no refusal shall be rendered under this subdivision except in accordance with the provisions of sections 46a-80 and 46a-81.

      (3) Before the commissioner issues such license, the commissioner shall require such distributor annually to file with, and to the satisfaction of, the commissioner and to maintain for the year a bond issued by a surety company authorized to do business in this state or other security acceptable to the commissioner, in such amount as the commissioner may fix, to secure the payment of any sums due from such distributor pursuant to the provisions of this chapter. Such bond or other security shall remain in full force and effect for a period of three years and one month following the end of such year, unless a certificate is issued by the commissioner to the effect that all taxes due the state have been paid.

      (b) If such distributor is a foreign corporation or a person nonresident of this state with no designated agent or representative in this state upon whom service of process may be made, then, in any litigation for the collection of any tax due from such distributor, service of such process may be made upon the Secretary of the State with as full force and effect as if made upon such distributor. Any such distributor being such a foreign corporation or nonresident person shall, in the application for a distributor's license, consent to such service of process upon the Secretary of the State and also consent that any such litigation may be brought to the superior court for the judicial district of Hartford having jurisdiction of the amount claimed to be due in such litigation. Any license to any such distributor shall be issued subject to such service of process upon said secretary and subject to such litigation being brought to such court.

      (c) The commissioner may suspend or revoke the license of any distributor for failure to comply with any of the provisions of this chapter or regulations related thereto, following a hearing with respect to which notice in writing, specifying the time and place of such hearing and requiring such distributor to show cause why such license should not be revoked, is mailed or delivered to such distributor not less than ten days preceding the date of such hearing. Such notice may be served personally or by registered or certified mail.

      (d) The commissioner shall not issue a new license to a distributor whose license is revoked unless the commissioner is satisfied that such distributor will comply with the provisions of this chapter and regulations related thereto.

      (1949 Rev., S. 2550; 1953, S. 1413d; 1958 Rev., S. 14-333; 1959, P.A. 579, S. 2; P.A. 74-315, S. 1, 2; P.A. 75-507, S. 1, 2; P.A. 77-614, S. 139, 610; P.A. 78-280, S. 6, 127; P.A. 84-427, S. 1; P.A. 85-372, S. 1, 4; 85-391, S. 1, 7; P.A. 88-230, S. 1, 12; 88-364, S. 21, 123; P.A. 90-98, S. 1, 2; P.A. 93-142, S. 4, 7, 8; P.A. 95-220, S. 4-6; P.A. 00-174, S. 32, 83.)

      History: 1959 act replaced previous provisions; P.A. 74-315 replaced previous provision for security bond of at least $500 but not more than $25,000 issued for one to five years with amount of bond changeable by commissioner with new provision for bond of $1,000 in first year and of one-sixth of taxes paid during preceding year for subsequent years, but equaling at least $1,000, with bond remaining in effect for year and a day after license expires unless certificate issued that all tax paid; P.A. 75-507 placed maximum bond amount of $100,000; P.A. 77-614 substituted commissioner of revenue services for tax commissioner, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 78-280 substituted judicial district of Hartford-New Britain for Hartford county; P.A. 84-427 increased the minimum amount of surety bond that distributors of motor fuel must maintain from $1,000 to $5,000; P.A. 85-372 added provision specifying grounds for refusal of or suspension or revocation of a license by the commissioner and re procedure for suspension or revocation of license; P.A. 85-391 added provisions allowing use of estimate of the maximum total tax that could be applicable in the case of each distributor is a factor in determining the amount of bond required and extending the period of time such bond shall remain in effect from a year and a day to three years and one month; P.A. 88-230 replaced "judicial district of Hartford-New Britain" with "judicial district of Hartford", effective September 1, 1991; P.A. 88-364 made a technical change; P.A. 90-98 changed the effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1991, to September 1, 1993; P.A. 93-142 changed the effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1993, to September 1, 1996, effective June 14, 1993; P.A. 95-220 changed the effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1996, to September 1, 1998, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 00-174 divided the section into Subsecs. (a) to (d), required the annual filing of a surety bond, allowed the commissioner to fix the amount of the surety bond and made technical changes for purposes of grammar and gender neutrality, effective July 1, 2000, and applicable to applications filed on or after that date.