Sec. 20-333. Examinations. - Connecticut Statutes

      Sec. 20-333. Examinations. The Department of Consumer Protection shall hold at least four examinations each year, at such times as the appropriate board may determine and in such locations as may be convenient, written notice of the time and place of each such examination to be given to each applicant at least ten days prior to such examination. To obtain a license under this chapter, an applicant shall have attained such applicant's eighteenth birthday and shall furnish such evidence of competency as the appropriate board, with the consent of the Commissioner of Consumer Protection, shall require. The applicant shall satisfy such board that such applicant is of good moral character, possesses a diploma or other evidence of graduation from the eighth grade of grammar school, or possesses an equivalent education to be determined on examination and has the requisite skill to perform the work in the trade for which such applicant is applying for a license and can comply with all other requirements of this chapter and the regulations adopted under this chapter. Upon application for any such license, the applicant shall pay to the department a nonrefundable application fee of forty-five dollars for a license under subdivisions (2) and (3) of subsection (a) and subdivision (4) of subsection (e) of section 20-334a, or a nonrefundable application fee of seventy-five dollars for a license under subdivision (1) of subsection (a), subdivisions (1) and (2) of subsection (b), subdivision (1) of subsection (c) and subdivisions (1), (2) and (3) of subsection (e) of section 20-334a. The department shall conduct such written, oral and practical examinations as the appropriate board, with the consent of the commissioner, deems necessary to test the knowledge of the applicant in the work for which a license is being sought. Any person completing the required apprentice training program for a journeyman's license under section 20-334a shall, within thirty days following such completion, apply for a licensure examination given by the department. If an applicant does not pass such licensure examination, the commissioner shall provide each failed applicant with information on how to retake the examination and a report describing the applicant's strengths and weaknesses in such examination. The applicant may take up to two additional examinations during the one-year period commencing on the date of such applicant's first examination application, provided, if the applicant does not pass such applicant's third examination the applicant may not be examined again until one year after the date of such third examination. Any apprentice permit issued under section 20-334a to an applicant who fails three licensure examinations in any one-year period shall remain in effect if such applicant applies for and takes the first licensure examination given by the department following the one-year period from the date of such applicant's third and last unsuccessful licensure examination. Otherwise, such permit shall be revoked as of the date of the first examination given by the department following expiration of such one-year period. When an applicant has qualified for a license, the department shall, upon receipt of the license fee, issue to such applicant a license entitling such applicant to engage in the work or occupation for which a license was sought and shall register each successful applicant's name and address in the roster of licensed persons authorized to engage in the work or occupation within the appropriate board's authority. Each board may declare forfeited the application fee of any applicant who has failed to appear for examination at three successive examinations for which written notice has been sent. All fees and other moneys collected by the department shall be promptly transmitted to the State Treasurer as provided in section 4-32.

      (February, 1965, P.A. 493, S. 4; 1967, P.A. 789, S. 4; P.A. 77-614, S. 186, 610; P.A. 81-361, S. 23, 39; P.A. 82-93; 82-419, S. 23, 47; 82-439, S. 2, 7; 82-472, S. 90, 183; P.A. 83-426, S. 2; 83-487, S. 14; P.A. 87-588, S. 4, 8; P.A. 89-251, S. 131, 203; P.A. 94-36, S. 17, 42; P.A. 98-3, S. 26; P.A. 99-170, S. 3; 99-253, S. 3; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 146(c), (d); P.A. 04-169, S. 17; 04-189, S. 1.)

      History: 1967 act changed technical language of statute, provided examination notice specify time and place of examination and be written, required applicant be 20 years of age and furnish evidence of competency, provided application to board be for license rather than certificate of registration and that stated qualifications apply to applicant for such license rather than for certificate and specified license be issued on receipt of license fee; P.A. 77-614 transferred some powers formerly held by boards to department of consumer protection, including actual conduct of examinations, required consumer protection commissioner's consent for evidence of competency and for content of examinations and referred to regulations established under chapter rather than to regulations of boards, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 81-361 provided that application fees are nonrefundable, eliminated the requirement that applicants take the first examination given after their application and clarified the requirement that fees are payable to the department and not the boards; P.A. 82-93 amended section to reduce age requirement from 20 to 18; P.A. 82-419 changed "certificate" to "license"; P.A. 82-439 divided section into two subsections, set application fee of $25 for solar licenses under Sec. 20-334a and required department of consumer protection to assume responsibilities of boards under Subsec. (a) with respect to solar license applicants, effective October 1, 1983; P.A. 82-472 rephrased several provisions of the section; P.A. 83-426 deleted Subsec. (b), which required department to assume responsibilities of boards under Subsec. (a) with respect to solar license applicants; P.A. 83-487 amended Subsec. (a) to establish a time limit for use of apprentice permits expiring 2 years after the date of first examination for a journeyman's license; P.A. 87-588 required the commissioner of consumer protection to provide each failed applicant with information on how to retake the exam and a report describing the applicant's strengths and weaknesses in such exam, effective July 1, 1988; P.A. 89-251 increased the application fee for licenses under Sec. 20-334a(a)(2) and (3) from $15 to $45 and for other licenses from $25 to $75; P.A. 94-36 eliminated references to biennial licensing and a specific license renewal date, effective January 1, 1995; P.A. 98-3 made technical changes; P.A. 99-170 made gender neutral changes and made the application fees for limited contractor licenses, solar contractor licenses, solar journeyman licenses and fire protection sprinkler contractor licenses nonrefundable; P.A. 99-253 made technical and gender neutral changes and added provision specifying amount of nonrefundable application fee for contractor and journeymen sheet metal work licenses; 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.

      See Sec. 21a-10(b) re staggered schedule of license renewals.

      Cited. 3 CA 707.