Section 14-37a - Special operator's permit for purposes of employment, education or medically necessary treatment(a) Any person whose operator's license has been suspended pursuant to any provision of this chapter or chapter 248, except pursuant to section 14-215 for operating under suspension or pursuant to section 14-140 for failure to appear for any scheduled court appearance, and any person identified in subsection (g) of this section may make application to the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles for (1) a special "work" permit to operate a motor vehicle to and from such person's place of employment or, if such person is not employed at a fixed location, to operate a motor vehicle only in connection with, and to the extent necessary, to properly perform such person's business or profession, (2) a special "education" permit to operate a motor vehicle to and from an institution of higher education or a private career school, as defined in section 10a-22a, , in which such person is enrolled, provided no such special "education" permit shall be issued to any student enrolled in a high school under the jurisdiction of a local or regional board of education, a high school under the jurisdiction of a regional educational service center, a charter school, a regional agricultural science and technology education center or a technical education and career school, or (3) a special "medical" permit to operate a motor vehicle to and from any ongoing medically necessary treatment, available upon adoption by the commissioner of regulations pursuant to chapter 54, that describe qualifications for such permit. Such application shall be accompanied by an application fee of one hundred dollars.(b) The commissioner may, in the commissioner's discretion upon a showing of significant hardship, grant each such application that is submitted in proper form and contains such information and attestation by the applicant as the commissioner may require. With respect to an application for an education permit, an applicant shall also be required to submit a schedule of the time and location of all classes or other required educational activities attended by such applicant. Such schedule shall be attested to by the registrar of such educational institution. In determining whether to grant such application, the commissioner may also consider the driving record of the applicant and shall ascertain that the suspension is a final order that is not under appeal pursuant to section 4-183. A special operator's permit shall not be issued pursuant to this section to any person for the operation of a motor vehicle for which a public passenger endorsement, as defined in section 14-1, or commercial driver's license is required or to any person whose operator's license has been suspended previously pursuant to section 14-227a, 14-227 b, 14-227m or 14-227n. A person shall not be ineligible to be issued a special operator's permit under this section solely on the basis of being convicted of two violations of section 14-227a unless such second conviction is for a violation committed after a prior conviction.(c) A special operator's permit issued pursuant to this section shall be of a distinctive format and shall include the expiration date and the legend "work only" or "education only" or, upon adoption of the regulations as provided in subsection (a) of this section, "medical only".(d) Any person issued a special operator's permit pursuant to this section who operates a motor vehicle during the period of the permit for a purpose not authorized by the conditions of the permit shall, upon receipt of written report of a police officer, in such form as the commissioner may prescribe, of such unauthorized operation, be subject to a civil penalty of not more than five hundred dollars. Any person who makes improper use of a special operator's permit issued pursuant to this section or in any manner alters any such permit or who loans or sells such permit for use by another person shall be guilty of a class D misdemeanor.(e) If a person issued a special operator's permit pursuant to this section has his operator's license suspended by the commissioner in connection with any motor vehicle violation or other offense for which suspension action is authorized, the special operator's permit shall be deemed revoked on the effective date of such suspension, and any such person with notice of the suspension who operates a motor vehicle shall be operating under suspension and shall be subject to double the penalties provided by the applicable provisions of subsection (b) of section 14-111 and section 14-215.(f) Any decision made by the commissioner under this section shall not be subject to appeal pursuant to the provisions of chapter 54 or any other provisions of the general statutes.(g) Any person who is an applicant for a motor vehicle operator's license and whose license or privilege to operate a motor vehicle has been restricted by any other state in a manner that the commissioner deems to be substantially similar to the restrictions imposed by a special operator's permit issued in accordance with this section, may, in the discretion of the commissioner, be issued an operator's license together with a special operator's permit. The special operator's permit shall be required to be held by such person for such time as the commissioner prescribes.(h) The commissioner may adopt regulations in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 to implement the provisions of this section.Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-37a
( P.A. 93-371 , S. 3 , 5 ; P.A. 95-314 , S. 3 ; P.A. 00-196 , S. 10 ; P.A. 05-215 , S. 7 ; 05-288 , S. 215 ; P.A. 06-196 , S. 94 ; P.A. 08-150 , S. 58 ; P.A. 09-187 , S. 36 ; P.A. 10-3 , S. 51 ; P.A. 12-80 , S. 59 ; P.A. 13-271 , S. 13 ; P.A. 14-130 , S. 6 ; 14-228 , S. 2 ; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5 , S. 222 , 223 ; P.A. 16-126 , S. 9 ; P.A. 17-237 , S. 94 .)
Amended by P.A. 22-0123, S. 37 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2022 Regular Session, eff. 7/1/2022.Amended by P.A. 17-0237, S. 94 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2017 Regular Session, eff. 7/1/2017.Amended by P.A. 16-0126, S. 9 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2016 Regular Session, eff. 10/1/2016.Amended by P.A. 15-0005, S. 223 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2015 Special Session, eff. 7/6/2015.Amended by P.A. 15-0005, S. 222 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2015 Special Session, eff. 7/6/2015.Amended by P.A. 14-0228, S. 2 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2014 Regular Session, eff. 7/1/2015.Amended by P.A. 14-0130, S. 6 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2014 Regular Session, eff. 6/6/2014. Legislature intended work permit exception under section to constitute an affirmative defense, for which defendant bears the burden of persuasion, to the offense of driving under suspension in violation of Sec. 14-215(c) ; requirement that defendant bear burden of persuasion is constitutional. 254 C. 107 .