Senate Bill No. 611 seeks to establish a maximum fee structure for various occupational licenses, certifications, permits, and registrations issued by the Department of Consumer Protection (DCP), effective July 1, 2025. The bill proposes significant reductions in licensing fees, capping most individual licenses at $100 annually and certain biennial licenses, such as those for real estate brokers and home inspectors, at $200. Additionally, it sets a $100 cap on business organization certificates for mechanical contractors and landscape architecture corporations. The DCP commissioner is tasked with adopting regulations to enforce these fee limits by July 1, 2026, although licenses issued under the Liquor Control Act are excluded from this cap. The bill also includes provisions for the renewal process, such as notifying licensees of expiration dates and allowing certain licenses to remain valid for ten years without annual renewals.

The bill further amends existing statutes by reducing application and renewal fees for various professions, including real estate salespersons, contractors, and pharmacists, while also streamlining the application and renewal processes. For example, the fee for a certified public accountant certificate is reduced from $150 to $100, and similar reductions apply to other licenses. The bill also repeals and substitutes several subsections in the general statutes to simplify the regulatory framework. Overall, SB611 aims to make occupational licensing more affordable and accessible, potentially resulting in an estimated revenue loss of $19 million annually for the General Fund due to the significant fee reductions across over 60 types of licenses and certifications.

Statutes affected:
Committee Bill: 20-305, 20-335
GL Joint Favorable: 20-305, 20-335
File No. 326: 20-305, 20-335