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ConnecticutSB 004132026 Regular SessionSenateWALLET
AN ACT REVISING VARIOUS MOTOR VEHICLE STATUTES, IMPLEMENTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES AND CONCERNING YOUTH INSTRUCTION PERMITS, AUTOMOBILE DEALERS AND MANUFACTURERS AND THE TOWING AND STORAGE OF MOTOR VEHICLES.
Sponsored By: Transportation Committee
Signed by Governor
Summary
To revise various motor vehicle statutes regarding removable windshield placards, firefighter driving reciprocity, motor vehicle registration upon the death of the owner of the vehicle, the definition of electric scooter, car rental classifications, electric issuance licensees, the local bridge program and electric bicycles.
transportation
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
18 provisions identified: 10 benefits, 3 costs, 5 mixed.
Lower limits on private towing charges
Starting January 1, 2026, the state sets rates for towing and storage after covered private-property tows. A towing company cannot charge more than the schedule or bill for services the schedule does not include. The flat towing rate includes the first two miles, and mileage charges can cover no more than 13 additional miles.
Recall payments for dealers’ used cars
Starting October 1, 2026, a qualifying franchised dealer can claim compensation for certain recalled used vehicles. If parts or a remedy remain unavailable 30 days after a stop-sale or do-not-drive order, compensation starts 30 days after the order. It must be at least 1% of the vehicle’s value per eligible month, up to the vehicle’s value. A qualifying national program or dealer agreement can replace this payment under the law’s rules.
More towing notices and sale protections
Starting October 1, 2026, towing businesses must provide a rights notice and itemized bills that show towing, transport, and daily storage charges. Owners and lienholders must receive required tow notices; some notices are due within 48 hours. Starting January 1, 2027, a public online portal lets people search for certain towed vehicles, and covered businesses must report vehicle details within 48 hours. A stored vehicle can generally proceed to sale after 30 days under revised notice and approval rules, and an unclaimed vehicle may be disposed of after the owner receives notice and does not claim it within 30 days. A sale must pause during a qualifying pending hearing after the owner gives notice.
More sibling rides for youth drivers
Starting October 1, 2026, a youth permit holder without a driving instructor can carry a sibling who also has a youth permit. The driver can also carry a parent or legal guardian. The rule does not allow other extra passengers.
Clearer prices for vehicle shoppers
Starting October 1, 2026, advertised vehicle prices must include the dealer conveyance or processing fee, shown separately in bold type. Dealers must also include those fees in quoted prices and tell buyers the fees are negotiable. State and local taxes and registration fees remain outside the advertised price. Dealers cannot prefill certain fees on an order or invoice before discussing them with a buyer.
Clearer rules for disability placards
Starting October 1, 2026, placard forms must list each qualifying walking-related disability criterion. A health care professional must select and initial the one that applies. New placards issued starting January 1, 2027, must show the expiration date prominently in bold. Valid older placards remain usable until they expire, and the advisory council must offer online training for health care professionals.
More checks for replacement titles
Starting October 1, 2026, the motor vehicle commissioner must check a vehicle identification number when someone applies for a replacement title. The check compares state records for stolen or converted vehicles.
More photo waivers for identity cards
Starting July 1, 2026, the motor vehicle commissioner can waive an in-person photo for some identity-card renewals or issuances. Applicants must be at least 65 or have a disability or medical condition that substantially limits their ability to appear in person, and must meet other requirements. The commissioner can ask for proof or deny a waiver to prevent fraud.
Easier fire truck license testing
Starting January 1, 2027, the motor vehicle commissioner must waive Connecticut’s fire-apparatus skills test for an applicant with a qualifying out-of-state credential. The fire training commission must find that the other state’s standards are at least as strong as Connecticut’s. Applicants must still meet other licensing rules.
More municipal bridges can qualify
Starting October 1, 2026, more municipal bridges and vehicle structures can qualify under the state’s bridge rules. The commissioner must find that a structure owned by and located within one or more municipalities needs repair, replacement, improvement, or removal.
Stronger dealer control over consumer data
Starting October 1, 2026, manufacturers generally cannot require direct access to a dealer’s data system to get consumer data. Dealers can share data through a vendor they choose, and direct access requires separate written consent that dealers can withdraw with 30 days’ notice. Manufacturers and distributors must follow limits on data use and sharing, provide requested safeguards information, and give dealers a list of data recipients upon written request, no more than once every six months. They must protect dealers from certain third-party claims caused by illegal data access or sharing.
Indexed increases in towing rates
Police-ordered towing schedules run for three years. Rates rise on January 1 of the second and third years, based on the average change in two price indexes from the prior year. For schedules set on or after January 1, 2029, the same increases apply to towing and storage rates. The state must publish adjusted rates by December 1, and the towing council reviews rates every three years.
Two-year deadline for towing complaints
Starting October 1, 2026, a complaint about a police-ordered tow must be brought within two years of the tow date. After that deadline, the complaint cannot be brought under this rule.
Towing training for rotation workers
Starting October 1, 2026, owners and employees who tow through a state or municipal rotation must complete traffic incident management training. Owners must finish by July 1, 2027, or before they start participating, whichever is later. Employees must finish by July 1, 2027, or within one year after starting the work, whichever is later.
More devices qualify as scooters
Beginning October 1, 2026, devices weighing up to 110 pounds qualify as electric scooters. The old limit was 100 pounds. This brings some heavier devices within the rules for electric scooters, though the law does not specify which other rules change for them.
New rules for vessel records
Starting October 1, 2026, vessel and vessel-title records fall under the state’s motor vehicle record rules. Some requests for personal information from these records carry record fees, but the law does not state the amounts. Current vessel owners who prove ownership can ask the motor vehicle commissioner for the last registrant’s name and address. The environmental commissioner can also provide that information at no cost.
Updated rules for electric bikes
Starting October 1, 2026, class 1, 2, and 3 bicycles with pedals and motors rated up to 750 watts fit the state’s electric-bicycle definition. Dirt bikes and all-terrain vehicles remain excluded. A vehicle no longer counts as a motor-driven cycle only because it has five brake horsepower or less; it may still qualify under other engine-size or motor-wattage rules.
New protections for car dealers
Starting October 1, 2026, manufacturers must meet limits when requiring dealers to change their facilities. They generally cannot require work on the same facility part if the dealer completed approved work on it within the past 10 years, and dealers can use similar goods or services from another vendor with approval. Dealers that complete qualifying facility work also keep access to certain incentive benefits. The law repeals a prior facility-work restriction while setting these separate rules and exceptions.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsor
Transportation Committee
Affiliation unavailable
Cosponsors
Geraldo C. Reyes
Democratic • House
Hector Arzeno
Democratic • House
Henry J. Genga
Democratic • House
Kenneth Gucker
Democratic • House
Roll Call Votes
Senate vote • 3/16/2026
TRA Vote Tally Sheet (Joint Favorable Substitute)
Yes: 0 • No: 0
House vote • 3/16/2026
House Roll Call Vote 209 AS AMENDED
Yes: 0 • No: 0
Senate vote • 3/16/2026
Senate Roll Call Vote 188
Yes: 0 • No: 0
Bill Text
Public Act No. 26-24
4/29/2026
File No. 466
4/7/2026
TRA Joint Favorable Substitute
3/16/2026
Raised Bill
3/4/2026
Bill Analysis For File Copy 466
Bill Analysis for SB-413, as amended by Senate "A"
Fiscal Note For File Copy 466
Fiscal Note for Amendment LCO 5199 (See Fiscal Note Details)
Fiscal Note for SB-413, As Amended by Senate "A" (LCO 5199)
House Roll Call Vote 209 AS AMENDED
Senate Roll Call Vote 188
Senate Schedule A LCO# 5199 (J)
Summary for Public Act No. 26-24
TRA Joint Fav. Rpt
TRA Vote Tally Sheet (Joint Favorable Substitute)
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