(a) When a private passenger motor vehicle liability insurance policy has been cancelled and the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles determines that the owner of a registered motor vehicle is in violation of the mandatory security requirements of sections 14-12c and 38a-371, the commissioner shall issue to such owner a notice of suspension of the registration involved, provided the commissioner may decline to issue such notice if the registration of the motor vehicle is cancelled or if the commissioner cannot establish that such violation occurred for a period of more than fourteen days.

(b) If a registered owner to whom notice of suspension was issued pursuant to subsection (a) of this section does not contest the determination that he or she has failed to maintain mandatory security, the commissioner may enter into a consent agreement with the owner, provided the owner presents satisfactory evidence of mandatory security and pays a civil penalty of two hundred dollars. The consent agreement shall provide that the registration of the motor vehicle shall not be suspended, or that any suspension imposed previously, pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, shall be rescinded, unless (1) the commissioner determines that on or after the effective date of the consent agreement the owner failed to continuously maintain the required security, and (2) the owner cannot establish to the satisfaction of the commissioner that the owner continuously maintained the required security after said effective date. A registered owner who presents satisfactory evidence of mandatory security and pays such civil penalty shall be deemed to have waived the opportunity to contest the determination that such owner has failed to maintain the mandatory security, whether or not such owner has signed the consent agreement contemporaneously with the payment of such penalty. Thereafter, all terms and conditions of such consent agreement shall apply to such owner. Such consent agreement shall not operate to prevent the commissioner from cancelling, suspending or revoking a registration pursuant to any other provision of the general statutes.

(c) The commissioner may suspend the motor vehicle operator's license of any person whose registration has been suspended in accordance with the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, or section 14-12c and who, not later than thirty days after the date of such suspension, has not entered into a consent agreement, in accordance with the provisions of subsection (b) of this section, cancelled the registration or transferred ownership of the motor vehicle. Any person aggrieved by the decision of the commissioner to suspend his license under this subsection shall, prior to the effective date of such suspension, be afforded an opportunity for a hearing in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54.

(P.A. 93-298, S. 3, 11; P.A. 95-260, S. 14, 24; P.A. 98-215, S. 1; P.A. 05-282, S. 2; P.A. 08-150, S. 42; P.A. 14-130, S. 3.)

History: P.A. 93-298 effective January 1, 1994; P.A. 95-260 designated existing provisions as Subsec. (a), inserting as Subsec. (b) language authorizing commissioner to suspend operator's license of person whose registration has been cancelled under Subsec. (a) and who has not returned number plates and registration certificate or obtained a new registration for or transferred ownership of vehicle and affording an opportunity for a hearing for any person aggrieved by decision to suspend his license, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 98-215 amended Subsec. (a) to require notice to include statement re seizure, impoundment, forfeiture and option for owner to return registration plates and certificate, and made technical changes, inserted new Subsec. (b) re consent agreements and redesignated former Subsec. (b) as (c); P.A. 05-282 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing “cancellation” with “suspension” and deleting provisions re notice, return of number plates and registration to avoid suspension of operator's license and hearing re cancellation and mandatory security requirement, amended Subsec. (b) by replacing “cancellation” with “suspension”, making technical changes and increasing civil penalty from $100 to $200, and amended Subsec. (c) by replacing references to “canceled” and “cancellation” with “suspended” and “suspension”, making technical changes, deleting provision re return of number plates and registration or obtaining new registration and adding provision re consent agreement in accordance with Subsec. (b); P.A. 08-150 amended Subsec. (a) to provide that commissioner may decline to issue notice of suspension if registration of motor vehicle is cancelled or commissioner cannot establish that violation occurred for a period of more than fourteen days, effective July 1, 2008; P.A. 14-130 amended Subsec. (b) to add provision re waiver of opportunity to contest determination of failure to maintain mandatory security, effective July 1, 2014.

See Sec. 38a-343a re requirement that insurance companies notify the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles of the cancellation of private passenger motor vehicle liability insurance policies.