(a) No person shall be employed by any such school licensee to give instruction in driving a motor vehicle unless such person is licensed to act as an instructor by the commissioner.

(b) Application for an instructor's license shall be in writing and shall contain such information as the commissioner requires. Each applicant for a license shall be fingerprinted and shall furnish evidence satisfactory to the commissioner that such applicant (1) is of good moral character considering such person's state and national criminal history records checks conducted in accordance with section 29-17a, and record, if any, on the state child abuse and neglect registry established pursuant to section 17a-101k. If any applicant for a license or the renewal of a license has a criminal record or is listed on the state child abuse and neglect registry, the commissioner shall make a determination of whether to issue or renew an instructor's license in accordance with the standards and procedures set forth in section 14-44 and the regulations adopted pursuant to said section; (2) has held a license to drive a motor vehicle for the past four consecutive years and has a driving record satisfactory to the commissioner, including no record of a conviction or administrative license suspension for a drug or alcohol-related offense during such four-year period; (3) has had a recent medical examination by a physician or an advanced practice registered nurse licensed to practice within the state and the physician or advanced practice registered nurse certifies that the applicant is physically fit to operate a motor vehicle and instruct in driving; (4) has received a high school diploma or has an equivalent academic education; and (5) has completed an instructor training course of forty-five clock hours given by a school or agency approved by the commissioner, except that any such course given by an institution under the jurisdiction of the board of trustees of the Connecticut State University System shall be approved by the commissioner and the State Board of Education. During the period of licensure, an instructor shall notify the commissioner, within forty-eight hours, of an arrest or conviction for a misdemeanor or felony, or an arrest, conviction or administrative license suspension for a drug or alcohol-related offense.

(c) The commissioner may deny the application of any person for an instructor's license if he determines that the applicant has made a material false statement or concealed a material fact in connection with his application for the instructor's license.

(d) The commissioner shall conduct such written, oral and practical examinations as he deems necessary to determine whether an applicant has sufficient skill in the operation of motor vehicles to ensure their safe operation, a satisfactory knowledge of the motor vehicle laws and the ability to impart such skill and knowledge to others. If the applicant successfully completes the examinations and meets all other requirements of this section, the commissioner shall issue an instructor's license to such applicant. The license shall be valid for use only in connection with a drivers' school or schools licensed pursuant to section 14-69. If the applicant fails the examination, such applicant may apply for reexamination after five days. The license and the license renewal shall be valid for two years.

(e) The licensee shall be reexamined periodically in accordance with standards specified in regulations adopted under section 14-78.

(f) The commissioner may establish, by regulations adopted in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, standards and procedures for the training and licensing of master instructors who are qualified to train driving instructors. The provisions of subsection (b) of this section and section 14-74 shall apply to master instructors.

(g) The fee for an instructor's license, or for any renewal thereof, shall be one hundred dollars. The fee for a master instructor's license, or for any renewal thereof, shall be two hundred dollars. If the commissioner has not received a complete renewal application and fee on or before the expiration date of an applicant's license, such applicant shall be charged, in addition to the renewal fee, a late fee in an amount equal to the fee for such applicant's license.

(h) Any person who is not licensed in accordance with this section shall be guilty of a class B misdemeanor if such person: (1) Engages in the business of providing, for compensation, instruction in driving a motor vehicle; or (2) is employed by a drivers' school to give instruction in driving a motor vehicle.

(1957, P.A. 507, S. 6; 1971, P.A. 456, S. 1; 1972, P.A. 127, S. 19; P.A. 73-252; P.A. 76-379; P.A. 78-355, S. 2; P.A. 83-587, S. 28, 96; P.A. 84-254, S. 46, 62; 84-429, S. 27; 84-546, S. 42, 173; P.A. 86-90, S. 2; P.A. 91-256, S. 65, 69; P.A. 02-70, S. 31; P.A. 04-182, S. 10; P.A. 08-150, S. 11; P.A. 10-110, S. 39; P.A. 11-213, S. 25; P.A. 12-81, S. 43; P.A. 13-271, S. 28; P.A. 14-130, S. 20; P.A. 16-39, S. 10.)

History: 1971 act expanded requirements re qualifications and licensure of driving instructors adding to requirements that applicant never have been convicted of crime involving moral turpitude, have had recent medical exam, have high school diploma or its equivalent and have completed instructor training course and elaborating on examination, reexamination, annual course requirements etc.; 1972 act changed minimum age requirement from 21 to 18 reflecting change in age of majority; P.A. 73-252 replaced requirement that instructors take courses in traffic safety annually until 80 hours completed in first four years following licensure with requirement that they take advanced instructor course of at least 45 hours during three years following licensure; P.A. 76-379 amended Subsec. (a)(6) to allow courses approved by motor vehicle commissioner or state board of education rather than by both and added exception re approval by both for courses given by state college; P.A. 78-355 amended Subsec. (a)(6) to delete reference to state board of education approval except with regard to state college programs, amended Subsec. (c) to allow option of taking advanced course or attending annual seminars in traffic safety; P.A. 83-587 substituted reference to institution governed by Connecticut State University board of trustees for “state college” in Subsec. (a); P.A. 84-254 amended Subsec. (e) to increase periodically the fee from $3 to $10.75 as of July 1, 1993; P.A. 84-429 relettered Subsecs., rephrased provisions, deleted obsolete provisions re instructors issued licenses before January 1, 1972, and made other technical changes; P.A. 84-546 made technical changes to Subsec. (a) to clarify reference to “state board of education”; P.A. 86-90 amended Subsec. (b) to require applicant for instructor's license to hold operator's license for past four consecutive years, rather than past two years, and to eliminate reference to age of such applicant; P.A. 91-256 made a technical change in Subsec. (b); P.A. 02-70 amended Subsec. (e) to require that the licensee be reexamined periodically in accordance with standards specified in regulations adopted under Sec. 14-78, in lieu of reexamination prior to issuance of a renewal of license or at any time during the license period, and to delete “after January 1, 1972”; P.A. 04-182 amended Subsec. (f) to increase fee for instructor's license to $50 and delete provision re past fee increases, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 08-150 amended Subsec. (b)(1) to delete provision re evidence that applicant “has never been convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude” and add provision re person's “criminal record and record, if any, on the state child abuse and neglect registry established pursuant to section 17a-101k, as obtained and reviewed by the commissioner in accordance with the standards of section 14-44”, amended Subsec. (b)(2) to add “including no record of a conviction for a drug or alcohol-related offense during such four-year period”, amended Subsec. (d) to add “and meets all other requirements of this section” and made technical changes; P.A. 10-110 amended Subsec. (b) to require fingerprinting of applicant, to replace consideration of criminal record with consideration of state and national criminal history records checks and require decision re issuance or renewal to persons with criminal records or listed on abuse and neglect registry to be made in accordance with Sec. 14-44 and regulations in Subdiv. (1), to add administrative license suspension in Subdiv. (2) and to require instructor to notify commissioner of arrest or conviction for misdemeanor or felony, or arrest, conviction or administrative license suspension for drug or alcohol-related offense, amended Subsec. (d) to allow application for reexamination after 1 month, instead of 3 months, and to change licensure and validity from calendar year to 1 year, added new Subsec. (f) to authorize adoption of regulations re master instructors and to make Subsec. (b) and Sec. 14-74 applicable to such instructors, redesignated existing Subsec. (f) as Subsec. (g) and amended same to establish fee for issuance or renewal of master instructor's license and late fee, and made technical changes in Subsecs. (b) and (d); P.A. 11-213 added Subsec. (h) re penalty for provision of instruction without license, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 12-81 amended Subsec. (d) to change term of license and license renewal from 1 year to 2 years and amended Subsec. (g) to change fee for instructor's license and renewal from $50 to $100 and for master instructor's license and renewal from $100 to $200; P.A. 13-271 amended Subsec. (d) to make license valid for use in connection with a drivers' school licensed pursuant to Sec. 14-69, rather than valid only with business of school listed on license, and to allow application for reexamination after 5 days instead of 1 month, effective July 1, 2013; P.A. 14-130 amended Subsec. (e) by deleting provisions re attendance at seminars or taking advanced instructor course, effective July 1, 2014; P.A. 16-39 amended Subsec. (b)(3) by adding references to advanced practice registered nurse.