(a) No person shall engage in the operation of an arborist business unless such person has a certificate of registration from the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection. A certificate of registration shall expire on the thirty-first day of August next succeeding its issuance. Any arborist business with more than one place of business in the state or that operates under more than one name shall register and pay the application fee for each place of business and for each business name.

(b) Application for a certificate of registration shall be made on such form as the commissioner may prescribe and with such information as the commissioner deems necessary to fulfill the purposes of this section and sections 23-61i to 23-61m, inclusive, provided such information shall, at a minimum, include the following: (1) The applicant's name and residential address, (2) the name, address and telephone number of the place of business, (3) the name and license number of the licensed arborist employed by the arborist business, and (4) the type of business. Each arborist business shall notify the commissioner of any change in the information contained in an application or in the status of the business as an arborist business. Such notification shall be submitted, in writing, not more than thirty days after any change.

(c) An application for a certificate of registration shall be accompanied by payment of a fee of two hundred forty dollars. The commissioner may waive payment of the fee for the initial renewal of a certificate of registration issued during the three months prior to expiration of such certificate of registration. An application for a certificate of registration or renewal shall not be deemed to be complete or sufficient until the applicable fee is paid in full.

(d) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 22a-66c, any person who complies with the registration requirements of this section shall not be required to register such arborist business pursuant to section 22a-66c if such arborist business also engages in pesticide application.

(P.A. 13-203, S. 2.)