(a)(1) The commissioner shall, after May 25, 1994, require for an initial application for a distributor's license, in addition to such other information deemed to be necessary, the filing of three affidavits from three recognized manufacturers of cigarettes stating such manufacturers' intent to supply the distributor if the applicant is granted a license. A chain store shall be exempt from filing such affidavits. Any pending application on May 25, 1994, and any person purchasing the business of a licensed distributor shall be exempt from filing such affidavits. For purposes of this subsection, “chain store” means the operator or franchisor of five or more retail establishments.

(2) The commissioner may make public a list of recognized manufacturers of cigarettes.

(b) A separate license shall be required for each class of business if the applicant is engaged in business both as a distributor and dealer. The commissioner shall prescribe the form of application for a distributor's license and for a dealer's license. Each license so issued shall be conspicuously displayed on the premises covered by the license.

(c) The commissioner shall make regulations not inconsistent with the law for the licensing of vending machines.

(d) The commissioner may, in the commissioner's discretion, refuse to issue a license if there is reasonable ground to believe (1) that the applicant has wilfully made any false statement of substance with respect to such application for license, (2) that the applicant has neglected to pay any taxes due to this state, or (3) that the applicant has been convicted of violating any of the cigarette or other tobacco products tax laws of this or any other state or the cigarette tax laws of the United States or has such a criminal record that the commissioner reasonably believes that such applicant is not a suitable person to be issued a license, provided no refusal shall be rendered under this subdivision except in accordance with the provisions of sections 46a-80 and 46a-81.

(e) (1) Any person who knowingly sells, offers for sale or possesses with intent to sell any cigarettes, without a license as provided in this chapter, shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars or imprisoned for not more than six months, or both, for each offense. Each day of such unauthorized operation may be deemed a separate offense. The provisions of this subdivision shall not apply to any person whose dealer's license has expired, provided the period of operation without such license is not more than ninety days after the date of expiration.

(2) Any person who knowingly sells at retail, offers for sale at retail or possesses with intent to sell at retail any taxed tobacco products, as defined in section 12-330a, without a dealer's license as provided in this chapter, shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars or imprisoned for not more than six months, or both, for each offense. Each day of such unauthorized operation may be deemed a separate offense. The provisions of this subdivision shall not apply to any person whose dealer's license has expired, provided the period of operation without such license is not more than ninety days from the date of expiration.

(3) Any person whose dealer's license has expired and who knowingly sells at retail, offers for sale at retail or possesses with intent to sell at retail any cigarettes or taxed tobacco products, as defined in section 12-330a, where such person's period of operation without such license is not more than ninety days from the date of expiration of such license, shall be fined three hundred fifty dollars.

(1949 Rev., S. 1973; 1961, P.A. 517, S. 12; 1967, P.A. 788, S. 2; P.A. 77-614, S. 139, 610; P.A. 84-525, S. 2, 8; P.A. 85-372, S. 2, 4; 85-600, S. 2, 4; P.A. 88-314, S. 12, 54; P.A. 93-15, S. 1, 9; 93-74, S. 12, 67; P.A. 94-80, S. 1, 3; P.A. 00-174, S. 29, 83; P.A. 05-96, S. 1; P.A. 06-194, S. 11; P.A. 11-37, S. 2; 11-61, S. 62; P.A. 18-25, S. 2.)

History: 1961 act increased dealer's license fee; 1967 act allowed each day of unauthorized operation to be considered a separate offense, allowed commissioner to withhold license for applicants who withhold information or submit false or misleading information etc. and deleted requirement that vending machine operators put name, address and license number on each machine; P.A. 77-614 substituted commissioner of revenue services for tax commissioner, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 84-525 increased distributor's license fee from $150 to $1,000 and the dealer's license fee from $10 to $25; P.A. 85-372 expanded the grounds for refusal of a license by the commissioner, which were previously limited to withholding information or submitting false or misleading information; P.A. 85-600 provided for exceptions to the license fee requirement for distributors under which a distributor who sells exclusively to retail stores he is operating pays a lower fee than other distributors as follows: $250 annually if he operates less than fifteen retail stores, $500 annually if he operates fifteen or more retail stores but less than twenty-five and $1,000, if he operates twenty-five or more retail stores; P.A. 88-314 increased the fine and added the provision concerning imprisonment applicable to any person who, without a license as required in this section, knowingly sells or possesses cigarettes with intent to sell, effective July 1, 1988, and applicable to any tax which first becomes due and payable on or after said date, to any return or report due on or after said date, or in the case of any ongoing obligation imposed in accordance with said act, to the tax period next beginning on or after said date; P.A. 93-15 deleted license fee provisions, deleted provision requiring dealer or distributor to apply for license before doing business, deleted reference to vending machine license applications and made technical changes, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 93-74 provided that commissioner shall require affidavits from three recognized domestic manufacturers; P.A. 94-80 exempted chain stores and persons purchasing the business of a licensed distributor from the required filing of affidavits, eliminated the requirement that a manufacturer supplying an affidavit be a domestic manufacturer and defined the term “chain store” for purposes of section, effective May 25, 1994; P.A. 00-174 divided existing provisions into Subsecs. (a) to (e), added Subsec. (a)(2) allowing information about manufacturers to be released by the commissioner and made technical changes for purposes of organization and gender neutrality, effective July 1, 2000; P.A. 05-96 amended Subsec. (a)(1) to remove reference to franchisor within the definition of “chain store”, effective July 1, 2005; P.A. 06-194 amended Subsec. (d)(3) by adding violation of other tobacco products tax laws as grounds for refusal to issue license, and amended Subsec. (e) by designating existing provisions as Subdiv. (1) and adding Subdiv. (2) re penalty for sale, offer or possession of taxed tobacco products without a dealer's license, effective July 1, 2006; P.A. 11-37 amended Subsec. (a)(1) to redefine “chain store” by adding “or franchisor” and deleting “with common ownership and control”, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 11-61 amended Subsec. (e)(1) and (2) by excepting from the penalties therein any person whose dealer's license expired, added reference to Sec. 12-330a in Subsec. (e)(2) and added Subsec. (e)(3) re penalty for selling by person whose dealer's license expired, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 18-25 amended Subsec. (e) by increasing penalty from $500 or imprisoned for not more than 3 months, or both, to $1,000 or imprisoned for not more than 6 months, or both, in Subdivs. (1) and (2), and by increasing penalty from $90 to $350 and making a conforming change in Subdiv. (3), effective July 1, 2018.

See Sec. 12-291a re penalty for failure to secure or renew license under Secs. 12-287, 12-288 and 12-291.