(a) The commissioner may suspend, revoke or refuse to renew any license issued by the commissioner under any provision of the general statutes by sending a notice to the licensee by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, or by any express delivery carrier that provides a dated delivery receipt, or by personal delivery, as defined in section 4-166, in accordance with section 36a-52a. The notice shall be deemed received by the licensee on the earlier of the date of actual receipt or seven days after mailing or sending, and in the case of a notice sent by electronic mail, the notice shall be deemed received by the licensee in accordance with section 36a-52a. Any such notice shall include: (1) A statement of the time, place, and nature of the hearing; (2) a statement of the legal authority and jurisdiction under which the hearing is to be held; (3) a reference to the particular sections of the general statutes, regulations, rules or orders involved; (4) a short and plain statement of the matters asserted; and (5) a statement indicating that the licensee may file a written request for a hearing on the matters asserted within fourteen days of receipt of the notice. If the commissioner finds that public health, safety or welfare imperatively requires emergency action, and incorporates a finding to that effect in the notice, the commissioner may order summary suspension of a license in accordance with subsection (c) of section 4-182 and require the licensee to take or refrain from taking such action as in the opinion of the commissioner will effectuate the purposes of this section, pending proceedings for suspension, revocation or refusal to renew.

(b) If a hearing is requested within the time specified in the notice, the commissioner shall hold a hearing upon the matters asserted in the notice unless the licensee fails to appear at the hearing. After the hearing, the commissioner shall suspend, revoke or refuse to renew the license for any reason set forth in the applicable licensing provisions of the general statutes if the commissioner finds sufficient grounds exist for such suspension, revocation or refusal to renew. If the licensee does not request a hearing within the time specified in the notice or fails to appear at the hearing, the commissioner shall suspend, revoke or refuse to renew the license. No such license shall be suspended or revoked except in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54.

(c) Any licensee may surrender any license issued by the commissioner under any provision of the general statutes by surrendering the license to the commissioner in person or by registered or certified mail, provided, in the case of a license issued through the system, as defined in section 36a-2, such surrender shall be initiated by filing a request to surrender on the system. No surrender on the system shall be effective until the request to surrender is accepted by the commissioner. Surrender of a license shall not affect the licensee’s civil or criminal liability, or affect the commissioner’s ability to impose an administrative penalty on the licensee pursuant to section 36a-50 for acts committed prior to the surrender. If, prior to receiving the license, or, in the case of a license issued through the system prior to the filing of a request to surrender a license, the commissioner has instituted a proceeding to suspend, revoke or refuse to renew such license, such surrender or request to surrender will not become effective except at such time and under such conditions as the commissioner by order determines. If no proceeding is pending or has been instituted by the commissioner at the time of surrender, or, in the case of a license issued through the system, at the time a request to surrender is filed, the commissioner may still institute a proceeding to suspend, revoke or refuse to renew a license under subsection (a) of this section up to the date one year after the date of receipt of the license by the commissioner, or, in the case of a license issued through the system, up to the date one year after the date of the acceptance by the commissioner of a request to surrender a license.

(d) The provisions of this section shall not apply to chapters 672a, 672b and 672c.

(P.A. 94-122, S. 27, 340; P.A. 01-48, S. 9; P.A. 07-91, S. 13; P.A. 09-208, S. 1; P.A. 11-216, S. 3; P.A. 14-89, S. 32; P.A. 17-233, S. 4.)

History: P.A. 94-122 effective January 1, 1995; P.A. 01-48 amended Subsec. (a) by adding provision re express delivery; P.A. 07-91 amended Subsec. (a) to allow commissioner to order summary suspension of a license and require licensee to take or refrain from taking such action as will effectuate purposes of section pending proceedings for suspension, revocation or refusal to renew if commissioner finds that public health, safety or welfare imperatively requires emergency action and incorporates such finding in the notice, effective June 5, 2007; P.A. 09-208 amended Subsec. (c) by requiring surrender of license in person or by registered or certified mail, instead of by filing notice with commissioner, and by providing that commissioner may institute a proceeding to suspend, revoke or refuse to renew a license up to 1 year after receipt of surrendered license by commissioner; P.A. 11-216 amended Subsec. (c) to require surrender of licenses issued pursuant to part I of Ch. 668 to be initiated by filing a request to surrender on the system and make conforming changes, effective July 13, 2011; P.A. 14-89 amended Subsec. (c) to replace references to licenses issued pursuant to part I of Ch. 668 and licenses surrendered under Sec. 36a-490 with references to licenses issued or surrendered through the system and to add provision re acceptance of request to surrender by commissioner, effective June 3, 2014; P.A. 17-233 amended Subsec. (a) by adding provisions re commissioner may provide notice by personal delivery and notice sent by electronic mail deemed received in accordance with Sec. 36a-52a.