Committee Approves Occupational Licensing Fee Caps

A legislative committee advanced legislation March 12 that caps a range of occupational licensing fees.

The General Law Committee unanimously approved SB 611, which eliminates application review fees charged by state licensing boards and caps many occupational license fees at $100. 

The bill was co-sponsored by a bipartisan group of 27 lawmakers.

CBIA’s Chris Davis applauded the bipartisan support for the bill, noting that the financial cost for licensing is a barrier to entry for many Connecticut residents.

“This bill plays a critical role in helping lower the cost of employment for approximately a quarter of the state’s workforce,” Davis said.

CBIA’s Chris Davis said the bill “makes Connecticut a more attractive place to work.”

“It also makes Connecticut a more attractive place to work, a necessary factor to keep Connecticut’s economic momentum moving in a positive direction.”

Davis cited a 2022 study that found Connecticut’s occupational licensing fees were significantly higher than the national average.

Those fees include charges for application review and license issuance, exams, background checks, credit reports. and fingerprinting.

Those fees did not include the cost of the thousands of educational hours required to apply for an occupational license.

According to a recent AdvanceCT study, licensing fees and requirements cost Connecticut about 48,000 full-time jobs, and shrinks the state economy by $400 million annually.

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For more information, contact CBIA’s Chris Davis (860.244.1931).