Sec. 20-319. Renewal. Continuing education requirements. Regulations.

(a) The commission shall authorize the Department of Consumer Protection to issue an annual renewal license to any applicant who possesses the qualifications specified in and otherwise has complied with the provisions of this chapter and any regulation adopted under this chapter. The commission shall authorize said department to issue an annual renewal of a real estate broker's license to any entity licensed pursuant to subsection (b) of section 20-312, provided such entity: (1) Was so licensed as of September 30, 2005, notwithstanding the fact such entity does not meet the requirements for publicly traded corporations required by subdivision (3) of subsection (b) of section 20-312, or (2) changes its designated real estate broker pursuant to subsection (c) of section 20-312.

(b) There is hereby established an annual renewal license to be issued by the Department of Consumer Protection. Persons licensed in accordance with the provisions of this chapter shall fulfill a continuing education requirement. Applicants for an annual renewal license for real estate brokers or real estate salespersons shall, in addition to the other requirements imposed by the provisions of this chapter, in any even-numbered year, submit proof of compliance with the continuing education requirements of this subsection to the commission, accompanied by an eight-dollar processing fee. The continuing education requirement may be satisfied by successful completion of any of the following during the two-year period preceding such renewal: (1) A course or courses, approved by the commission, of continuing education in current real estate practices and licensing laws, including, but not limited to, practices and laws concerning common interest communities, consisting of not less than twelve hours of classroom study; or (2) a written examination prepared and administered by either the Department of Consumer Protection, or by a national testing service approved by the department, which demonstrates a knowledge of current real estate practices and licensing laws; or (3) equivalent continuing educational experience or study as determined by regulations adopted pursuant to subsection (d) of this section. An applicant for examination under subdivision (2) of this subsection shall pay the required examination fee to the national testing service, if administered by such testing service, or to the Department of Consumer Protection, if administered by the department.

(c) If the commission refuses to grant an annual renewal license, the licensee or applicant, upon written notice received as provided for in this chapter, may have recourse to any of the remedies provided by sections 20-314 and 20-322.

(d) The Commissioner of Consumer Protection, in consultation with the commission, shall adopt regulations, in accordance with chapter 54, concerning the approval of schools, institutions or organizations offering courses in current real estate practices and licensing laws, including, but not limited to, practices and laws concerning common interest communities, and the content of such courses. Such regulations shall include, but not be limited to: (1) Specifications for meeting equivalent continuing educational experience or study; (2) exceptions from continuous education requirements for reasons of health or instances of individual hardship. No school, institution or organization that offers a course in current real estate practices and licensing laws may be disapproved solely because its courses are offered or taught by electronic means, and no course may be disapproved solely because it is offered or taught by electronic means.

(1953, S. 2345d; P.A. 81-361, S. 22, 39; P.A. 83-472; P.A. 85-109; P.A. 88-329, S. 9, 15; P.A. 89-251, S. 126, 203; P.A. 90-332, S. 12, 32; P.A. 91-229, S. 10, 19; P.A. 93-354, S. 14, 54; P.A. 94-36, S. 41, 42; 94-240, S. 1, 14; P.A. 96-200, S. 12; P.A. 98-10, S. 14; P.A. 03-39, S. 1; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 146(c), (d); P.A. 04-169, S. 17; 04-189, S. 1; P.A. 05-288, S. 85; P.A. 07-214, S. 3; P.A. 12-113, S. 5.)

History: P.A. 81-361 amended section to allow the department to issue renewal licenses upon the authorization of the commission on and after July 1, 1981; P.A. 83-472 divided section into Subsecs., provided that no renewal license may be issued on or after May 1, 1986, unless the applicant demonstrates proficiency in real estate practices or takes approved continuing education courses in accordance with the requirements of Subsec. (a) and added Subsec. (c), requiring the commissioner of consumer protection to adopt regulations concerning guidelines for the approval of such courses; P.A. 85-109 clarified the standards for successful completion of the continuing education requirement, moving renewal license provisions from Subsec. (a) to Subsec. (b) and relettering remaining Subsecs. accordingly; P.A. 88-329 amended section to establish renewal and continuing education requirements for real estate appraisers and residential appraisers, effective July 1, 1989; P.A. 89-251 amended Subsec. (b) to increase processing fee from $6 to $8; P.A. 90-332 amended section to include references to the real estate appraisal commission, provisions re certification for general certified and residential certified appraisers, and added Subsec. (c) concerning education requirements for certified appraisers and relettered former Subsecs. (c) and (d) as (d) and (e) respectively; P.A. 91-229 deleted all references to general certified and residential certified appraisers, amended Subsec. (b) to require that applicants for the first renewal license after July 1, 1991, meet all the requirements necessary to conduct business in this state as well as all the requirements mandated by federal regulations, in Subsec. (c) substituted “the required hours” to be determined by the real estate appraisal commission or the appraiser qualifications board of the appraisal foundation for the reference to 20 hours of classroom study, and made technical changes; P.A. 93-354 amended Subsec. (b) to delete provisions re renewal of appraisers' licenses and continuing education requirements for renewal, deleted Subsec. (c) re continuing education requirements for certified appraisers, relettering Subsecs. (d) and (e) accordingly, and removed references to real estate appraisers and real estate appraisal commission throughout section, effective in accordance with Sec. 20-528; P.A. 94-36 changed effective date of P.A. 93-354 but without affecting this section; P.A. 94-240 in Subsec. (c) substituted “have recourse to” in lieu of “avail himself of”, effective July 1, 1994; P.A. 96-200 amended Subsec. (b) to substitute “salespersons” for “salesmen” and made a technical change; P.A. 98-10 made technical changes; P.A. 03-39 amended Subsec. (d) to prohibit disapproval of a school, institution, organization or course solely because it uses electronic means; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6 and P.A. 04-169 replaced Commissioner and Department of Consumer Protection with Commissioner and Department of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 04-189 repealed Sec. 146 of June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, thereby reversing the merger of the Departments of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, effective June 1, 2004; P.A. 05-288 made a technical change in Subsec. (b), effective July 13, 2005; P.A. 07-214 added provision in Subsec. (a) re commission's authorization for department to issue annual renewal of real estate broker's license subject to certain conditions, effective July 1, 2007; P.A. 12-113 amended Subsecs. (b)(1) and (d) by adding provisions re continuing education courses in current real estate practices and licensing laws to include practices and laws concerning common interest communities.