A Year Free of State Licence, Registration and Occupational Fees
For ONE YEAR after an honorable discharge or release under honorable conditions, CGS 27-102a exempts a veteran from annual and biennial state licence and registration fees, and from occupational taxes. It is not tied to any particular profession, which is why almost nobody thinks to ask about it — and why it is worth asking about whatever you do.
Verified August 27, 2026
What this benefit is
For ONE YEAR after an honorable discharge or release under honorable conditions, CGS 27-102a exempts a veteran from annual and biennial state licence and registration fees, and from occupational taxes. It is not tied to any particular profession, which is why almost nobody thinks to ask about it — and why it is worth asking about whatever you do.
What it's worth: Annual and biennial state licence and registration fees, and occupational taxes, waived for one year
- The window is ONE YEAR after discharge. It is the shortest window of Connecticut's transition benefits.
- It covers annual AND biennial licence and registration fees, and occupational taxes.
- It is not tied to a particular profession or licence type — which is both why it is valuable and why it is missed.
- It asks for an honorable discharge or a release under honorable conditions.
- What it saves depends entirely on which licences you hold, so no figure is published.
- If you hold several state licences, the saving compounds across all of them in that year.
Who is entitled to it
- You served in the U.S. armed forces.
- You were discharged honorably.
- You are within a year of discharge.
- You are in Connecticut.
Not sure whether that describes you?
Answer a few questions about this benefit specifically — we only ask what this one actually depends on, and we stop as soon as we know.
How to claim it
- 1List every state licence, registration and occupational tax you pay. The exemption is not per-profession, so all of them are in scope.
- 2Claim with each licensing agency separately, citing CGS 27-102a. There is no single office that applies it for you.
- 3Do it in the first year. This window is one year, not two.
- 4Take the DD-214 showing an honorable discharge or release under honorable conditions.
- 5If a renewal falls just after the year ends, ask whether renewing early falls inside the exemption.
- Form
- Claimed with each licensing agency
- File with
- Each state agency that licenses you
- Documents you will need
- dd214
- No renewal
- Once granted it does not need renewing.
Sources
- authority · published policyConnecticut OLR 2022-R-0155 (CGS 27-102a)
- operating · published policyConnecticut Department of Veterans Affairs
This finder provides an informational match, not a government eligibility determination. The responsible agency decides your application.