CONNECTICUT FIELD FILE

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can they search my cardo I have to show IDlandlord kept my depositcan I record the policewhat happens if I refuse a breathalyzer

Start with a situation

• Traffic stopsGetting pulled over, documents, searches, and what happens roadside.→
• Being stoppedOn foot, on the street, and what you owe an officer who stops you.→
• Marijuana and drugsWhat the state legalized, what it did not, and where state and federal law disagree.→
• Impaired drivingImpaired driving stops, field tests, breath and blood tests, and implied consent.→
• Court and moneyDebt, eviction, work, family and records. The side of the system with no officer in it.→
• Your homeRenting and the landlord, and when the police may come inside.→
• RecordingFilming police, recording calls, and whose consent the law requires.→
• Carrying a firearmCarry rules, the duty to disclose, where guns are barred, and self defense.→
• Charges and penaltiesHow offenses are graded, jail ranges, fines, and repeat offense steps.→
• How you carry yourselfSilence, counsel, complying now and contesting later.→

New in Connecticut

• Page·Oct 19Odd Laws Still on the BooksA registered cat breed, honking at a horse and the full traffic fines on horseback: real Connecticut sections
• Page·Oct 19LitteringConn. Gen. Stat. § 22a-250 — a fine of up to $500, and half again in a state park
• Page·Oct 19Tobacco Under Twenty OneConn. Gen. Stat. § 53-344 — up to $300 for selling to anyone under twenty one, and up to $50 for lying about age
• Page·Oct 19Tattoos Under EighteenConn. Gen. Stat. § 20-266p — no tattoo for an unemancipated minor without a parent's or guardian's permission

All 16 new in Connecticut ↓

Someone asked

“How long does a landlord in Connecticut have to return a deposit?”

Getting the Deposit Back

Not later than 21 days after the tenancy ends, or 15 days after receiving the tenant's forwarding address in writing, whichever is later, the landlord delivers to that address the full deposit with accrued interest, or the balance after damages with a written statement itemizing the nature and amount of each.

• Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-21StatuteSecurity depositsOpens cga.ct.gov ↗

Read the whole section →

Legal information, not legal advice. Every block on this site carries the source it rests on.

Walk it through

26 situations taken one decision at a time, with what the law asks of each side written out at every step. Each opens on its own page.

Traffic stops5Being stopped1Marijuana and drugs1Impaired driving1Court and money10Your home6Recording1Carrying a firearm1

• The Stop on the ParkwayLights behind on a parkway, a license, a registration and an insurance card, and a question about the trunk.3 steps →
• The Phone in the CupholderA text at a red light, a map on the dashboard, and the fines that went up on 1 October 2026.3 steps →
• The Fender Bender on the HighwayA rear end tap on a limited access highway, cars in the travel lane, and names and numbers to give.3 steps →
• The Left LaneA three lane highway, a car cruising on the left, and the rule that began on 1 October 2026.3 steps →
• The New Teen DriverA sixteen year old's license, friends who want a ride, a late night, and a single beer.3 steps →

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About this guide — education built from the General Statutes of Connecticut as the General Assembly publishes them, not a law degree in a webpage. Applying them to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Connecticut attorney or a legal aid office. Current as of October 2026.

This guide covers common situations in real Connecticut encounters. Not the whole body of law, not a replacement for a lawyer.