HB05454 (2026): Refund of Certain Firearm Permit Fees

Update: The standalone House Bill 5454 did not advance, but the refundability of certain firearm permit fees was enacted as part of Public Act 26-41 (Substitute House Bill 5043), effective October 1, 2026.

What Public Act 26-41 Enacted

The refundability of firearm permit fees was enacted as Section 12 of Public Act 26-41, which amends Connecticut General Statutes 29-30^[1]. Connecticut charges a fee for the issuance or renewal of a state pistol permit. Under the enacted law, that fee is not refundable except in two circumstances. The first is when the permit for which the fee was paid is not issued or renewed. The second is when the local permitting authority fails to discharge its statutory obligations within the applicable time limits, in which case the authority must refund seventy dollars to the applicant. The portion of the fee spent on the national criminal history records check for a permit that was not issued or renewed is not refunded.

Current Status

The standalone House Bill 5454 did not advance on its own. Its subject was incorporated into the omnibus Substitute House Bill 5043 and enacted as Public Act 26-41, signed in May 2026^[2]. The refundability provision takes effect October 1, 2026.

What This Means

Connecticut's pistol permit application fee is seventy dollars. Under Public Act 26-41, an applicant whose permit is denied or never issued is entitled to a refund of that fee, minus the amount already spent on the national criminal history records check. The law also reaches delay. If the local permitting authority misses the statutory deadlines for acting on an application, it must refund seventy dollars even though the application process continues. The provision takes effect October 1, 2026.