Connecticut General Statutes

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-255 (2026)

Restriction on dissemination of registration information for certain offenders

✓ current as of May 2026

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(a) Upon the conviction or finding of not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect of any person for a violation of section 53a-70b of the general statutes, revision of 1958, revised to January 1, 2019, the court may order the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection to restrict the dissemination of the registration information to law enforcement purposes only and to not make such information available for public access, provided the court finds that dissemination of the registration information is not required for public safety and that publication of the registration information would be likely to reveal the identity of the victim within the community where the victim resides. The court shall remove the restriction on the dissemination of such registration information if, at any time, the court finds that public safety requires that such person's registration information be made available to the public or that a change of circumstances makes publication of such registration information no longer likely to reveal the identity of the victim within the community where the victim resides. Prior to ordering or removing the restriction on the dissemination of such person's registration information, the court shall consider any information or statements provided by the victim.

(b) Upon the conviction or finding of not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect of any person of a criminal offense against a victim who is a minor, a nonviolent sexual offense or a sexually violent offense, where the victim of such offense was, at the time of the offense, under eighteen years of age and related to such person within any of the degrees of kindred specified in section 46b-21, the court may order the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection to restrict the dissemination of the registration information to law enforcement purposes only and to not make such information available for public access, provided the court finds that dissemination of the registration information is not required for public safety and that publication of the registration information would be likely to reveal the identity of the victim within the community where the victim resides. The court shall remove the restriction on the dissemination of such registration information if, at any time, it finds that public safety requires that such person's registration information be made available to the public or that a change in circumstances makes publication of the registration information no longer likely to reveal the identity of the victim within the community where the victim resides.

(c) Any person who: (1) Has been convicted or found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect of a violation of subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of section 53a-71 between October 1, 1988, and June 30, 1999, and was under nineteen years of age at the time of the offense; (2) has been convicted or found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect of a violation of subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of section 53a-73a between October 1, 1988, and June 30, 1999; (3) has been convicted or found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect of a criminal offense against a victim who is a minor, a nonviolent sexual offense or a sexually violent offense, between October 1, 1988, and June 30, 1999, where the victim of such offense was, at the time of the offense, under eighteen years of age and related to such person within any of the degrees of kindred specified in section 46b-21; (4) has been convicted or found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect of a violation of section 53a-70b of the general statutes, revision of 1958, revised to January 1, 2019, between October 1, 1988, and June 30, 1999; or (5) has been convicted or found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect of any crime between October 1, 1988, and September 30, 1998, which requires registration under sections 54-250 to 54-258a, inclusive, and (A) served no jail or prison time as a result of such conviction or finding of not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect, (B) has not been subsequently convicted or found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect of any crime which would require registration under sections 54-250 to 54-258a, inclusive, and (C) has registered with the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection in accordance with sections 54-250 to 54-258a, inclusive; may petition the court to order the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection to restrict the dissemination of the registration information to law enforcement purposes only and to not make such information available for public access. Any person who files such a petition shall, pursuant to subsection (b) of section 54-227, notify the Office of Victim Services and the Victim Services Unit within the Department of Correction of the filing of such petition. The Office of Victim Services or the Victim Services Unit within the Department of Correction, or both, shall, pursuant to section 54-230 or 54-230a, notify any victim who has requested notification pursuant to subsection (b) of section 54-228 of the filing of such petition. Prior to granting or denying such petition, the court shall consider any information or statements provided by the victim. The court may order the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection to restrict the dissemination of the registration information to law enforcement purposes only and to not make such information available for public access, provided the court finds that dissemination of the registration information is not required for public safety.

(P.A. 98-111, S. 6; P.A. 99-183, S. 6, 13; P.A. 01-211, S. 2; P.A. 02-89, S. 87; P.A. 05-146, S. 6; P.A. 11-51, S. 134; P.A. 19-189, S. 41.)

History: P.A. 99-183 entirely replaced existing provisions that had authorized a person registered under Sec. 54-252 to apply to the court after 10 years for release from the obligation to register, that had required the court to grant such application if the person proved by clear and convincing evidence that he does not suffer from a mental abnormality or personality disorder that makes him likely to engage in sexually violent offenses and that had specified the procedure for the court to follow in acting on such application with new provisions authorizing the court under certain circumstances to order the Department of Public Safety to restrict the dissemination of registration information with respect to certain offenders to law enforcement purposes only and not make such information available for public access, effective July 1, 1999; P.A. 01-211 amended Subsec. (c) to add provisions requiring any person who files a petition to notify the Office of Victim Services and the Department of Correction of the filing of such petition, requiring said office or department, or both, to notify any victim who has requested notification of the filing of such petition and requiring the court to consider any information or statements provided by the victim prior to granting or denying such petition; P.A. 02-89 amended Subsec. (c) to replace references to Sec. 54-259 with Sec. 54-258a, reflecting repeal of Sec. 54-259 by the same public act; P.A. 05-146 amended Subsec. (c) to specify that it is the “Victim Services Unit” within the Department of Correction to which a person gives notice of the filing of a petition and which notifies any victim who requested notification of the filing of the petition; pursuant to P.A. 11-51, “Department of Public Safety” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection”, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 19-189 amended Subsec. (a) and Subsec. (c)(4) by replacing “53a-70b” with “53a-70b of the general statutes, revision of 1958, revised to January 1, 2019,”.

“Registration information” means any information that is received, maintained and disseminated by the registry, and restricted registration information should not be disclosed except as provided in Sec. 54-258(a)(4). 298 C. 703.

When properly read in context, the phrase “jail or prison time” in Subsec. (c)(5)(A) is most reasonably construed to include confinement in a hospital for psychiatric disabilities pursuant to Sec. 17a-582(e)(1). 225 CA 16.

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Notes of Decisions

Cited in 6 cases (3 in the last 5 years), 2001–2026 · leading case: Dep't of Pub. Saf. v. Freedom of Info. Comm'n, 6 A.3d 763 (Conn. 2010).

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Dep't of Pub. Saf. v. Freedom of Info. Comm'n, 6 A.3d 763 (Conn. 2010). · cites it 45× “The principal issue in this appeal is whether the named defendant, the freedom of information commission (commission), properly ordered the plaintiff, the department of public safety (department), to disclose information contained in its sex offender registry because it was not…”

State v. Webber, 225 Conn. App. 16 (Conn. App. Ct. 2024). · cites it 78× “’’ General Statutes § 54-255 (c). The statute’s plain language clearly indicates that the trial court has statutory authority to grant the peti- tion of any person who satisfies the statutory criteria, provided that the court also makes the requisite public safety finding.”

Comm'r of Emergency Servs. & Pub. Prot. v. Freedom of Info. Comm'n, 194 A.3d 759 (Conn. 2018). · cites it 2× “Section 54-258 (a) (4) provided that "registration information the dissemination of which has been restricted by court order pursuant to section 54-255 and which is not otherwise subject to disclosure, shall not be a public record and shall be released only for law enforcement…”

Doe v. Lee, 132 F. Supp. 2d 57 (D. Conn. 2001). · cites it 4× “See C.G.S. § 54-255(a). Second, certain registrants are entitled to petition for such an order.”

9 Pettipaug, LLC v. Plan. & Zoning Comm'n, 349 Conn. 268 (Conn. 2024). · cites it 2× “3d 763 (2010) (rejecting reliance on pre- sumption and holding that terms ‘‘ ‘registration informa- tion’ ’’ and ‘‘ ‘registry information’ ’’ are synonymous as used in General Statutes §§ 54-255 and 54-258 (a) (4) governing dissemination of information with respect to certain…”

State v. Jeffrey Z. (Conn. App. Ct. 2026). · cites it 32× “, appeals following the decision of the trial court denying his motion to terminate his registration as a sex offender based upon his 1997 conviction for sexual assault in the third degree and his alternative petition, pursuant to General Statutes § 54-255 (c) (5), to restrict…”

— Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-255(a) — 1 case

Doe v. Lee, 132 F. Supp. 2d 57 (D. Conn. 2001). “See C.G.S. § 54-255(a). Second, certain registrants are entitled to petition for such an order.”

— Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-255(c) — 1 case

Doe v. Lee, 132 F. Supp. 2d 57 (D. Conn. 2001). “See C.G.S. § 54-255(a). Second, certain registrants are entitled to petition for such an order.”

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