Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-66a: Wrecker service. Motor vehicle redemption and access to personal property within stored motor vehicle. Regulations. Penalty.

(a) Each wrecker service that stores a motor vehicle that has been subject to nonconsensual towing or transporting, as defined in section 14-66, shall store such vehicle at the site of the wrecker service's business in a secured lot. The site shall be open during the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The wrecker service shall (1) maintain an advertised telephone number to take requests twenty-four hours a day from a motor vehicle owner or person authorized by such owner seeking to redeem a stored motor vehicle or remove any personal property within such stored motor vehicle, and (2) if such request is not made during the wrecker service's hours of operation, provide for such redemption or access to personal property not later than four hours after such request. A lending institution or person authorized by such lending institution may only redeem a stored motor vehicle during the wrecker service's hours of operation.

(b) Any such wrecker service does not have a lien upon the personal property within a motor vehicle stored at such wrecker service's secured storage lot and shall permit the owner of the motor vehicle or a person authorized by such owner to access such motor vehicle and remove any personal property from within such motor vehicle during such wrecker service's hours of operation or, if not open, not later than four hours after receiving a request to remove such personal property.

(c) No wrecker service shall charge for vehicle storage on a day when such wrecker service does not make the vehicle available for redemption. The wrecker service may charge an after-hours redemption fee established by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles in accordance with section 14-66d if the wrecker service releases a motor vehicle outside its hours of operation.

(d) The wrecker service shall release a motor vehicle to its owner, a lending institution or a person authorized by the owner or lending institution to regain possession, upon demand, provided the owner, lending institution or authorized person (1) presents proof of registration, the certificate of title, the bill of sale, the lease for the motor vehicle or other reasonable proof of ownership, and (2) pays the costs of towing and storage. The wrecker service shall release the motor vehicle even if the address on the proof of registration, certificate of title, bill of sale, lease for the motor vehicle or other reasonable proof of ownership is different from the current address of the owner or authorized person redeeming the motor vehicle.

(e) The wrecker service shall accept such payment by cash or credit or debit card and maintain sufficient cash at the office of such wrecker service to provide change to the owner or authorized person at the time of payment. If such payment is made by credit or debit card, the holder of such credit or debit card shall appear at the office of such wrecker service and sign the credit or debit card receipt.

(f) Any vehicle owner, lending institution or authorized person shall have the right to inspect the vehicle before redeeming the vehicle. No general release of any kind that would release the wrecker service from liability for damages or from liability for any claim that the vehicle was towed without justification may be required from any vehicle owner, lending institution or authorized person, as a condition of release of the vehicle. A receipt showing the name of the wrecker service and an itemization of the charges shall be provided to the person paying the towing and storage costs at the time of payment.

(g) The commissioner shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, requiring all wreckers to display either the name and address or name and telephone number of the licensed registrant of such wrecker.

(h) Any person, firm, corporation or association that violates the provisions of this section shall, for a first offense, be deemed to have committed an infraction and for a second or subsequent offense, shall be guilty of a class D misdemeanor.