CONNECTICUT — Tree-care businesses using cranes can no longer rely on the arboriculture exemption described in older state licensing rules, according to a September 16 announcement from the Department of Administrative Services.
DAS says Public Act 26-12 removed arboriculture from exemptions in Sections 29-223a and 29-224, with the change effective October 1. The agency says people performing covered crane operations in tree care must hold the appropriate Connecticut crane operator license, and owners must maintain crane registrations.
The operator’s credential and the equipment’s registration are separate checks. A company should identify which employees operate cranes and which equipment is used, rather than assuming that a business’s existing tree-care qualifications satisfy both requirements.
DAS says employers must confirm the required licensing and registration before covered operations. Its announcement also describes stronger inspection and enforcement authority, including stop-work orders for violations involving cranes and hoisting equipment. DAS and the Examining Board for Crane Operators oversee these standards.
The agency’s crane-services directory provides separate links for operator licensing, registration, renewal and retesting, as well as hoisting-equipment licenses and apprentice certification. It says the examining board helps specify applicant qualifications, examination requirements and renewal procedures.
Businesses should use those official resources to determine the credential and application path for their own equipment and work. This article does not establish that any particular contractor is compliant, describe an unverified grace period or substitute for an agency determination.