How to read the numbers here
Connecticut law treats a dishonored check two ways. Under Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 52-565a, a drawer who does not pay within the demand period owes added civil damages on top of the check's face amount, with a lower cap for insufficient funds checks than for no account checks. Under Section 53a-128, issuing a bad check is a crime, graded from a misdemeanor for smaller checks up to a class D felony for the largest. Payday and title loans are not allowed under Connecticut law; installment loans are allowed and overseen by the Connecticut Department of Banking. Help is available through the Connecticut Attorney General, legal aid, and nonprofit credit counseling.
Civil liability under Section 52-565a
When a check bounces because the drawer had no account or the account lacked sufficient funds, Connecticut law gives the payee a civil path separate from any criminal case. Under Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 52-565a, once a payee mails a written demand for payment, the drawer has thirty days from that mailing to pay the face amount of the check. If the drawer does not pay within that window, the payee can recover added civil damages on top of the face amount. The statute caps those damages at the lesser of the check's face amount or a statutory ceiling, and that ceiling differs depending on whether the drawer had no account at all or whether the account simply lacked sufficient funds at the time the check was presented. This civil remedy does not require a criminal conviction and can be pursued on its own.
Criminal penalties under Section 53a-128
Issuing a bad check is a crime under Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 53a-128. The grading depends on the amount of the check, running from a class C misdemeanor for the smallest checks, up through a class B misdemeanor and a class A misdemeanor for mid-range amounts, up to a class D felony for the largest checks, above the statutory felony threshold set by the statute. The law also sets a timing rule for intent: a person who issues a check is presumed to have known it would not be paid if the check is not made good within eight days after the person receives notice that payment was refused. That short window matters because it shapes whether prosecutors can show the person knew the check would bounce.
Civil and criminal routes are separate
The civil demand process under Section 52-565a and the criminal charge under Section 53a-128 are two separate routes through Connecticut law, and a payee is not required to choose only one. A payee can send the written demand and pursue civil damages whether or not a prosecutor ever files criminal charges, and a prosecutor can pursue a criminal case whether or not the payee has started the civil demand process. Missing the thirty day civil demand window does not erase a criminal case, and a criminal case does not automatically produce civil damages for the payee. Anyone dealing with a bounced check in Connecticut should treat the two processes as separate and keep copies of the check, any written demand, and proof of when it was mailed.
Payday and title loans are not allowed in Connecticut
Connecticut law does not allow payday loans. That conclusion rests on Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 37-4 and Section 37-9, together with Section 36a-555 and the sections that follow it. Connecticut law also does not allow title-secured lending, under Section 36a-555 and the sections that follow it along with the state's pawnbroker statutes, which do not permit lending secured by a vehicle title. Installment loans are allowed under Connecticut law, under Section 36a-555 through Section 36a-573 as amended by SB 1033, and lenders offering them are overseen by the Connecticut Department of Banking. If you are weighing the cost of an installment loan, look at the cost example on this page rather than any number in an advertisement, and ask the lender directly about the APR, the repayment period, and the payment amount before you sign.
If you wrote or received a bad check
If you wrote a check that bounced, respond to any written demand quickly and keep a record of when you pay, since the civil demand period runs from the date the demand was mailed. If you received a bad check, keep the original check, any bank notice, and copies of your written demand, since those records support both a civil claim and a possible criminal referral. For broader help, Connecticut residents can reach the Connecticut Attorney General's consumer protection section, the Connecticut Department of Banking as the regulator for installment lenders, the state benefits agency, a nonprofit credit counseling organization through the national referral directory, legal aid, the CFPB complaint process, and the statewide information and referral helpline listed among the resources on this page. BadCreditMD is not a lender or broker. A lending network partner shares requests with lenders. Lenders set their own rates and decide whether to lend.
Key facts
- Civil damages ruleDamages are capped at the lesser of the check's face amount or $750 when the drawer has no account, or the lesser of the face amount or $400 when the account has insufficient funds, in addition to the face amount, under Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 52-565a.[1]
- Felony threshold amountIssuing a bad check is a class D felony above $2,000, a class A misdemeanor from $1,000 up to $2,000, a class B misdemeanor from $500 up to $1,000, and a class C misdemeanor at $500 or below, under Connecticut law ($2,000).[2]
- Notice periodThe drawer has 30 days from the mailing of a written demand for payment to pay the face amount of a dishonored check before additional civil damages are owed, under Connecticut law (30 days).[1]
- Prosecution notice requirementAn issuer is presumed to know a check would not be paid if it is not made good within 8 days after receiving notice that payment was refused, under Connecticut law.[2]
- Statute citationConn. Gen. Stat. Section 53a-128[2]
Lending rules in Connecticut: Connecticut lending laws.
Related loan rules: Payday loans in Connecticut.
Common questions
Can someone go to jail for writing a bad check in Connecticut?
Under Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 53a-128, issuing a bad check is a crime graded by the amount involved, from a misdemeanor for smaller checks up to a class D felony for the largest. Jail exposure depends on that grading and on the facts of the case, not on the civil demand process.
How long do I have to pay back a bad check before owing extra damages?
Under Section 52-565a, you have thirty days from the date a written demand for payment is mailed to you to pay the check's face amount before the payee can seek added civil damages on top of that amount.
Does the insufficient funds cap work the same as the no account cap?
No. Section 52-565a sets two different ceilings for added civil damages, one for checks written on accounts that never existed and a lower one for checks written on accounts that simply lacked sufficient funds at the time.
Are payday loans available anywhere in Connecticut?
Payday loans are not allowed under Connecticut law, under Section 37-4, Section 37-9 and Section 36a-555 and the sections that follow it. Installment loans are allowed and regulated by the Connecticut Department of Banking.
Where can I get help with a bad check or borrowing problem in Connecticut?
The Connecticut Attorney General's consumer protection section, the Connecticut Department of Banking, legal aid, nonprofit credit counseling, the CFPB complaint process, and a statewide information and referral helpline are listed among the resources on this page.
Sources
- Connecticut General Assembly. Connecticut General Statutes, Chapter 925, Section 52-565a, Liability of Drawer for Dishonored Check.
- Connecticut General Assembly. Connecticut General Statutes, Chapter 952, Section 53a-128, Issuing a Bad Check. Penalties..
Representative example
- Amount borrowed
- $1,000
- Annual percentage rate (APR)
- 29.99%
- Repayment
- 12 monthly payments
- Payment
- $97.48
- Finance charge
- $169.76
- Total of payments
- $1,169.76
Example: a $1,000 installment loan at 29.99% APR repaid in 12 monthly payments of $97.48 costs $1,169.76 in total, including a finance charge of $169.76. Illustration only; your lender will disclose your actual APR, payment schedule and total cost before you accept a loan.