Is wholesaling legal in Connecticut? The 2026 law, explained.
Yes, wholesaling is legal in Connecticut, but since July 1, 2026 you must register with the Department of Consumer Protection and follow Chapter 392a of the General Statutes: give the seller DCP's disclosure report before they sign, let them cancel within three business days, close within 90 days, and never record the contract or put a lien on the house. Breaking these rules is treated as an unfair trade practice.
Wholesaling is when you sign a contract to buy a house from its owner and then, instead of buying it yourself, sell your place in that contract to another buyer, usually a cash investor, for a fee. This guide explains every part of Connecticut's new law in plain words, with the exact section of the statute next to each rule, the rules around it that catch people out, what other states do, and the questions nobody has answered yet.
Last checked 14 November 2026 against the statute and DCP's own pages. Not legal advice: we buy houses, we are not lawyers.
What is real estate wholesaling, in plain words?
Real estate wholesaling is a way to make money from a house you never buy. You agree a price with a homeowner and sign a purchase contract. Then you find a cash buyer, an investor who buys without a bank loan, and sell them your right to buy the house at that price. That sale of the contract is called an assignment, and what the buyer pays you for it is the assignment fee. At the closing, the meeting where the house changes hands, the seller sells straight to your buyer, and you are paid your fee.
Connecticut's law puts it in its own words. A real estate wholesaler is "a person who enters into a real estate wholesale contract for the purpose of facilitating or orchestrating the sale of a seller's residential real property to a third party without assuming title to such property", and the contract counts if the wholesaler "agrees, or reasonably expects or intends" to do that for compensation (CGS § 20-329aaa). Title is legal ownership; "without assuming title" means you never own the house. So the law is aimed at exactly the deal in the picture.
Why a new law? DCP's commissioner said the legislature added the registration in 2025 for transparency, because sellers often don't know they are dealing with a wholesaler rather than a buyer (DCP news release, 25 June 2026). The rules below answer that: the seller is told, in writing, before signing.
When did Connecticut's wholesaling law start, and what comes next?
Connecticut's wholesaling law started on July 1, 2026, and its last piece, the disclosure report, became required on October 1, 2026. It began as its own bill in 2025 and passed inside the state budget. These are the dates that matter, in order.
- 2025 · House Bill 5572"An Act Concerning Real Estate Wholesalers and Real Estate Wholesale Contracts" passes three committees and, on May 30, the House, whose amendment moves its start from October 1, 2025 to July 1, 2026. The Senate tables it on May 31, and the session ends without a vote.
- June 30, 2025 · Public Act 25-168The same rules become sections 252 to 259 of the state budget act (House Bill 7287), which the Governor signs on June 30, 2025. They are now Chapter 392a of the General Statutes, §§ 20-329aaa to 20-329hhh.
- June 25, 2026 · DCP announces itThe Department of Consumer Protection tells wholesalers to register, and says applications open on July 1 through eLicense.
- July 1, 2026 · The law takes effectRegistration, the three business days to cancel, the 90-day limit, the notice to buyers, the condition report and the ban on recording all apply.
- By September 30, 2026 · DCP posts the formThe law gives DCP until this date to write and publish the wholesale disclosure report.
- October 1, 2026 · The disclosure reportFrom this date, every seller gets DCP's report before signing, and you both sign it.
- January 1, 2027 · "Salesperson" becomes "agent"Public Act 26-23, signed May 27, 2026, renames a real estate salesperson a real estate agent throughout the license law, including in the wholesaling chapter and point 9 of the disclosure report. The rules stay the same.
- July 31, 2028 · First registrations expireEvery first approval expires on this date. After that, registrations expire on July 31 of every even-numbered year.
Sources: the bill analysis of sHB 5572 (Office of Legislative Research, 2025), the history notes of CGS §§ 20-329aaa to 20-329hhh ("P.A. 25-168, S. 252" to "S. 259"), § 20-329eee, DCP's news release of 25 June 2026 and registration page, the General Assembly's bill records for HB 5572 and HB 7287, and Public Act 26-23, §§ 19 to 21.
Who has to register as a wholesaler in Connecticut?
Anyone who wholesales a Connecticut home has to register: "No person shall act as a real estate wholesaler in this state" without a registration (CGS § 20-329bbb). DCP's pages list no exceptions, and its FAQ says there are none. In practice, that means three kinds of people.
An individual who enters into a wholesale contract registers in their own name.
A company that enters into wholesale contracts registers too, and must have at least one individual registered to sign them for it. Each person who signs for the company needs their own registration.
A real estate broker or salesperson who wholesales still registers. The license does not replace it, and the law lets you hold both.
The law covers "residential real property", which Connecticut defines as "any one to four-family residential real estate located in this state", including a condominium or co-op of no more than four units and any single unit in a bigger development (CGS §§ 20-329aaa and 20-311(29)). So a single-family house, a two-family or a four-family is covered, and so is one condo in a big complex.
What is not in it: a building of five or more units, commercial property and vacant land are not in that definition, so Chapter 392a does not reach them. The broker license law and CUTPA still do.
Sources: CGS §§ 20-329aaa, 20-329bbb, 20-311(29); DCP's Real Estate Wholesaling page and registration page, read 14 November 2026.
How do I register as a wholesaler in Connecticut?
You register online with the Department of Consumer Protection, in the state's eLicense system, for a $285 fee. These are the steps, in the order you do them, as DCP's registration page lays them out.
- 1Check that you need itYou need a registration if you, or a business you sign for, enter into a contract to arrange the sale of a Connecticut home of one to four units to someone else without taking title yourself.
- 2Gather what the form asks forName, date of birth, Social Security number and contact details; any professional discipline; a Criminal Conviction Application Worksheet if it applies; owners or employees if it applies; your business ID from the Secretary of the State for a business.
- 3Apply online in eLicenseFrom DCP's Real Estate Wholesaler page, open the state's eLicense system (elicense.ct.gov). DCP takes this application online only.
- 4Pay the $285 feeThe fee is not refundable. Renewal is another $285.
- 5Put the expiry date in your calendarRegistrations expire on July 31 of every even-numbered year. Every first approval expires on July 31, 2028.
- 6Get DCP's disclosure report before your next contractDownload the Real Estate Wholesaler Disclosure Report from DCP's page and give it to every seller before they sign, from October 1, 2026. You both sign it.
Questions about the registration itself go to DCP at DCP.RealEstate@ct.gov, the address its news release gives. DCP also tells homeowners to check on its website that a wholesaler's registration is active, so expect sellers, and their lawyers, to look you up.
Sources: CGS § 20-329bbb ($285, non-refundable, up to two years, renewal $285); DCP's registration page (online only, the documents, the July 31 expiry, "All initial approvals will receive an expiration date of July 31, 2028"); DCP's news release of 25 June 2026.
What are the seller's rights and the wholesaler's duties?
The seller's rights and your duties are all in six short sections of Chapter 392a. This table puts each one in plain words, with the section to look up. A section is the numbered paragraph of the General Statutes where the rule is written, so a lawyer can find it in seconds.
| The rule | What it means for you | Section |
|---|---|---|
| The seller's rights | ||
| Three business days to cancel | The seller may cancel during that period "without providing any reason" and without any penalty. All they return is any deposit you paid them. The disclosure report says the period begins when they enter into the contract. | § 20-329ccc(a) |
| Time to get advice | The three days are also meant for the seller to have the contract checked by a lawyer or another advisor, at their own expense. | § 20-329ccc(a) |
| A 90-day limit | The closing date can't be more than 90 days after everyone signs, unless all the parties extend it in a signed writing. Otherwise the contract ends on its own. | § 20-329ccc(b) |
| To be told, in writing, first | From October 1, 2026, the seller gets DCP's wholesale disclosure report before signing, and signs that they received it. | § 20-329eee |
| A clean land record | Nothing about your contract can be put on the town's land records, and no lien can be filed, so the seller is never stuck with your claim on their title. | § 20-329fff |
| Your duties as the wholesaler | ||
| Be registered | Hold an active DCP registration before you act as a wholesaler. | § 20-329bbb |
| Give the disclosure report | Hand the seller DCP's report before the contract is signed; electronic delivery is allowed. You both sign it. | § 20-329eee |
| Tell your buyer what you hold | Before you sell or assign the contract, give the buyer written notice of their rights under it, saying you hold "a future interest" in buying the house but do not hold title. | § 20-329ccc(c) |
| Pass on the condition report | Give your buyer the seller's written residential condition report. | § 20-329ccc(c) |
| Record nothing | Never record the contract, a notice of it, or a lien, and never file a purchaser's lien under § 49-92a. | § 20-329fff |
| The seller's duty | ||
| The condition report | Before signing, the seller gives you a written residential condition report that meets § 20-327b, and meets federal reporting requirements. | § 20-329ddd |
| If the rules are broken | ||
| An unfair trade practice | Any violation of §§ 20-329bbb to 20-329fff counts as an unfair or deceptive trade practice under CUTPA. | § 20-329hhh |
Source: CGS Chapter 392a, 2026 Supplement, read 14 November 2026. § 20-329ggg lets DCP's commissioner adopt regulations to carry out the chapter; as of 14 November 2026 DCP's wholesaling page lists none, and its FAQ is the only guidance.
What does the wholesale disclosure report tell the seller?
The wholesale disclosure report tells the seller, in writing and before they sign, what a wholesale contract is and what rights they have. DCP writes the form; you don't. The law sets out the "Notice to Sellers" it must carry, and this is what it says, summed up in plain words.
- You, the wholesaler, may not be the one who buys the house, and you may market it while the contract runs.
- You may make a profit by assigning the contract to someone else.
- The contract may let you accept or reject offers without asking the seller.
- The town's assessed value may not be what the house would sell for on the open market.
- The seller may hire a lawyer or an appraiser, someone who estimates what a house is worth, at their own expense.
- The seller may cancel within three business days.
- A wholesaler who is also a licensed broker or salesperson must say whom they represent and what duties they owe.
- Property condition and lead paint disclosures are required.
- The contract ends on its own after 90 days, unless it is extended in writing.
The statute lists eleven points in all; these are their substance, grouped. The report then has a place for the seller to confirm they got it and understood it, and signature and date lines for both of you.
- Pages no bigger than 8½ by 11 inches, every page numbered
- Type of at least 9 points, with bold section headings
- The property's address on every page
- Space for initials on every page except the signature page
- Delivered before the contract is signed; electronically is allowed
Use DCP's own form, linked from its wholesaling page, rather than retyping it, so the wording and the layout are exactly what the law asks for.
Source: CGS § 20-329eee; DCP's wholesaling page and news release of 25 June 2026 (both parties sign it).
How do the three days and the 90 days work?
Two clocks start when the seller signs. The short one is the seller's: three business days in which they can walk away for any reason. The long one is yours: 90 days to close, or the contract ends by itself. Here is a deal laid out on those two clocks.
Don't spend money marketing a contract the seller can still cancel without a reason, and don't pressure them inside those days: the whole point of the period is a calm second look, often with a lawyer. If they cancel, they give back only the deposit you paid.
Write the closing date into the contract no later than 90 days out. If a deal needs longer, get a written extension signed by every party before day 90, because without it the contract simply ends.
How to count the three days: the law does not define "business day", so count Monday to Friday only, leave out Connecticut's legal holidays (CGS § 1-4), and don't count the day the seller signs. Connecticut's home solicitation sales law counts Saturdays as business days (CGS § 42-134a(f)), but it does not cover real estate; the weekdays-only count is the one that can never leave you a day short.
Sources: CGS §§ 20-329ccc(a) and (b), 20-329eee ("beginning when you enter into the contract"), 1-4, 42-134a(f).
Can I record a wholesale contract or file a lien?
No, you can't record a wholesale contract, a notice of it, or anything that claims a lien on the house. The land records are the town clerk's books that show who owns each property and who has a claim on it. Wholesalers used to record a memorandum of their contract there, so nobody else could buy the house while it was under contract. In Connecticut that is now banned.
Recording the contract, "any notice or record thereof", or any document that claims a lien or security interest, and filing a purchaser's lien under § 49-92a.
Refuse to record it. And if it is recorded anyway, it gives no notice to a later buyer or lender who acts in good faith.
Record an affidavit under § 47-12a, a sworn statement, and from then on "any filing providing notice of the real estate wholesale contract shall be void and unenforceable".
Source: CGS § 20-329fff. DCP's page puts it this way: no lien or encumbrance may be placed on a property under a wholesale contract, and such a filing has no legal authority.
What happens if I break Connecticut's wholesaling law?
If you break Connecticut's wholesaling law, it counts as an unfair or deceptive trade practice under CUTPA, the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act (CGS § 20-329hhh). The chapter sets no fine of its own; it hands enforcement to CUTPA, which works on two tracks.
DCP enforces CUTPA, and a court can impose civil penalties of up to $5,000 for each willful violation, and up to $25,000 for breaking a court order to stop (CGS § 42-110o). A violation is willful when you knew or should have known it broke the law.
Anyone who loses money or property through an unfair practice can sue for their actual damages, without having to show any harm to the public, and the court may add punitive damages and order you to pay their lawyer (CGS § 42-110g(a) and (d)). Sellers can sue together, as a class.
So the real risk of skipping the registration or the report is not one fine. It is every seller you signed with having a claim, each with a lawyer whose fee you may end up paying. DCP also asks the public to report anyone wholesaling without a registration.
Sources: CGS §§ 20-329hhh, 42-110b(a), 42-110g, 42-110o; DCP's wholesaling page.
Can I call or text sellers in Connecticut?
You can call or text sellers in Connecticut only inside the state's telemarketing law, which is stricter than the federal one. Wholesalers find most sellers by calling, texting and mailing, so this law matters as much as Chapter 392a. Since Public Act 23-98 rewrote it, CGS § 42-288a says:
Telephonic sales calls "shall be limited to being conducted between the hours of nine o'clock a.m. and eight o'clock p.m. local time." The federal window is 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. (47 C.F.R. § 64.1200(c)(1)), so Connecticut takes an hour off each end.
"No telemarketer may make, or cause to be made, a telephonic sales call to a consumer without such consumer's prior express written consent" (§ 42-288a(l)). Calls include texts and messaging apps (CGS § 42-284(18)).
Does a call to buy a house count? Treat it as if it does. Connecticut's definition is wider than "selling": a telephonic sales call includes one made to encourage "the purchase or rental of, or investment in, property, goods, services or anything of value", or to gather information for such a solicitation, such as the details you take to market a contract to cash buyers (CGS § 42-284(9) and (18)). Federal courts used to say an offer to buy a house is not a telephone solicitation, but on June 4, 2026 the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals revived a lawsuit over texts offering to buy homes, ruling that the purpose of the message, read in its context, decides (Coffey v. Fast Easy Offer, No. 25-4066). A federal court in Georgia let a similar claim against a house-buying company go ahead in March 2026 (Bramlett v. RES 360, No. 1:25-cv-3312). No Connecticut court or DCP guidance has answered it yet, and each violation of § 42-288a can cost up to $20,000 on top of CUTPA (§ 42-288a(o)).
Sources: CGS §§ 42-284, 42-288a(c), (l), (m) and (o), 1-272; 47 C.F.R. § 64.1200(c)(1) and (f)(15); 16 C.F.R. § 310.4(c); Coffey v. Fast Easy Offer, LLC, No. 25-4066 (9th Cir. June 4, 2026); Bramlett v. RES 360 LLC, No. 1:25-cv-3312-MLB (N.D. Ga. Mar. 4, 2026).
Which other Connecticut rules does a wholesaler need to know?
A wholesaler needs to know a few older Connecticut rules that touch every deal, because Chapter 392a points to some of them and sits next to the others. None is new, but each catches people out.
Sellers of most homes must give buyers a written residential property condition report (§ 20-327b). If a seller doesn't, the purchase agreement must credit the buyer $500 at closing, and paying it does not excuse hiding a known serious defect (§ 20-327c). § 20-327b(b) exempts nine kinds of transfers, such as sales by an executor or after a foreclosure, but a wholesale seller owes the report anyway (§ 20-329ddd).
Acting as a real estate broker or salesperson without a license is prohibited (§ 20-312, Chapter 392). Brokering means negotiating, listing or selling an interest in real estate "while acting for another and for a fee" (§ 20-311(15)), and registering as a wholesaler does not exempt you from it. Marketing the house rather than your contract, or charging the seller a fee, is where the line is easiest to cross: up to $1,000 per violation (§ 20-325), and you can't sue to collect a fee for work that needs a license (§ 20-325a).
A sale's deed carries the state's real estate conveyance tax: on a home, 0.75% of the price up to $800,000, 1.25% of the part from $800,000 to $2.5 million and 2.25% above that, plus the town's 0.25%, and up to another 0.25% in some towns (§ 12-494). The seller usually pays it: DCP's own disclosure report calls it "a seller's conveyance tax" (§ 20-329eee). In an assignment the deed runs from the seller to your buyer, so you are not on it.
DCP's own advice to homeowners is to have a lawyer read any wholesale contract before signing, and the disclosure report tells them they may. Expect sellers' lawyers, and write contracts that read well to them.
Sources: CGS §§ 20-311, 20-312, 20-325, 20-325a, 20-327b, 20-327c, 20-329, 12-494, 20-329eee; DCP's news release of 25 June 2026.
How does Connecticut compare with other states?
Connecticut is one of the strictest states for wholesalers, because it combines a registration with a three-day cancellation, a 90-day limit and a ban on recording. Other states mostly ask for one thing: a written disclosure, or a broker's license after a number of deals. This is a short map.
| State | What it asks of a wholesaler | Law |
|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | Registration with DCP, the disclosure report, 3 business days to cancel, 90 days to close, no recording | CGS §§ 20-329aaa–hhh (2026) |
| Arizona | A written disclosure to the seller | A.R.S. § 44-5101 (2022) |
| Illinois | A broker's license to deal in contracts, assignable ones included, 2 or more times in 12 months | 225 ILCS 454/1-10 (2019) |
| Iowa | A broker's license, or being represented by a broker, plus written disclosures to all parties | Iowa Code § 543B.6A (2024) |
| Maryland | A written disclosure to the owner of an owner-occupied home that you may assign | Md. Code, Real Prop. § 10-715 |
| Missouri | A separate disclosure at least 14 days before the contract | Mo. Rev. Stat. § 407.3600 |
| Nebraska | A broker's license to publicly market a contract to buy a house | Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-885.02 (2022) |
| North Dakota | A written disclosure to all parties | N.D. Cent. Code § 43-23-24 (2023) |
| Ohio | A separate disclosure in 12-point bold type before the contract | Ohio Rev. Code § 5301.95 (2026) |
| Oklahoma | A real estate license (since 2021), plus written disclosures and 2 business days to cancel (since November 2025) | Okla. Stat. tit. 59, § 858-314 |
| Oregon | Registration with the Real Estate Agency, $300 a year, plus written disclosures | Oregon Laws 2024, ch. 3 (2025) |
| Pennsylvania | A license, plus disclosures and a right to cancel in the contract | Act 52 of 2024 (2025) |
| South Carolina | A license to market the house itself; assigning the contract is allowed | S.C. Code § 40-57-30(44) (2024) |
| Tennessee | Written disclosures, and notice to the seller 3 business days before assigning | Tenn. Code §§ 66-4-401–403 (2025) |
| Texas | A written disclosure that you sell an equitable interest | Tex. Occ. Code § 1101.0045 |
| Virginia | A broker's license to deal in contracts, assignable ones included, 2 or more times in 12 months | Va. Code § 54.1-2100 (2024) |
| Wisconsin | Written notice to the seller that the buyer is a wholesaler | Wis. Stat. § 710.13 (2024) |
Each row was read against that state's own statute or its real estate agency on 14 November 2026, and the year is when it took effect. These laws change often, and states not listed may have rules of their own, so read the statute in the state you work in before you sign a contract there.
The questions people ask, answered from the law.
These are the questions the new law raises most often. No court has read Chapter 392a yet and DCP has adopted no regulations, so each answer comes from the words of the statutes, the closest Connecticut rules and recent court decisions, with the safe way to act.
- Is a double close wholesaling?A true double close, where you buy the house and then resell it, is not wholesaling under the law's own words: both definitions require arranging the sale "without assuming title" (§ 20-329aaa(7) and (8)). But what counts is your plan on the day you sign. If you agree, "or reasonably expect or intend", to arrange a sale to someone else without taking title, the contract is a wholesale contract from day one, even if you end up double closing. If there is any chance you will assign, register and follow every rule from the start.
- Is a call offering to buy a house a "sales call"?Treat it as one. Connecticut's definition reaches any call that encourages "the purchase or rental of, or investment in, property, goods, services or anything of value", or gathers information for such a solicitation (§ 42-284(9) and (18)), and the Ninth Circuit ruled on June 4, 2026 that texts offering to buy homes can be telephone solicitations when their context shows a sales purpose (Coffey v. Fast Easy Offer, No. 25-4066). Call between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m., with written consent, and stop when asked.
- Does registering protect me from an unlicensed-broker claim?No. The registration and a license are separate things you may hold together (§ 20-329bbb(a)(2)), and nothing in Chapter 392a exempts a registered wholesaler from the license law. Brokering is acting "for another and for a fee" (§ 20-311(15)); a person dealing in property they seek to acquire for themselves is exempt (§ 20-329(1)). So market your contract, not the house, never charge the seller a fee, and get a license if you want to list houses. The penalty is up to $1,000 per violation (§ 20-325), and you cannot sue to collect a fee for work that needs a license (§ 20-325a).
- Do the condition report's exemptions apply to a wholesale seller?No. § 20-327b(b) exempts nine kinds of transfers, among them sales by executors, administrators, trustees and conservators, transfers between co-owners or to close family for nothing, new homes with a builder's warranty, government sellers and property taken by foreclosure. But § 20-329ddd gives every wholesale seller its own duty and points to § 20-327b only for what the report must contain. Get the report on every wholesale deal; "UNK", unknown, is an allowed answer.
- What counts as a "business day"?The law doesn't define it, and neither does the general definitions section, § 1-1. The closest Connecticut definition, in the home solicitation sales law, counts every day but Sunday and nine holidays (§ 42-134a(f)), but that law excludes real estate. So count Monday to Friday only, skip Connecticut's legal holidays (§ 1-4) and the signing day itself. That count can never leave you short.
- What about contracts signed before October 1, 2026?Every section took effect on July 1, 2026, and only the disclosure report waits until "on and after October 1, 2026" (§ 20-329eee(a)). So a contract signed from July 1 to September 30 needed everything except the report. A contract signed before July 1 is not bound by rules that did not exist yet (§ 55-3), but assigning it after July 1 is acting as a wholesaler: you needed the registration, and the notice to your buyer applies (§ 20-329ccc(c)).
- Does a box ticked on my website count as written consent?It can. An electronic signature satisfies any law that requires a signature (§ 1-272(d)), so a ticked box works, if its words name your business, say how you will contact them (calls, texts, automated messages), cover the number they typed and clearly agree to your marketing messages (§ 42-284(14)). Keep the exact words, with the date and time it was ticked.
Sources: CGS §§ 1-1, 1-4, 1-272, 20-311, 20-325, 20-325a, 20-327b, 20-329, 20-329aaa to 20-329eee, 42-134a, 42-284, 55-3; the cases named above. Not legal advice: for your deal, talk to a Connecticut real estate lawyer.
How can Apex Vivus help me follow the rules?
Apex Vivus can help with the parts of these rules a computer can keep track of: when you may contact a seller, who you may not contact, and a dated record of what happened on each deal. Apex Vivus is the website, CRM and deal software we build for investors; the CRM is where you keep every seller, call and message. It does not register you, fill in DCP's report or check your contract against the law. That stays with you and your lawyer.
An automated follow-up text or email to a seller whose house is in Connecticut waits until it is between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. there before it goes, the hours of § 42-288a.
A message to a number or address on a do-not-contact list is never sent, and a text never goes to someone without text consent on file. The consent box on your forms is yours to word: change it to the wording in the "Can I call or text sellers" section, so it meets Connecticut's definition.
Texts carry a way to reply STOP, and a seller who replies STOP is not texted again. Automated messages are held to one per channel a day.
Each lead has a timeline of calls, texts, emails and notes, and tasks with dates. Note the day you handed over the disclosure report and set a task for day 90.
If you are new to wholesaling, our free 30-Day Paycheck Blueprint walks through a first deal step by step, and Apex Vivus for wholesalers shows the tools. If you are a Connecticut homeowner reading this before you sign with a wholesaler, We Buy Houses In Connecticut, the author's own company, buys houses directly and explains its process on its site.
Connecticut wholesaling questions, answered.
Is wholesaling legal in Connecticut?
Wholesaling is legal in Connecticut, as long as you follow Chapter 392a of the General Statutes, in force since July 1, 2026. You must register with the Department of Consumer Protection ($285 for about two years), give the seller DCP's wholesale disclosure report before they sign (required from October 1, 2026), let the seller cancel within three business days, close within 90 days unless everyone agrees in writing to extend, and never record the contract or file a lien on the house (CGS §§ 20-329bbb to 20-329fff).
Do I need a real estate license to wholesale in Connecticut?
You do not need a real estate license to wholesale in Connecticut, but you do need a real estate wholesaler registration from the Department of Consumer Protection (CGS § 20-329bbb), and the registration does not protect you from the broker license law. Brokering means negotiating, listing or selling an interest in real estate "while acting for another and for a fee" (CGS § 20-311(15)). Assigning your own contract stays closest to the exemption for property a person seeks to acquire for themselves (CGS § 20-329(1)); marketing the house itself, or charging the seller a fee, looks like brokering, which carries a fine of up to $1,000 per violation (CGS § 20-325) and bars you from suing to collect that fee (CGS § 20-325a).
I already have a real estate license. Do I still need to register as a wholesaler?
Yes, a licensed broker or salesperson who wholesales still needs the wholesaler registration: the law lets you hold both (CGS § 20-329bbb), and DCP says a license does not replace it. The disclosure report also tells the seller that a wholesaler who is a broker or salesperson must say whom they represent and what duties they owe (CGS § 20-329eee).
How much does a Connecticut wholesaler registration cost?
A Connecticut wholesaler registration costs $285, and the fee is not refundable. Renewing it costs $285 again (CGS § 20-329bbb; DCP's registration page).
How long is my Connecticut wholesaler registration good for?
Your registration is good for up to two years. DCP says registrations expire on July 31 of every even-numbered year, and that every first approval expires on July 31, 2028 (DCP's registration page and its 25 June 2026 news release).
How do I apply for the Connecticut wholesaler registration?
You apply online only, through the state's eLicense system (elicense.ct.gov), from DCP's Real Estate Wholesaler page. Have ready your name, date of birth, Social Security number and contact details, any professional discipline, a Criminal Conviction Application Worksheet if you have a conviction it asks about, a list of owners or employees if it applies, and your business ID from the Secretary of the State if you apply as a business. Then pay $285.
Does my LLC need its own wholesaler registration?
Yes, a business that signs wholesale contracts needs its own registration, and DCP's registration page says each registered business must have at least one individual registered to sign wholesale contracts for it. Every individual who signs a wholesale contract, for themselves or for a registered business, needs a registration too.
When did Connecticut's wholesaling law take effect?
Connecticut's wholesaling law took effect on July 1, 2026, for registration and the contract rules. The written disclosure report is required on and after October 1, 2026 (CGS §§ 20-329aaa to 20-329hhh, from Public Act 25-168, sections 252 to 259).
What is the Connecticut wholesale disclosure report?
The wholesale disclosure report is a form written by DCP that you must give the seller before they sign your contract, from October 1, 2026 (CGS § 20-329eee). It warns them, among other things, that you may not be the buyer, that you may profit by assigning the contract, that they can hire a lawyer or appraiser, that they can cancel within three business days and that the contract ends after 90 days unless extended in writing. You and the seller both sign it. It may be delivered electronically.
Can a seller cancel my wholesale contract in Connecticut?
Yes, a seller can cancel your wholesale contract within three business days, without giving a reason and without any penalty. The only thing they owe back is any deposit you paid them (CGS § 20-329ccc). The disclosure report says the three days begin when the seller enters into the contract.
How long do I have to close a wholesale deal in Connecticut?
You have 90 days after everyone signs: the contract cannot set a closing date later than that, unless all the parties agree to extend it in a writing they all sign. Without that writing, the contract ends on its own at the end of the 90 days (CGS § 20-329ccc).
Can I record my wholesale contract or a memorandum to protect my interest?
No, you cannot record a wholesale contract, any notice or record of it, or any document that claims a lien or security interest on the house, and you cannot file a purchaser's lien under CGS § 49-92a. A town clerk may refuse such a filing, and if one is recorded anyway, the owner can record an affidavit that makes it void (CGS § 20-329fff).
What happens if I break Connecticut's wholesaling law?
If you break it, the law treats the violation as an unfair or deceptive trade practice under the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act, CUTPA (CGS § 20-329hhh). Under CUTPA, the state can seek civil penalties of up to $5,000 for each willful violation (CGS § 42-110o), and a person who loses money can sue for their damages, and a court may add punitive damages and lawyer's fees (CGS § 42-110g).
Does Connecticut's wholesaling law cover land, apartment buildings or commercial property?
The law covers residential real property, which the statutes define as one- to four-family homes in Connecticut, including small condominiums and co-ops of up to four units and single units in a bigger development (CGS §§ 20-329aaa(9) and 20-311(29)). A building of five or more units, commercial property and vacant land are not in that definition, so Chapter 392a does not reach them. The broker license law and CUTPA still do.
Does a double close count as wholesaling in Connecticut?
A true double close, where you buy the house and then resell it, is not wholesaling under the law's own words, because both definitions require arranging the sale "without assuming title" (CGS § 20-329aaa(7) and (8)). What decides it is your plan on the day you sign: the contract is a wholesale contract if you agree, "or reasonably expect or intend", to arrange the sale to someone else without taking title. So a contract you might assign is covered from the start, even if you end up double closing. If there is any chance you will assign, register and follow every rule from day one.
What must I tell the cash buyer when I assign my contract?
Before you sell or assign the contract, you must give the buyer written notice of their rights under your contract with the seller, say that you hold a future interest in buying the house but do not hold title, and hand over the seller's residential condition report (CGS § 20-329ccc).
Can I cold call or text sellers in Connecticut?
You can call or text sellers in Connecticut only within the state's rules for telephonic sales calls: between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. local time, and only with the person's prior express written consent (CGS § 42-288a(c) and (l)). Connecticut's definition covers any call that encourages "the purchase or rental of, or investment in, property, goods, services or anything of value", or gathers information for such a solicitation (CGS § 42-284(9) and (18)), and on June 4, 2026 a federal appeals court ruled that texts offering to buy a house can be telephone solicitations when their context shows a sales purpose (Coffey v. Fast Easy Offer, 9th Cir. No. 25-4066). Follow the rules on every call and text. Each violation can cost up to $20,000 on top of CUTPA (CGS § 42-288a(o)).
Does a Connecticut seller have to give me a property condition report?
Yes, before signing a wholesale contract the seller must give you a written residential condition report that meets CGS § 20-327b, and meet federal reporting requirements, which the disclosure report describes as including lead paint (CGS §§ 20-329ddd and 20-329eee). That duty applies to every wholesale seller, even one whose ordinary sale would be exempt from § 20-327b, such as an executor. You then pass that report on to your buyer.
What counts as a business day for the three-day cancellation?
A business day is not defined in Connecticut's wholesaling law, so count only Monday to Friday, leave out Connecticut's legal holidays (CGS § 1-4), and do not count the day the seller signs. The closest Connecticut definition, in the home solicitation sales law, counts Saturdays too (CGS § 42-134a(f)), but that law does not cover real estate, so the weekdays-only count is the one that can never leave you short.
Does a box ticked on my website count as prior express written consent?
A box ticked on your website can count as prior express written consent in Connecticut, because an electronic signature satisfies any law that requires a signature (CGS § 1-272(d)). But the wording has to do four things (CGS § 42-284(14)): name you, the business that will contact them; say how, for example calls, texts and automated messages; cover the phone number they typed; and clearly say they agree to receive your marketing messages that way. Keep a copy of the exact words with the date and time they ticked it.
Where every fact comes from.
Every fact on this page comes from the law itself or from the state agency that enforces it, read on 14 November 2026. The law comes first.
- Connecticut General Statutes, Chapter 392a, Real Estate Wholesalers, §§ 20-329aaa to 20-329hhh, 2026 Supplement.
- Public Act 25-168, sections 252 to 259 (2025), as shown in the history notes of Chapter 392a.
- CGS Chapter 392: § 20-311(29) (residential real property), § 20-312 (broker license), §§ 20-327b and 20-327c (condition report and the $500 credit).
- CGS § 42-288a, telephonic sales calls, as rewritten by Public Act 23-98.
- CGS Chapter 735a, CUTPA: §§ 42-110b, 42-110g, 42-110o.
- CGS § 12-494, the real estate conveyance tax.
- Department of Consumer Protection, "Real Estate Wholesalers Required to Register with DCP", 25 June 2026.
- Department of Consumer Protection, Real Estate Wholesaling (with the disclosure report and FAQ).
- Department of Consumer Protection, Real Estate Wholesaler registration.
- Office of Legislative Research, bill analysis of sHB 5572 (2025).
- Office of Legislative Research, report 2023-R-0300, on the 2023 telemarketing changes.
- Public Act 26-23, sections 19 to 21 ("real estate agent"), approved May 27, 2026.
- CGS § 42-284 (telemarketing definitions), § 1-272 (electronic signatures), § 42-134a (business day), § 1-4 (legal holidays), § 55-3 (no retroactive obligations).
- DCP, Wholesale Disclosure Report (revised 06/2026).
- Coffey v. Fast Easy Offer, LLC, No. 25-4066 (9th Cir. June 4, 2026); Bramlett v. RES 360 LLC, No. 1:25-cv-3312-MLB (N.D. Ga. Mar. 4, 2026).
- Federal calling hours: 47 C.F.R. § 64.1200(c)(1) and 16 C.F.R. § 310.4(c), 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- The other states' statutes, by the citations in the table above.
Changes: 14 November 2026, first published, every fact read against the 2026 Supplement and DCP's pages. Same day: the open questions answered from the statutes and the 2026 court decisions, consent wording added, Public Act 26-23 added, and every other-state row checked against its own statute (South Carolina, Nebraska and Oklahoma corrected).
Wholesaling in Connecticut? Do it by the book.
If you are wholesaling in Connecticut, the law now asks for paperwork and patience, and it rewards investors who are open with sellers. Register, use DCP's report, respect the three days and the 90, and keep a clean record of every deal. The free blueprint shows a first deal step by step.
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Want to know whether wholesaling is legal in Connecticut, and what the new law asks of you? Let me walk you through it out loud: the registration, the seller's report, the three days and the 90 days, and the questions nobody has answered yet. About six minutes, and you can stop me or ask me anything.
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