The vast range of businesses and professionals whose licenses and other credentials are regulated by the state’s Department of Consumer Protection are increasingly turning to the internet for their required renewals.
DCP said recently that 141,311 such credentials were renewed through its website, rather than mailed-in forms, in 2017, up from 107,133 in 2016, 68,660 in 2012 and 46,475 in 2009, when it first introduced online renewals.
Renewal activity typically totals around 200,000 credentials each year, across nearly 300 different categories, from home improvement contractors to pharmacies.
Out-of-state pharmacies that mail prescriptions to Connecticut are a major component of online renewals, with nearly 900 renewing last year, DCP spokeswoman Lora Rae Anderson said.
Renewal activity brings significant revenue to DCP. Last year, online renewals totaled $28.3 million, out of a total renewal figure of $42.4 million, Anderson said.
She said DCP encourages but does not require online renewals. Some still prefer paper forms.
“We want to make sure there are more options so people can stay compliant, but it also saves the state money,” she said. “It’s not a huge chunk of change, but it does add up and we really do think it helps.”
