Conn. Gen. Stat. § 8-26a
This is the official text of Conn. Gen. Stat. § 8-26a, part of Connecticut’s Gen. Stat — part of the compiled statutory law of Connecticut, published by the state as "Gen. Stat." Browse the sections below, each linked to its official government source.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
Sec. 8-26a. Effect of change in subdivision or zoning regulations or boundaries of districts after approval of plan.
Official statutory text
(b) (1) Notwithstanding the provisions of any general or special act or local ordinance, when a change is adopted in the zoning regulations or boundaries of zoning districts of any town, city or borough, no lot or lots shown on a subdivision or resubdivision plan for residential property which has been approved, prior to the effective date of such change, by the planning commission of such town, city or borough, or other body exercising the powers of such commission, and filed or recorded with the town clerk, shall be required to conform to such change.
(2) (A) Any construction on a vacant lot shown on a subdivision or resubdivision plan approved before, on or after June 1, 2004, shall not be required to conform to a change in the zoning regulations or boundaries of zoning districts in a town, city or borough adopted after the approval of the subdivision or resubdivision. Notwithstanding subdivision (1) of this subsection, any construction on an improved lot shown on a subdivision or resubdivision plan approved before, on or after June 1, 2004, shall be required to conform to a zoning change adopted subsequent to said lot becoming an improved lot.
(B) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of section 8-25 and subsection (a) of section 8-26 , any vacant lot that is depicted on a subdivision or resubdivision plan that has been recorded on or before October 1, 2024, in the land records of the municipality in which such vacant lot is located, if the recorded chain of title for such vacant lot references such subdivision or resubdivision plan, shall not be required to conform to a change in the zoning regulations or the boundaries of zoning districts in such municipality that is adopted after the approval or recording of the subdivision or resubdivision plan.
(C) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of section 8-25 and subsection (a) of section 8-26 , any vacant lot that is depicted on a subdivision or resubdivision plan that, prior to the adoption of zoning regulations, has been recorded on or before October 1, 2024, in the land records of the municipality in which such vacant lot is located, shall not be required to conform to a change in the zoning regulations or the boundaries of zoning districts in such municipality that is adopted after the approval or recording of the subdivision or resubdivision plan if such vacant lot conformed at any time with any zoning regulations that would have applied to such vacant lot if such vacant lot was depicted on a subdivision or resubdivision plan recorded after the adoption of zoning regulations.
(D) For purposes of this subsection, (i) a lot shall be deemed vacant until the date a building permit is issued with respect thereto and a foundation has been completed in accordance with such building permit but shall not be deemed vacant if any structures on such lot are subsequently demolished, and (ii) a lot shall be deemed improved after the date a building permit is issued with respect thereto and a foundation has been completed in accordance with such building permit.
date a building permit is issued with respect thereto and a foundation has been completed in accordance with such building permit but shall not be deemed vacant if any structures on such lot are subsequently demolished, and (ii) a lot shall be deemed improved after the date a building permit is issued with respect thereto and a foundation has been completed in accordance with such building permit.
(3) This subsection shall not alter or affect a nonconforming use or structure as provided in section 8-2 .
See Secs. 8-28a and 8-28b re guarantee that change in zoning regulations or districts or in subdivision regulations does not affect approved subdivision plan.
Subdivision plan must have been formally approved prior to effective date of change in order to be covered by section. 148 C. 299. Cited. 153 C. 194. Not applicable where plaintiffs had filed maps of subdivisions prior to adoption of regulations where subdivision plan had never been approved. 155 C. 185.
Cited. 25 CA 85; 35 CA 820.
Subsec. (b):
Cited. 36 CA 98. Plaintiff's 1954 subdivision plan that included his lot and was approved, filed and recorded in the town placed lot within the scope of Subsec. and gave plaintiff a vested right; any subsequently enacted regulations are not applicable to plaintiff and do not prevent plaintiff from receiving a zoning permit for subsequent improvements that would otherwise violate subsequently enacted regulations. 75 CA 289. Under Subdiv. (2), lot was not required to comply with subsequent changes because lot was vacant and unimproved when building permit was sought. 118 CA 90.
(2) (A) Any construction on a vacant lot shown on a subdivision or resubdivision plan approved before, on or after June 1, 2004, shall not be required to conform to a change in the zoning regulations or boundaries of zoning districts in a town, city or borough adopted after the approval of the subdivision or resubdivision. Notwithstanding subdivision (1) of this subsection, any construction on an improved lot shown on a subdivision or resubdivision plan approved before, on or after June 1, 2004, shall be required to conform to a zoning change adopted subsequent to said lot becoming an improved lot.
(B) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of section 8-25 and subsection (a) of section 8-26 , any vacant lot that is depicted on a subdivision or resubdivision plan that has been recorded on or before October 1, 2024, in the land records of the municipality in which such vacant lot is located, if the recorded chain of title for such vacant lot references such subdivision or resubdivision plan, shall not be required to conform to a change in the zoning regulations or the boundaries of zoning districts in such municipality that is adopted after the approval or recording of the subdivision or resubdivision plan.
(C) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of section 8-25 and subsection (a) of section 8-26 , any vacant lot that is depicted on a subdivision or resubdivision plan that, prior to the adoption of zoning regulations, has been recorded on or before October 1, 2024, in the land records of the municipality in which such vacant lot is located, shall not be required to conform to a change in the zoning regulations or the boundaries of zoning districts in such municipality that is adopted after the approval or recording of the subdivision or resubdivision plan if such vacant lot conformed at any time with any zoning regulations that would have applied to such vacant lot if such vacant lot was depicted on a subdivision or resubdivision plan recorded after the adoption of zoning regulations.
(D) For purposes of this subsection, (i) a lot shall be deemed vacant until the date a building permit is issued with respect thereto and a foundation has been completed in accordance with such building permit but shall not be deemed vacant if any structures on such lot are subsequently demolished, and (ii) a lot shall be deemed improved after the date a building permit is issued with respect thereto and a foundation has been completed in accordance with such building permit.
date a building permit is issued with respect thereto and a foundation has been completed in accordance with such building permit but shall not be deemed vacant if any structures on such lot are subsequently demolished, and (ii) a lot shall be deemed improved after the date a building permit is issued with respect thereto and a foundation has been completed in accordance with such building permit.
(3) This subsection shall not alter or affect a nonconforming use or structure as provided in section 8-2 .
See Secs. 8-28a and 8-28b re guarantee that change in zoning regulations or districts or in subdivision regulations does not affect approved subdivision plan.
Subdivision plan must have been formally approved prior to effective date of change in order to be covered by section. 148 C. 299. Cited. 153 C. 194. Not applicable where plaintiffs had filed maps of subdivisions prior to adoption of regulations where subdivision plan had never been approved. 155 C. 185.
Cited. 25 CA 85; 35 CA 820.
Subsec. (b):
Cited. 36 CA 98. Plaintiff's 1954 subdivision plan that included his lot and was approved, filed and recorded in the town placed lot within the scope of Subsec. and gave plaintiff a vested right; any subsequently enacted regulations are not applicable to plaintiff and do not prevent plaintiff from receiving a zoning permit for subsequent improvements that would otherwise violate subsequently enacted regulations. 75 CA 289. Under Subdiv. (2), lot was not required to comply with subsequent changes because lot was vacant and unimproved when building permit was sought. 118 CA 90.
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Need a lawyer in Connecticut?
Find a Connecticut lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.