Crypto ATM laws in Connecticut: a guide for operators (2026)

Licensing in Connecticut

Since 2024-10-01 anyone who owns, operates, solicits, markets, advertises or facilitates kiosks in Connecticut is deemed to be engaged in money transmission and needs a license under C.G.S. 36a-595 to 36a-612.

Regulator: Connecticut Department of Banking · License: Money transmitter license

Sources: CT DOB: Virtual Currency Money Transmission FAQs

Connecticut's kiosk law

Money Transmission Act (P.A. 23-82, 24-146, 25-66). Kiosks are money transmission: license, daily limits, a 15% cap, large-type disclosures, receipts and fraud refunds.

• Operating a kiosk is money transmission and needs a Connecticut money transmitter license.
• Daily limits of $2,500 for new customers and $5,000 for existing customers (since October 1, 2024).
• Service fees and commissions together capped at 15% per transaction.
• Risk disclosures before the first transaction, with a bold, separately acknowledged warning that losses from fraudulent or accidental transactions may not be recoverable; per-transaction disclosures in at least 24-point type; a receipt after each transaction.
• Customers defrauded through a kiosk can get refunds directly from the operator (P.A. 24-146).

Sources: Conn. Public Act 23-82 · Connecticut DOB: 2024 legislation (P.A. 24-146) · Connecticut DOB: 2025 legislation (P.A. 25-66)

Also in the law, and recent changes

• A new customer may cancel and get a full refund of fraudulent transactions made within 72 hours after registering, if within 30 days after the last such transaction they contact you and a government or law enforcement agency and file a report with an agency.
• This replaced the 2023 rule (72-hour cancel-and-refund for a customer's first transaction to a wallet or exchange outside the U.S.).
• Get a copy of a government ID for every customer; stop more than one customer from using the same wallet; be able to block designated wallets; use an established third-party blockchain analytics provider to preemptively block high-risk or sanctioned wallets.

Sources: C.G.S. Chapter 668 (current), sec. 36a-603 · C.G.S. Chapter 668 (2024 supplement, prior version)

Bills and changes to watch

• No 2026 Connecticut kiosk-specific act found. P.A. 26-68 (budget) amended the ban on state virtual currency payments and reserves; HB 5208 (P.A. 26-51) asks the Department of Banking to study financial transactions in the state.

Practical hurdles

• Licensing captures anyone who 'solicits, markets, advertises or facilitates' kiosks, not just the machine owner.
• Scam pressure context: FBI IC3 counted 72 crypto-kiosk complaints from this state in 2025 with $536,190 in adjusted losses (FBI notes losses may include non-kiosk transactions).

What we couldn't confirm

• MTMA status and whether CT money transmitter licensing runs through NMLS (CSBS list not fetched).
• Effective date of the current 36a-603(h) text (likely 2024-10-01 with P.A. 24-146, not confirmed).