Occupation limits
Connecticut Non-Compete Law (2026): Enforceable with carve-outs
Connecticut has never adopted an income threshold, so most workers are still judged under a five-factor reasonableness inquiry developed by its courts. Around that general rule sit three occupation-specific prohibitions: licensed medical clinicians face hard one-year and 15-mile ceilings plus a without-cause escape hatch, while security guards and broadcast staff cannot be bound at all. Broader reform has been proposed in each of the last two sessions and has failed both times.
The rule
How Connecticut treats non-compete agreements
The without-cause rule in the physician statute is the single most consequential provision and is frequently overlooked, because it means the enforceability of a clinician's covenant is decided by how the employment ended rather than by how the clause was drafted. Connecticut also regulates non-competes imposed by homemaker and companion agencies, a niche restriction rarely mentioned in state summaries.
If you are an employer
Identify whether the role falls into any of the three statutory categories before drafting, and for clinicians remember that terminating without cause forfeits the covenant no matter how carefully it was written.
If you are a worker
Security guards and broadcast employees are protected by statute outright; clinicians should check whether the separation was for cause, since a without-cause termination makes the restriction unenforceable.
| Classification | Common-law reasonableness with healthcare, security guard and broadcast prohibitions |
|---|---|
| Pay threshold | No pay threshold |
| Maximum term | No general cap. Physicians, physician assistants and advanced practice registered nurses are limited to one year and a 15-mile radius from the primary site of practice. |
| Notice or consideration | No general notice statute. Physician covenants must be separately and individually signed, a requirement in force for agreements entered into, amended or renewed since July 1, 2016. |
| Primary statute | Conn. Gen. Stat. § 20-14p (physicians), § 31-50a (security guards), § 31-50b (broadcast employees); general workers governed by common law |
Detail
What has changed, and what is still moving
Legislation 2024–2026
Public Act 23-97 rewrote the healthcare rules effective July 1, 2023, with the substantive changes operative October 1, 2023. It redefined primary site of practice, extended the one-year and 15-mile caps to PAs and APRNs, and made covenants unenforceable where the employer ends the relationship without cause or where the clinician refuses a proposed material compensation change and is then terminated or not renewed. Nothing further was enacted in 2024, 2025 or 2026.
Bills to watch
No significant restrictive bills pending. HB 7196 (2025) and HB 5492 (2026) both died; HB 5492 would have voided covenants for workers under roughly three times the minimum wage, capped most restrictions at one year absent continued full pay, and stripped courts of authority to narrow overbroad covenants.
Leading cases
Robert S. Weiss & Associates v. Wiederlight (Conn. 1988) supplies the five-factor test Connecticut courts still apply: length of the restriction, geographic sweep, protection afforded the employer, burden on the employee, and the effect on the public interest.
If you have one in hand
What can make a non-compete unenforceable in Connecticut
- Your occupation is carved out. Common-law reasonableness with healthcare, security guard and broadcast prohibitions
- The scope is wider than the interest behind it. A restriction that reaches beyond the customers, trade secrets or goodwill the employer can actually point to is the most common reason a covenant fails in Connecticut.
Whether any of these applies turns on the wording of your own agreement, your role and the case law your court follows. This page maps the statutory landscape; it does not replace advice on a specific contract.
FAQ
Connecticut non-compete questions
Are non-compete agreements enforceable in Connecticut?
Connecticut has never adopted an income threshold, so most workers are still judged under a five-factor reasonableness inquiry developed by its courts. Around that general rule sit three occupation-specific prohibitions: licensed medical clinicians face hard one-year and 15-mile ceilings plus a without-cause escape hatch, while security guards and broadcast staff cannot be bound at all. Broader reform has been proposed in each of the last two sessions and has failed both times.
How long can a non-compete last in Connecticut?
No general cap. Physicians, physician assistants and advanced practice registered nurses are limited to one year and a 15-mile radius from the primary site of practice.
Is there a minimum salary for non-competes in Connecticut?
No. Connecticut sets no income floor, so pay alone does not decide whether a covenant binds you. The test is whether the restriction goes further than the employer's legitimate interest requires in time, geography and scope of work.
What notice or consideration does Connecticut require?
No general notice statute. Physician covenants must be separately and individually signed, a requirement in force for agreements entered into, amended or renewed since July 1, 2016.
Sources
How this entry was checked
- Primary source. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 20-14p (physicians), § 31-50a (security guards), § 31-50b (broadcast employees); general workers governed by common law — the statutory text itself.
- Secondary sources consulted. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 20-14p (Justia), §§ 31-50a, 31-50b, Public Act 23-97, Ogletree and Jackson Lewis PA 23-97 alerts, LegiScan CT HB 5492 (2026), BillTrack50 CT HB 7196 (2025).
Check it against a third party
None of these is ours. If a figure here matters to a decision, verify it:
- Federal Trade Commission — non-compete hub
- Economic Innovation Group — State Noncompete Law Tracker
- Fair Competition Law (Beck Reed Riden) — 50-state legislation tracker
- GAO-23-103785 — Noncompete Agreements (May 2023)
This page is general legal information published by Jurizmo and is not legal advice, does not create an attorney-client relationship, and may not reflect amendments enacted after the review date above. Consult a licensed attorney in the relevant state before acting on any agreement.