Hartford County, CT Accessory Structures: ADU Rules (2026)

Connecticut counties have had no operational government since the County Manager Act was repealed in 1960. The Greater Hartford metro area is now served by the Capitol Planning Region, made up of 38 municipalities and coordinated by the Capitol Region Council of Governments (CRCOG). All land-use authority rests with the individual municipalities. The state framework is Conn. Gen. Stat. Sec. 8-2, the zoning enabling act, as amended by Public Act 21-29 (HB 6107) in 2021. PA 21-29 requires towns that zone under Sec. 8-2 to permit ADUs as of right on the same lot as single-family homes (without a variance, special permit, or public hearing) unless the town has affirmatively opted out by a two-thirds vote of the legislative body and the planning and zoning commission. ADUs created or permitted after January 1, 2023 that lack affordable-housing deed restrictions do not increase a municipality's base housing stock for the affordable-housing percentage under Conn. Gen. Stat. Sec. 8-30g. In practice, Capitol Region towns vary: Hartford and West Hartford have aligned with the as-of-right standard; some smaller towns have invoked the opt-out process. Applicants must consult the specific town's planning and zoning office.