(a) The board shall grant the certificate of “certified public accountant” to any person who meets the good character, education, experience and examination requirements of subsections (b) to (d), inclusive, of this section and upon the payment of a fee of one hundred fifty dollars.

(b) Good character for purposes of this section means lack of a history of dishonest or felonious acts. The board may refuse to grant a certificate on the grounds of failure to satisfy this requirement only if there is a substantial connection between the lack of good character of the applicant and the professional responsibilities of a licensee and if the finding by the board of lack of good character is supported by clear and convincing evidence, and when based upon the prior conviction of a crime, is in accordance with the provisions of § 46a-80. When an applicant is found to be unqualified for a certificate because of a finding of lack of good character, the board shall furnish the applicant a statement containing the findings of the board and a complete record of the evidence upon which the determination was based.

(c) An applicant may apply to take the examination if such person, at the time of the examination, has completed not less than one hundred twenty semester hours of education, as determined by the board by regulation to be appropriate. The educational requirements for a certificate shall be prescribed in regulations to be adopted by the board as follows:

(1) Until December 31, 1999, a baccalaureate degree or its equivalent conferred by a college or university acceptable to the board, with an accounting concentration or equivalent as determined by the board by regulation to be appropriate;

(2) After January 1, 2000, at least one hundred fifty semester hours of college education including a baccalaureate or higher degree conferred by a college or university acceptable to the board. The total educational program shall include an accounting concentration or equivalent, as determined by the board by regulation to be appropriate.

(d) The board may charge each applicant a fee, in an amount prescribed by the board by regulation, for each section of the examination or reexamination taken by the applicant, or the board may authorize a third party administering the examination to charge each applicant a fee for each section of the examination or reexamination taken by the applicant.

(e) The experience requirement for a certificate shall be as prescribed by the board by regulation.

(f) The holder of a certificate may register his certificate annually and pay a fee of forty dollars in lieu of an annual renewal of a license and such registration shall entitle the registrant to use the abbreviation “CPA” and the title “certified public accountant” under conditions and in the manner prescribed by the board by regulation.