Connecticut does not have a broad stand-your-ground law. Instead, the state generally follows a duty to retreat principle. This means that, outside of your home or office, you must attempt to retreat from a confrontation if you can do so in complete safety before using deadly force. The law requires that:
- You may only use deadly force if you reasonably believe it is necessary to defend yourself or another from imminent deadly force or serious bodily harm.
- If you know you can avoid using deadly force with complete safety-by retreating, surrendering property, or obeying a demand not to act-you must do so, unless you are in your own home or office.
Castle Doctrine: Stand Your Ground at Home or Office
Connecticut recognizes a limited form of stand-your-ground under the castle doctrine. This means:
- No duty to retreat in your home or office: If you are not the initial aggressor and are faced with an intruder, you do not have to retreat before using reasonable force, including deadly force, if you reasonably believe it is necessary to prevent a violent crime, arson, or unlawful entry by force.
- Outside the home or office, the duty to retreat still applies if safe retreat is possible.
Proposed Legislation (2025)
There are ongoing legislative efforts to change this. In 2025, bills have been introduced in the Connecticut General Assembly (such as HB 6151 and SB 518) that would adopt a full stand-your-ground law and remove the duty to retreat. However, as of May 2025, these bills have only been introduced and have not become law.
Key Points
- Current law: Duty to retreat applies unless you are in your home or office.
- Castle doctrine: You may stand your ground in your home or office if you reasonably believe deadly force is necessary to prevent a violent crime or unlawful entry.
- No full stand-your-ground law: As of May 2025, Connecticut does not allow you to stand your ground in public places; you must retreat if it is safe to do so.
- Pending legislation: Proposals to adopt a broader stand-your-ground law are under consideration but not yet enacted.
Summary Table: Connecticut Self-Defense Law (2025)
| Scenario | Duty to Retreat? | Use of Deadly Force Allowed? |
|---|---|---|
| In your home or office | No | If reasonable belief of threat/violent crime |
| In public places | Yes, if safe | Only if retreat is not safely possible |
| Pending legislation | Would remove duty | Not yet law as of May 2025 |
Bottom line:
Connecticut currently requires you to retreat from danger in public if it is safe to do so, but allows you to stand your ground in your home or office. Efforts to expand stand-your-ground rights statewide are ongoing but not yet law.
