Connecticut Assault Laws: Assault Degrees, Felonies and Penalties

Connecticut has no crime called battery. Its Penal Code grades a single offense, assault, in three degrees (Conn. Gen. Stat. 53a-59, 53a-60 and 53a-61), and every degree requires that someone actually suffer physical injury, which the code defines as "impairment of physical condition or pain." A threat that causes fear but no injury is the separate crime of threatening (53a-62). Assault in the third degree is a class A misdemeanor, assault in the second degree is a class D felony (class C if serious physical injury results), and assault in the first degree is a class B felony. For other states, see our guide to assault and battery laws by state.

Information last verified on 2026-10-13. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

Jurisdiction scope: This article covers Connecticut's assault offenses in Penal Code chapter 952 (53a-59 through 53a-61a, 53a-64aa through 53a-64cc, 53a-167c through 53a-167e), the persistent-offender rule in 53a-40d, the related threatening and disorderly conduct offenses (53a-62, 53a-182), the definitions in 53a-3, the sentencing sections 53a-35a, 53a-36, 53a-41 and 53a-42, the family violence provisions in 46b-38a and 46b-38b, the 2026 hate-crime revisions in Public Act 26-77, and the civil filing period in 52-577. It does not cover self-defense and justification (see Connecticut self-defense laws), protective and restraining orders (see Connecticut restraining order laws), sexual offenses, federal assault crimes (covered on the assault and battery hub) or local ordinances.

Assault vs. battery in Connecticut

Chapter 952 contains no offense named battery. What many states call battery, causing injury to someone, is assault in Connecticut. The base offense, assault in the third degree under 53a-61(a), is committed when a person:

"(1) With intent to cause physical injury to another person, he causes such injury to such person or to a third person; or (2) he recklessly causes serious physical injury to another person; or (3) with criminal negligence, he causes physical injury to another person by means of a deadly weapon, a dangerous instrument or an electronic defense weapon."

Because each degree of assault is built on causing physical injury, unwanted contact that causes no injury is not assault in the third degree. Conduct without injury falls under other offenses:

• Threatening in the second degree (53a-62(a)(1)), when a person "By physical threat, such person intentionally places or attempts to place another person in fear of imminent serious physical injury." It is a class A misdemeanor.
• Disorderly conduct (53a-182(a)(1)), when a person, "with intent to cause inconvenience, annoyance or alarm, or recklessly creating a risk thereof," "Engages in fighting or in violent, tumultuous or threatening behavior." It is a class C misdemeanor.

Is assault a felony in Connecticut?

Assault in the third degree is a class A misdemeanor (53a-61(b)). Assault becomes a felony at the second degree, which is "a class D felony or, if the offense resulted in serious physical injury, a class C felony" (53a-60(b)). Assault in the first degree is a class B felony (53a-59(b)).

Common routes from misdemeanor to felony include a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument, an intent to cause serious physical injury, and a victim the statutes protect. Intentionally causing physical injury "by means of a deadly weapon or a dangerous instrument other than by means of the discharge of a firearm" is second-degree assault (53a-60(a)(2)). Intentionally causing physical injury "by means of the discharge of a firearm" is first-degree assault (53a-59(a)(5)). Strangulation in the second degree (53a-64bb) is also a class D felony.

Connecticut assault offenses and penalties

The ranges come from Connecticut's class-sentencing sections, which apply "unless the section of the general statutes that defines or provides the penalty for the crime specifically provides otherwise." Under 53a-35a, a class A felony carries "not less than ten years nor more than twenty-five years" (for class A felonies other than those in subdivisions (2) and (3)), a class B felony "not less than one year nor more than twenty years" (other than first-degree manslaughter with a firearm), a class C felony "not less than one year nor more than ten years," and a class D felony "not more than five years." Under 53a-36, a class A misdemeanor carries "a term not to exceed one year" and a class C misdemeanor "a term not to exceed three months." Fine ceilings are in 53a-41 (felonies: $20,000 for class A, $15,000 for class B, $10,000 for class C, $5,000 for class D) and 53a-42 (misdemeanors: $2,000 for class A, $500 for class C). Several assault sections add a portion of the sentence that "may not be suspended or reduced," as shown in the table. These are the ranges for the offense itself; 53a-40d sets a higher range for some repeat convictions, described below.

Under 53a-40d, a person convicted of assault in the third degree (53a-61) who, before that offense, was convicted of a listed crime is a persistent offender. The listed prior convictions include assault in the third degree, threatening, harassment, stalking, criminal violation of a protective, standing criminal protective or restraining order, criminal trespass, the class D felonies in 53a-60 to 53a-60c, and most class A, B and C felonies, plus out-of-state convictions with substantially the same elements. For a persistent offender, the court must impose the prison term for a class D felony (up to 5 years) instead of the class A misdemeanor term.

Physical injury, serious physical injury and deadly weapons

The grade of a Connecticut assault depends mostly on the injury, the means and the defendant's mental state. Section 53a-3 defines these terms for the whole Penal Code, "Except where different meanings are expressly specified":

"Physical injury" means impairment of physical condition or pain;

"Serious physical injury" means physical injury which creates a substantial risk of death, or which causes serious disfigurement, serious impairment of health or serious loss or impairment of the function of any bodily organ;

A deadly weapon under 53a-3(6) is "any weapon, whether loaded or unloaded, from which a shot may be discharged, or a switchblade knife, gravity knife, billy, blackjack, bludgeon, or metal knuckles," and under the 2026 Supplement text it "does not include an electronic defense weapon when used by a peace officer." A dangerous instrument under 53a-3(7) is "any instrument, article or substance which, under the circumstances in which it is used or attempted or threatened to be used, is capable of causing death or serious physical injury," and it includes a vehicle and "a dog that has been commanded to attack, except a dog owned by a law enforcement agency."

The mental states matter too. A person acts recklessly under 53a-3(13) when "he is aware of and consciously disregards a substantial and unjustifiable risk" that the result will occur. A person acts with criminal negligence under 53a-3(14) when "he fails to perceive a substantial and unjustifiable risk" that the result will occur. In both cases the risk must be such that ignoring or missing it is a gross deviation from what a reasonable person would do.

Assaulting a police officer, nurse or other protected person

Workers performing their duties (53a-167c). The class C felony of assault of public safety, emergency medical, public transit or health care personnel applies when a person, "with intent to prevent" one of the listed people from performing his or her duties, and while that person is acting in the performance of duties, causes physical injury to that person or commits another act the section lists, such as throwing "any bodily fluid including, but not limited to, urine, feces, blood or saliva" at the person. The protected list, in the statute's words, is:

"a reasonably identifiable peace officer, firefighter or employee of an emergency medical service organization, as defined in section 53a-3, emergency room physician or nurse, health care employee as defined in section 19a-490q, employee of the Department of Correction, member or employee of the Board of Pardons and Paroles, probation officer, employee of the Judicial Branch assigned to provide pretrial or post-conviction secure detention and programming services to juveniles accused of the commission of a delinquent act, liquor control agent, state or municipal animal control officer, security officer, employee of the Department of Children and Families assigned to provide direct services to children and youths in the care or custody of the department, employee of a municipal police department assigned to provide security at the police department's lockup and holding facility, active individual member of a volunteer canine search and rescue team, as defined in section 5-249, or public transit employee"

For an assault on a health care employee, 53a-167c(c) makes it an affirmative defense that the defendant is a person with a disability described in 46a-51(13), (15) or (20) and the conduct was a clear and direct manifestation of the disability.

If the assault on a public transit employee involves a knife, box-cutter or firearm that the person uses, is armed with and threatens to use, or displays or represents possessing, it becomes aggravated assault of a public transit employee under 53a-167e, a class C felony "except that such person shall be fined not more than twenty thousand dollars."

Elderly, blind, disabled, pregnant and intellectually disabled victims (53a-59a, 53a-60b, 53a-61a). Connecticut has a separate offense at each degree for these victims. The first-degree version applies when a person commits first-degree assault under 53a-59(a)(2), (a)(3) or (a)(5) and the victim "has attained at least sixty years of age, is blind or physically disabled, as defined in section 1-1f, or is pregnant," or the victim "is a person with intellectual disability, as defined in section 1-1g, and the actor is not a person with intellectual disability." The second- and third-degree versions carry the same title. The main effect of these sections is a mandatory portion of the sentence: 5 years for the first degree, 2 years for the second degree, and a one-year term that "shall not be suspended or reduced" for the third degree. Where the charge rests on the victim's pregnancy or intellectual disability, each section makes it an affirmative defense that the actor did not know of it.

Children under 10 and witnesses (53a-59(b)(2)). For first-degree assault, 10 years of the sentence "may not be suspended or reduced by the court if the victim of the offense is a person under ten years of age or if the victim of the offense is a witness, as defined in section 53a-146, and the actor knew the victim was a witness."

Pregnancy loss (53a-59c). First-degree assault under 53a-59(a)(1) on a pregnant person that "results in the termination of pregnancy that does not result in a live birth" is a class A felony. The statute makes it "an affirmative defense that the actor, at the time such actor engaged in the conduct constituting the offense, did not know that the victim was pregnant."

Bias-motivated assaults. Since October 1, 2026, Public Act 26-77 has renamed and consolidated Connecticut's hate-crime statutes. A person commits "hate crime causing physical injury" when the person "acts with specific intent to intimidate or harass another person motivated in whole or in substantial part by any protected social category of such other person and intentionally causes physical injury to such other person or another person." That offense is a class C felony "for which the court shall impose a fine of at least three thousand dollars." A companion offense, "hate crime causing physical contact," is a class D felony with a fine of at least one thousand dollars.

Strangulation and suffocation

Connecticut treats strangulation and suffocation as their own offenses in three degrees. The third degree (53a-64cc) covers a person who "recklessly restrains another person by the neck or throat or obstructs such other person's nose or mouth" and impedes breathing or restricts blood circulation; it is a class A misdemeanor. The second degree (53a-64bb) requires the intent to impede breathing or restrict circulation, and is a class D felony.

The first degree (53a-64aa) is a class C felony. It applies when a person commits second-degree strangulation and "(A) uses or attempts to use a dangerous instrument, or (B) causes serious physical injury to such other person, or (2) such person has previously been convicted of a violation of this section or section 53a-64bb."

Domestic assault in Connecticut

Connecticut has no separate offense called domestic assault. Instead, any crime can be a "family violence crime," which 46b-38a(3) defines as a crime "which, in addition to its other elements, contains as an element thereof an act of family violence to a family or household member." "Family violence" under 46b-38a(1) "means an incident resulting in physical harm, bodily injury or assault, or an act of threatened violence that constitutes fear of imminent physical harm, bodily injury or assault, including, but not limited to, stalking or a pattern of threatening, between family or household members. Verbal abuse or argument does not constitute family violence unless there is present danger and the likelihood that physical violence will occur."

Under 46b-38b(a), "Except as provided in subsections (b) and (c) of this section, whenever a peace officer determines upon speedy information that a family violence crime has been committed within such officer's jurisdiction, such officer shall arrest the person suspected of its commission and charge such person with the appropriate crime." When both people complain, the officer is not required to arrest both and must arrest the one the officer believes is the dominant aggressor (46b-38b(b)). The assault itself is charged under the ordinary degree statutes. Protective and restraining orders are covered in Connecticut restraining order laws.

Federal law adds a firearm consequence: under 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(9), a person convicted of a "misdemeanor crime of domestic violence" may not ship, transport, possess or receive firearms or ammunition in or affecting commerce. The assault and battery hub covers the federal layer.

Recent changes to Connecticut assault law

• Hate-crime consolidation (October 1, 2026). Public Act 26-77, "An Act Revising and Consolidating the Hate Crimes Statutes," created the offenses of hate crime causing physical injury (class C felony, fine of at least $3,000) and hate crime causing physical contact (class D felony, fine of at least $1,000), amending 53a-181j and 53a-181k. Older compilations of the statutes may still show the previous titles.
• Victim notification for assaults on peace officers (2026). Public Act 26-130 requires the prosecutor, before sentencing a defendant originally charged under 53a-167c for assaulting a peace officer and before accepting a plea agreement, to "personally notify the peace officer who was the victim of such crime of the date, time and place of the original sentencing hearing." It does not change the elements or class of the offense.
• 2025 session. The only assault section amended in the 2026 Supplement is 53a-60b, through a cross-reference change in Public Act 25-39; its assault elements did not change.

Civil lawsuits for assault and battery

A criminal prosecution and a civil lawsuit for damages are separate cases. Connecticut's general tort statute, 52-577, provides: "No action founded upon a tort shall be brought but within three years from the date of the act or omission complained of." The section does not name assault or battery. A person injured by a hate crime causing physical injury or physical contact may also sue under 52-571c, which requires treble damages for a prevailing plaintiff and has a three-year deadline from the act complained of (as amended by Public Act 26-77, effective October 1, 2026). Claims for sexual abuse, exploitation or assault of a person under 21 may be brought up to 30 years after the person turns 21 (52-577d). For other filing deadlines, see the Connecticut statute of limitations guide.

Related legal issues

• Self-defense. Whether force was justified is a separate body of law; see Connecticut self-defense laws.
• Protective and restraining orders. See Connecticut restraining order laws.
• Clearing a record. Whether an assault conviction can be erased is covered in Connecticut expungement laws.

Related pages

• Assault and battery laws by state
• Connecticut self-defense laws
• Connecticut restraining order laws
• Connecticut expungement laws
• Connecticut statute of limitations
• Massachusetts assault and battery laws
• Rhode Island assault and battery laws

This article provides general legal information about Connecticut assault law, not legal advice. Laws change, and how they apply depends on the facts. For advice about a specific situation, contact a lawyer licensed in Connecticut.

Last updated: 2026-10-13.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Connecticut have a battery law?

No. Connecticut’s Penal Code has no offense called battery. Causing physical injury is assault in the first, second or third degree (53a-59 to 53a-61), and a threat without injury is threatening (53a-62).

Is assault a felony in Connecticut?

Assault in the third degree is a class A misdemeanor. Assault in the second degree is a class D felony, or class C if serious physical injury resulted, and assault in the first degree is a class B felony.

What is the penalty for assault in the third degree in Connecticut?

Assault in the third degree is a class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to 1 year (53a-36) and a fine of up to $2,000 (53a-42). If it was committed with criminal negligence using a deadly weapon, dangerous instrument or electronic defense weapon, the sentence is 1 year that may not be suspended or reduced (53a-61(b)). A persistent offender with a listed prior conviction faces the class D felony prison term instead (53a-40d).

What is assault in the second degree in Connecticut?

Under 53a-60, it includes intentionally causing serious physical injury, intentionally causing physical injury with a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument (other than by firing a gun), and kicking or striking the head of a person lying down. It is a class D felony, up to 5 years, or a class C felony, 1 to 10 years, if serious physical injury resulted.

What happens if you assault a police officer in Connecticut?

Under 53a-167c, causing physical injury to a reasonably identifiable peace officer, or throwing bodily fluid at the officer, with intent to prevent the officer from performing duties while the officer is performing them, is a class C felony punishable by 1 to 10 years and a fine of up to $10,000.

Is assaulting a nurse a felony in Connecticut?

Section 53a-167c covers emergency room physicians and nurses and health care employees as defined in 19a-490q. Injuring one, with intent to prevent the person from performing duties while the person is performing them, is a class C felony. For a health care employee, it is an affirmative defense that the defendant has a listed disability and the conduct was a clear and direct manifestation of it (53a-167c(c)).

Is spitting on someone assault in Connecticut?

Every degree of assault requires physical injury. Throwing bodily fluid such as saliva at a worker listed in 53a-167c, with intent to prevent the worker’s duties while the worker is performing them, is a class C felony under that section.

Is strangulation a felony in Connecticut?

Strangulation or suffocation in the second degree (53a-64bb) is a class D felony and the first degree (53a-64aa) is a class C felony. The third degree, done recklessly, is a class A misdemeanor (53a-64cc).

Is there a domestic assault charge in Connecticut?

No separate offense exists. An assault on a family or household member is charged under the assault degree statutes and is a family violence crime under 46b-38a, which triggers the arrest rule in 46b-38b, subject to its dominant-aggressor rule.

How long do you have to sue for assault in Connecticut?

Section 52-577 bars an action founded upon a tort unless brought within three years from the date of the act or omission complained of. The section does not name assault separately. A hate-crime injury claim under 52-571c also has a three-year deadline, and claims for sexual abuse or assault of a person under 21 have a longer period (52-577d).