Time matters for owners in Connecticut. A severed interest left unused for 20 years can be terminated and returned to the surface owner under Conn. Gen. Stat. 47-33m to 47-33t (Dormant Mineral Interests Act).
Quick answer: In Connecticut, a severed mineral interest is not permanent: it can revert to the surface owner if it goes unused. Connecticut is the only state that adopted the 1986 Uniform Dormant Mineral Interests Act, with a 20 year dormancy period. The governing statute is Conn. Gen. Stat. 47-33m to 47-33t (Dormant Mineral Interests Act). To keep it alive, record a notice of intent to preserve, or use the interest within 20 years (Conn. Gen. Stat. 47-33m to 47-33t). If you may sell, confirm the clock has been met first.
In Connecticut, a severed mineral interest unused for 20 years can be extinguished and revert to the surface owner under Conn. Gen. Stat. 47-33m to 47-33t (Dormant Mineral Interests Act). As of June 2026.
Connecticut is the only state that adopted the 1986 Uniform Dormant Mineral Interests Act, with a 20 year dormancy period. After 20 years of silence, no use, no lease, no production, no recorded filing, the surface owner can step in to clear the interest.
Connecticut scores 84 out of 100 on the Dormancy Risk Score and ranks number 3 of 51 for how easily an absent owner can lose a severed interest.
Connecticut follows the uniform dormant mineral interests model under Conn. Gen. Stat. 47-33m to 47-33t. The interest is preserved by use within the 20 year period, such as production, operations, or a recorded transaction that creates, reserves, or refers to the interest, or by recording a notice of intent to preserve. Confirm the current procedure in the statute before relying on any single step.
Enter the date the interest was last used, such as a sale, lease, recorded filing, drilling permit, or production, to see when it could lapse and exactly what resets the clock.
Connecticut has pooling provisions that should be confirmed against the current statute before relying on them.
Absent a surface damages act in Connecticut, surface owner protection comes from the lease and ordinary property law rather than a dedicated statute.
Yes. A severed mineral interest in Connecticut is vulnerable after 20 years of inactivity.
After 20 years of nonuse, subject to the notice and preservation steps the statute requires.
Connecticut has pooling provisions; confirm the current statute.
Record a notice of intent to preserve, or use the interest within 20 years through production, operations, or a recorded transaction (Conn. Gen. Stat. 47-33m to 47-33t).
American Mineral Registry. Mineral Rights in Connecticut. 2026. https://americanmineralregistry.com/research/states/connecticut.html
This page is a plain language reference compiled from the state code and published legal analysis. It is general information, not legal advice. Confirm against the current Connecticut code or a licensed attorney before acting.