Connecticut does not have sheriffs. The state abolished the sheriff’s office in 2000, and today the duties handled by sheriffs elsewhere are split between two separate offices: state marshals, who serve legal papers and execute court orders as independent contractors, and judicial marshals, who work for the Judicial Department handling courthouse security and prisoner transport. Alongside Alaska, Connecticut is one of only two states with no functioning sheriff system.
Why Connecticut Got Rid of Sheriffs
The story starts before the sheriff’s office itself was eliminated. In 1959, the Connecticut legislature voted to abolish county government, and by October 1, 1960, counties had lost almost all of their remaining authority. Managing county jails was their last significant responsibility.1Connecticut General Assembly. County Government Abolishment Even so, elected sheriffs stayed on for another forty years.
By the late 1990s, they were an odd survival: elected county officials in a state with no county government. The legislature closed the gap with Public Act 00-99 in 2000. The act moved prisoner transport and courthouse custody to the Judicial Department, which began employing judicial marshals for those roles, and it created the new office of state marshal to handle civil process and court order execution. It also removed sheriffs and deputy sheriffs from the statutory definition of “peace officer,” ending their law enforcement authority.2Connecticut General Assembly. Public Act 00-99 – An Act Reforming the Sheriff System
Existing deputies were sorted into the new structure. Those who had been handling prisoner custody and court security on December 1, 2000, became judicial marshals and employees of the Judicial Department. Those who had been serving civil process became state marshals, moving from government employment to independent contractor status.3Connecticut General Assembly. Chapter 78 – Judicial and State Marshals
What State Marshals Do
State marshals cover the civil side of what sheriffs do in other states. They serve lawsuits, subpoenas, eviction notices, restraining orders, tax warrants, and other court papers. A state marshal is required to accept and promptly execute any process directed to them, provide a receipt on demand, and make a truthful return to the court. Failing to do so, or filing a false return, exposes the marshal to double the damages suffered by the affected party.4Justia. Connecticut Code 6-32 – Duties
They are not government employees. State marshals work as independent contractors on a fee-for-service basis, with fees set by agreement with the requesting party and subject to minimum rates fixed by the State Marshal Commission.3Connecticut General Assembly. Chapter 78 – Judicial and State Marshals They may enter private property when executing court orders and carry personal immunity for non-reckless harm caused in the line of duty.
One limit worth flagging: a state marshal cannot physically leave Connecticut to serve process. When service on someone out of state is allowed, it has to happen by certified mail or publication.5State of Connecticut. State Marshal Commission Manual – Section 4 Civil Process
As of March 2026, roughly 148 active state marshals work across Connecticut’s eight historic counties, with the largest concentrations in Hartford County (41) and Fairfield County (37).6State of Connecticut. Active State Marshal List
What Judicial Marshals Do
Judicial marshals cover the custody and security side. They are Judicial Department employees, not contractors, and they have two main jobs.
The first is prisoner transport. The Judicial Department moves inmates between courthouses and correctional facilities at every stage of the legal process, from arraignment through sentencing. The Chief Court Administrator sets employment standards and training requirements to keep custody secure throughout.3Connecticut General Assembly. Chapter 78 – Judicial and State Marshals The department also handles prisoner custody inside courthouses, though local police keep custody where a police lockup has been designated as a courthouse lockup.2Connecticut General Assembly. Public Act 00-99 – An Act Reforming the Sheriff System
The second is courthouse security, a role comparable to court security officers in other states. The Judicial Department can also contract with outside agencies for security management, training, or coordination.
Do State Marshals Make Arrests?
State marshals are not police officers, but they do have limited arrest authority through capias warrants. A capias, or capias mittimus, is a civil arrest warrant issued when someone violates a court order or fails to appear after being summoned, subpoenaed, or cited. Executing a capias means physically taking the person into custody, and the warrant lets the marshal make the arrest anywhere in Connecticut, not just the county where they were appointed.7State of Connecticut. State Marshal Commission Manual – Section 3 Capias
What a marshal can actually do during that arrest depends on whether they belong to the Capias Unit. Capias Unit members have completed extensive training through the Police Officer Standards and Training Council, covering use of force, defensive tactics, handcuffing, baton and pepper spray techniques, and emergency medical aid. They may carry handcuffs and, with separate authorization from the Commission, a firearm. They must also carry at least $1,000,000 in liability insurance.8State of Connecticut. State Marshal Commission Use of Force Policy
Marshals who are not in the Capias Unit cannot carry any force equipment while executing a capias, and they can only complete the arrest if the subject voluntarily cooperates.7State of Connecticut. State Marshal Commission Manual – Section 3 Capias After taking someone into custody, a marshal may conduct a limited protective search for weapons that could endanger the marshal or facility staff.
Who Handles Traditional Police Work in Connecticut
With no sheriffs and no county government, criminal law enforcement in Connecticut runs on two levels: state and municipal.
The Connecticut State Police cover towns without a local police department and provide statewide consistency in training and standards. Specialized units within the State Police, such as the Major Crime Unit, handle complex investigations that smaller departments could not manage on their own.
Municipal police departments enforce state law and local ordinances within city and town boundaries, and most of Connecticut’s population lives in areas covered by a municipal department. Smaller and more rural towns rely on the State Police to fill the gap.
State marshals and judicial marshals sit alongside this structure without duplicating it. Judicial marshals stay inside courthouses handling custody and security. State marshals stay outside courthouses handling civil process. Neither group patrols, investigates crimes, or enforces traffic laws. Keeping civil process execution separate from criminal law enforcement was one of the core goals of the 2000 reform, and that separation is what a Connecticut resident is really seeing when they notice their state has no sheriff.2Connecticut General Assembly. Public Act 00-99 – An Act Reforming the Sheriff System