To register an LLC in CT, file a Certificate of Organization with the Connecticut Secretary of the State for $120 through Business.CT.gov, appoint a registered agent with a Connecticut street address, and then handle the follow-up items: a federal EIN, any state tax registrations that apply to your business, and the yearly filings that keep the LLC in good standing.1Business.CT.gov. Domestic Limited Liability Companies Forms and Fees The formation itself is one filing. The rest is setup and maintenance.
Pick a Name That Clears the State’s Database
Your LLC’s name has to be distinguishable from every other business entity already on file with the Secretary of the State, and it must include “Limited Liability Company,” “L.L.C.,” or “LLC.”2Justia. Connecticut General Statutes Title 34, Chapter 613a, Section 34-243k Run your choice through the business search on the Secretary of the State’s website before you commit to letterhead or a domain.
If you’ve landed on a name but aren’t ready to file yet, Connecticut lets you reserve it for $60 through Business.CT.gov.1Business.CT.gov. Domestic Limited Liability Companies Forms and Fees That’s optional; most people go straight to the Certificate of Organization once the name checks out.
Line Up a Registered Agent
Every Connecticut LLC must have a registered agent to receive legal documents and official notices.3Justia. Connecticut General Statutes Title 34, Chapter 613a, Section 34-243n The agent can be a Connecticut resident or a business authorized to operate in the state, and either way needs a physical Connecticut street address. A P.O. box doesn’t count. The agent has to sign the Certificate of Organization or a separate acceptance form.
Naming yourself or another member is free. If you’d rather keep your home address off a public filing, or you want someone reliably available during business hours, commercial registered agent services generally run between $100 and $300 per year. That fee recurs every year.
File the Certificate of Organization
The Certificate of Organization is what officially creates the LLC. Connecticut uses its own form for domestic LLCs, available on the Secretary of the State’s website.4State of Connecticut. Certificate of Organization – LLC Domestic You’ll need:
- The LLC’s name, including the required designation.
- The principal office address where records are kept.
- The registered agent’s name, Connecticut street address, and acceptance.
- Whether the LLC is member-managed or manager-managed.
- The name, business address, and residence address of at least one member or manager.
- A six-digit NAICS code for your primary business activity.
- A business email address for state communications.
- The organizer’s signature.
Filing Online
The standard route is a Business.CT.gov account. You fill out the form in the system, pay the $120 filing fee by credit card or electronic fund transfer, and the system validates entries as you go.5State of Connecticut. Fee Schedule Revised 07/01/2020 The fee is nonrefundable even if the filing is rejected. Once approved, the state emails a filed-stamped copy of the certificate to the address on the application. That’s your legal proof the LLC exists.
Filing by Mail
You can also print the form and mail it in with a check or money order for $120 payable to the Secretary of the State. Turnaround on paper filings usually runs two weeks or more.
Paying to Expedite
Connecticut offers expedited processing for an additional $50 per transaction, bringing the total to $170.6Business.CT.gov. Expedited Services If you’re waiting on a bank account, a lease, or a signed contract, the extra $50 is often worth it.
Get a Federal EIN
An Employer Identification Number is the federal tax ID for your business. You’ll need one to open a business bank account, hire employees, or file federal tax returns for the LLC. Single-member LLCs that don’t plan to hire anyone still typically need an EIN because banks generally require one.7Internal Revenue Service. Single Member Limited Liability Companies
Apply directly at irs.gov. It’s free, and you get the number immediately on approval.8Internal Revenue Service. Get an Employer Identification Number The application can’t be saved partway through and times out after 15 minutes of inactivity, so have your LLC details ready before you start. Skip any third-party site that charges for this. The IRS never charges for an EIN.
Register for Connecticut State Taxes
Depending on what your LLC does, you may need to register with the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services through myconneCT.9CT.gov. Registering Your Business with DRS You’ll need the EIN to finish this, which is why it comes after the federal step.
Two registrations come up most often:
- A sales and use tax permit, required before making any sales if the LLC sells, rents, or leases goods, provides taxable services, or operates lodging.
- Income tax withholding, required if the LLC has employees.
Not every LLC needs both. A consulting firm with no employees and no taxable product sales may not need either right away. If you do need the sales tax permit, get it before your first sale. Connecticut requires it in hand at that point.9CT.gov. Registering Your Business with DRS
Put an Operating Agreement in Writing
Connecticut doesn’t require a written operating agreement, but the statute recognizes operating agreements, including oral and implied ones, and applies default rules whenever the agreement is silent.10Connecticut General Assembly. Connecticut General Statutes Chapter 613a – Uniform Limited Liability Company Act Those defaults may not match what you want. A written agreement lets you override them.
For a single-member LLC, the agreement documents that the business is a separate entity from you personally. For a multi-member LLC, it’s the difference between resolving a disagreement in a conference room and resolving it in court. At minimum, cover:
- Ownership percentages for each member.
- How profits and losses are allocated and when distributions happen.
- Who has authority to sign contracts and make decisions, and which decisions require a member vote.
- What happens if a member wants to sell their interest or leave.
- How the LLC winds down and in what order creditors and members get paid.
Ongoing Costs: Annual Report and Business Entity Tax
Every Connecticut LLC files an annual report between January 1 and March 31 each year, starting the calendar year after formation.11Connecticut General Assembly. Connecticut General Statutes Chapter 613a, Section 34-247k – Annual Report The report confirms or updates the business address, registered agent, member or manager names, email address, and NAICS code. It’s filed electronically, and the fee is $80.12Justia. Connecticut General Statutes Title 34, Chapter 613a, Section 34-243u – Fees Payable to Secretary of the State
Separately, Connecticut imposes a $250 Business Entity Tax on every LLC required to file an annual report. It’s paid to the Department of Revenue Services, not the Secretary of the State, and is due by the fifteenth day of the fourth month after the close of your LLC’s taxable year.13CT.gov. SN 2002-11 Business Entity Tax For a calendar-year LLC, that’s April 15. It’s easy to miss because it’s a different form filed with a different agency and nothing in the formation packet flags it. Plan on $330 per year in combined state maintenance costs before any registered agent fees.
What Happens If You Miss a Deadline
Missing the annual report can lead to administrative dissolution, meaning the state revokes the LLC’s legal existence.10Connecticut General Assembly. Connecticut General Statutes Chapter 613a – Uniform Limited Liability Company Act While dissolved, the liability shield that keeps your personal assets separate from business debts is no longer guaranteed. You can reinstate through your Business.CT.gov account, pay any outstanding fees, and submit all past-due annual reports, and the original formation date carries through.14Business.CT.gov. Reinstating a Business
Reinstatement is more paperwork than crisis, but the gap period matters. Contracts signed while dissolved, lawsuits filed during that window, liability exposure without a corporate shield: those aren’t hypothetical. Calendar the January 1 through March 31 annual report window and the April 15 Business Entity Tax deadline the same day you file the Certificate of Organization.