How to form an LLC in Connecticut (2026)

File a domestic Connecticut LLC on Business.CT.gov when you live in Connecticut and will do the work from Connecticut. The Certificate of Organization costs $120 on the Secretary of the State fee table. Five steps: confirm Connecticut facts, gather the Certificate with a statutory agent, file online, pay $120, then get a free EIN. Compare structures on LLC vs sole proprietorship.

How much does it cost to form an LLC in Connecticut?

Business.CT.gov’s Domestic Limited Liability Companies Forms and Fees page lists the Certificate of Organization, including appointment of a statutory agent, at $120, re-checked 14 October 2026. The Certificate PDF shows the same $120 filing fee. Budget $80 a year for the annual report. Pay what the portal shows and keep the receipt.

How do I file a Connecticut Certificate of Organization online?

Sign in or create an account on Business.CT.gov, then choose Certificate of Organization from the domestic LLC forms list. Enter a distinguishable name, the statutory agent who accepts the appointment, the business and mailing addresses, then pay $120. Expedited service is only available online. Keep the receipt.

Does a Connecticut LLC need a registered agent?

Yes. Connecticut calls it a statutory agent, and the Certificate of Organization must appoint one who accepts the appointment. The agent goes on the public record. Changing the agent or the agent’s address later costs $50 each on the Business.CT.gov fee table. DIY versus commercial tradeoffs: Registered agent basics.

When is the Connecticut LLC annual report due, and what does it cost?

Every year between January 1 and March 31, filed online, starting the year after the LLC is formed, per Business.CT.gov and the Certificate of Organization instructions. The fee is $80 (re-checked 14 October 2026). Put the January–March window on a calendar the day the Certificate is accepted.

Do I get an EIN before or after the Connecticut LLC?

After. The IRS tells applicants to form the state entity first, and the EIN application on IRS.gov is free. Apply the same day the Secretary of the State accepts your Certificate of Organization if you need a business bank account right away. Walkthrough: Get an EIN; then open a first business checking account.

Does a Connecticut LLC need newspaper publication?

No. The Connecticut Certificate of Organization and Business.CT.gov domestic LLC fee table include no newspaper publication step for a standard domestic Connecticut LLC. Skip any “Connecticut LLC publication” add-on a vendor tries to sell you. New York is different and does require publication; see How to form an LLC in New York.

Connecticut LLC fee table (re-checked 14 October 2026)

Fees re-checked on the Business.CT.gov Domestic LLC Forms and Fees page and the Certificate of Organization PDF on 14 October 2026. If the portal shows a different checkout total, pay what the portal shows and keep the receipt.

File in Connecticut if the work is in Connecticut

A domestic Connecticut LLC is organized by filing a Certificate of Organization with the Connecticut Secretary of the State (CGS Chapter 613a). Online filing runs through Business.CT.gov (CONCORD was the prior online system; new filings use Business.CT.gov). A company already formed somewhere else that wants to transact business in Connecticut files a foreign registration certificate — a different instrument with its own fee on Business.CT.gov.

Filing in Wyoming, Delaware, or Georgia does not move Connecticut work out of Connecticut. A foreign entity that transacts business here still needs a Connecticut registered agent and Connecticut foreign registration, plus the formation state’s agent and report. Home-state filing is the cheaper default for a one-state operator. Multi-state registration overview: Foreign LLC and certificate of authority.

What to have on the desk before opening Business.CT.gov

Checked against the Business.CT.gov domestic LLC forms and fees page and the Certificate of Organization PDF on 14 October 2026:

• A distinguishable LLC name with an allowed designation (Limited Liability Company, LLC, L.L.C., and related forms on the Certificate PDF). Search Business.CT.gov before ordering letterhead.
• Certificate of Organization details, including the statutory agent (who must sign accepting appointment), at least one member or manager with business and residence addresses, email, and NAICS code as the form requires.
• Statutory / registered agent who can accept service of process in Connecticut. See Registered agent basics for a new LLC.
• A Business.CT.gov account for online filing. Payment follows whatever checkout shows.

No newspaper or other advertising is required on the standard domestic Certificate of Organization path. Professional LLCs and conversions are out of scope for a default 1099 single-member LLC on this page.

File through Business.CT.gov

The primary path on this page is Business.CT.gov at business.ct.gov. Create or sign into an account, file Certificate of Organization for a new Connecticut LLC, and pay. Business.CT.gov lists $120 for Certificate of Organization (including agent appointment). The Certificate of Organization PDF lists the same $120 filing fee.

Optional name reservation or other line items belong on the current Business.CT.gov fee table and checkout screen — this page does not invent add-ons. Pay what the portal shows and keep the receipt.

After the Certificate of Organization is filed

Formation with the Secretary of the State is not a Connecticut Department of Revenue Services tax account, a city license, or a professional license. Those have their own filings.

The IRS tells applicants to form the state entity first, then obtain an Employer Identification Number. That application on IRS.gov is free.

Connecticut does not require an operating agreement to be filed with the Certificate of Organization. A written agreement still matters between members. Banks often ask for one anyway. See LLC operating agreement basics.

Annual report — $80, January 1–March 31

Connecticut requires an annual report for LLCs. Per Business.CT.gov: file online between January 1 and March 31; fee $80. The Certificate of Organization instructions state the report is due yearly beginning the year after the entity was formed or registered.

Put the first Jan–Mar window on a calendar the day the certificate is accepted. File from the Business.CT.gov annual-report path. Cross-state renewals: LLC annual report and annual registration. This page does not compute anyone’s tax.

Missing reports can block a Certificate of Legal Existence and may lead to administrative dissolution. Overview of admin-dissolve vs reinstate: Reinstate an administratively dissolved or revoked LLC.

What this page does not cover

• Professional entities, conversions, or foreign registration of an out-of-state company beyond the fee citation above.
• Sales-tax, employer withholding, unemployment, Workers’ Compensation, or local business licenses.
• Whether an S corporation election is worth the payroll. That is a CPA conversation after there is real net income.
• Any promise that an LLC prevents a personal guarantee on a bank account or a business card. It usually does not.
• Telling a Georgia operator to file Connecticut as a sophistication upgrade.
• Voluntary dissolution — Business.CT.gov lists Certificate of Dissolution at $0 on the domestic LLC fee table; confirm before filing; see Dissolve or cancel an LLC.
• Processor fees or portal line items that are not printed on the sources above.