In brief
File one document, the Certificate of Organization, with the Connecticut Secretary of State. The fee is $120[2]. A registered agent in Connecticut is named on the filing.
Mainstay Filing does the Connecticut filing for $199 a year; the state's $120 is added at cost[1].
- State filing fee
- $120
- Form
- Certificate of Organization
- Filed with
- Connecticut Secretary of State
- Registered Agent required
- Yes
- Periodic report
- Yearly, $80
- Other states’ fees
- 29 lower, 20 higher
Updated October 29, 2026. State fees from official sources.
How the filing works in Connecticut
The order below is the order most filers follow. The state filing is the only step with a Connecticut fee attached.
- Check the name. Search the Connecticut Secretary of State business records for the name you want[3]. The name needs a designator such as "LLC" or "Limited Liability Company."
- Choose who will be the registered agent. Serving personally is open to any owner who lives in Connecticut and has a qualifying address. The company itself cannot be its own registered agent. Under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 34-243n, the options are A Connecticut resident, or a business entity formed in Connecticut or registered there. The agent signs to accept the appointment.[2]
- File with the state. The document is the Certificate of Organization; the fee is $120, paid to the Connecticut Secretary of State[2].
- Write an operating agreement. It sets out ownership and how decisions are made. It stays with the company's records and is not part of the state filing.
- Get an EIN from the IRS. Banks and payroll providers ask for it. The application is made to the IRS, separately from the Connecticut filing, and the IRS charges nothing.
- Mark the report deadline. Connecticut LLCs file the Annual Report every year ($80)[4]. The deadline: on or before March 31[2].
Having it filed for you, or filing yourself
With Mainstay Filing, the Connecticut filing is prepared and submitted for you. Its price is $199 a year plus the state's $120[1], and that yearly price also covers the registered agent, the EIN application and every Annual Report.
Doing it yourself means filing the Certificate of Organization with the Connecticut Secretary of State and paying $120, plus any card or portal charge the agency adds.
Connecticut business applications, by the numbers
Business applications in Connecticut reached 49,834 in 2025, the 34th highest count among the states and D.C. Through Jan-Sep 2026 the count stood at 44,391, a 19.1% change on the year before.
These are IRS employer-ID applications, so they include sole proprietors and corporations as well as LLCs. Connecticut does not publish a comparable monthly LLC count.
The form and where it goes
The formation document in Connecticut is the Certificate of Organization. It is filed with the Connecticut Secretary of State[2].
From the statute:
One or more persons may act as organizers to form a limited liability company by delivering to the Secretary of the State for filing a certificate of organization.
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 34-247 (Formation of limited liability company[2].
Once the Connecticut Secretary of State accepts the filing, the LLC exists and its record, including the registered agent details, appears in the state's public business search.
The fee, in context
At $120, Connecticut's fee is above the 50-state median of $100. Among the other states, 29 states charge less and 20 charge more.
| Item | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| State filing fee | $120 | [2] cga.ct.gov, updated October 29, 2026 |
| Annual Report | $80 every year | [4] business.ct.gov, updated October 29, 2026 |
| Filing service, Mainstay Filing | $199 a year plus state fees | [1] Mainstay Filing, updated October 29, 2026 |
| Registered agent service (if hired) | $149 a year at Mainstay Filing; $99 to $249 first year elsewhere | 6 other services' published prices, updated October 29, 2026 |
Only the state fee is required. Naming yourself or another qualified person as registered agent costs nothing in state fees.
| State | LLC filing fee | Periodic report |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $500 | $500 yearly |
| New York | $200 | $9 every 2 yrs |
| Rhode Island | $150 | $50 yearly |
Same source set as above, one statute or fee schedule per state, verified August 12, 2026.
Questions
How much does it cost to form an LLC in Connecticut?
The state fee is $120 for the Certificate of Organization[2]. After that, the Annual Report costs $80 every year.
Do I need a registered agent to form an LLC in Connecticut?
Yes. The formation filing names one. Serving personally is open to any owner who lives in Connecticut and has a qualifying address. The company itself cannot be its own registered agent.
Can someone else handle the Connecticut filing?
Yes. Mainstay Filing prepares and files Connecticut LLCs for $199 a year plus the $120 state fee[1]. That also covers its registered agent service, the EIN application and the Annual Report, at the same price each year.
Who files the formation document in Connecticut?
The Connecticut Secretary of State. Its website: portal.ct.gov/sots.
Sources
- Mainstay Filing pricing, registered agent and FAQ pages. Updated October 29, 2026.
- Conn. Gen. Stat. § 34-247 (Formation of limited liability company; certificate of organization); fee set by § 34-243u(a)(3). www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_613a.htm. Updated October 29, 2026.
- Connecticut Secretary of State. portal.ct.gov/sots. Updated October 29, 2026.
- Connecticut Secretary of the State, Business Services Division: Annual Report rules and fee. business.ct.gov/business-services/file-annual-report. Updated October 29, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics (state annual and monthly series). www.census.gov/econ/bfs/index.html. Updated October 29, 2026.