Connecticut LLC Cost in 2026: Filing Fee, Annual Report and Other State Fees

Forming a limited liability company in Connecticut costs $120 to file the Certificate of Organization with the Secretary of the State. After that, the LLC files an Annual Report every year for $80. Those two charges cover the core state fees for most small LLCs. Other fees apply only when you reserve a name, pay for faster processing, change your records, or file certain other documents. This guide lists the state fees we have verified, explains when each one applies, and points you to the agency that handles it.

If you want the short answer to how much an LLC costs in Connecticut: the formation filing is $120, each Annual Report is $80, and a $100 sales tax permit applies only if you sell taxable goods or services. Everything else is optional or depends on your situation.

Disclaimer: This guide is informational only. It is not legal, tax or accounting advice. Fees and filing rules can change, so confirm every figure on the official agency pages before you file or pay. For a complex structure, several owners, or operations in more than one state, talk to a qualified Connecticut attorney or CPA.

The Certificate of Organization: $120

The formation document for a Connecticut LLC is the Certificate of Organization (Domestic Limited Liability Company). The filing fee is $120, and that amount includes the statutory appointment of your registered agent, so you do not pay a separate fee to name the agent in the filing. You can file online through Business.CT.gov, the state's online business portal, or submit a paper filing to the Secretary of the State's Business Services Division.

Check the name before you file. The name must contain "Limited Liability Company" or an accepted abbreviation such as "LLC" or "L.L.C.", and it must be distinguishable on the record from names already registered or reserved. A name that suggests a regulated activity, such as bank or insurance, requires authorization. You can check availability for free with the Business.CT.gov business records search.

Your LLC must also keep a registered agent in Connecticut at all times. The agent must be either a Connecticut resident at least 18 years old or a business entity registered with the Secretary of the State. The agent's address must be a usual place of business in Connecticut that is customarily open during normal business hours with an authorized person present. A post office box or commercial mailbox does not qualify. If you hire a commercial registered agent service, that company sets its own fees, which are not part of the state schedule, so get its price in writing before you sign up.

The Annual Report: $80 every year

Every Connecticut LLC must file an Annual Report with the Secretary of the State each year. The fee is $80 when you file online through Business.CT.gov. The filing window most often reported for LLCs is January 1 to March 31. However, Business.CT.gov does not publish one flat statewide deadline. Instead, it shows each entity its own next due date in its account, so log in and confirm your date rather than relying on the general window. The Annual Report is also where you confirm or update your registered agent information.

Put the due date on your calendar as soon as the LLC is formed. Reinstatement, which costs $120, is the fee for restoring an entity's status. The Secretary of the State's pages explain when it applies, so check your standing there if you have any doubt.

Full Connecticut LLC fee schedule

The table below lists the Secretary of the State fees for LLCs. These amounts match the Business.CT.gov fee pages for 2026, which carry the same figures as the Secretary of the State schedule revised 7/1/2020.

Filing or service	Fee	When you need it
Certificate of Organization	$120	Once, to form the LLC. Includes the registered agent appointment.
Annual Report	$80	Every year, filed online through Business.CT.gov.
Name reservation	$60	Optional. Holds a name for 120 days.
Expedited service	$50 per transaction	Optional. Online filings only, completed within 24 hours.
Certificate of amendment	$120	When you amend your filed certificate.
Change of registered agent	$50	When you change your agent.
Change of business address	$50	When the business address changes.
Foreign LLC registration	$120	For an LLC formed in another state that does business in Connecticut.
Reinstatement	$120	To restore an entity's status.
Certificate of dissolution	$0	To close the LLC with the state.
Certificate of existence (express or short form)	$50	Proof of good standing.
Certificate of existence (long form)	$100	Proof of good standing, long form.
Plain copy of a filed document	$40	When you need a copy without certification.
Certified copy of a filed document	$55	When a bank, lender or agency needs certification.

Optional fees you may or may not pay

Name reservation: $60

If you need time to organize before forming the LLC, you can reserve your name for 120 days for $60. The reservation is optional. If you are filing the Certificate of Organization right away, skip it. Reserve a name only when you need to hold it while you finish paperwork, a lease or a bank application. Details are on the Business.CT.gov domestic LLC forms and fees page.

Expedited service: $50 per transaction

Expedited service costs $50 per transaction and is completed within 24 hours of receipt. It is available only for filings submitted online through Business.CT.gov and is not offered for mailed filings. The state says most online filings are accepted automatically, so expedited service is usually unnecessary. The Secretary of the State does not publish a standard turnaround time for ordinary filings, so pay for expedited service only when you have a hard deadline that standard processing could miss.

Changes after formation

Each change to your public record is a separate filing with its own fee. Changing your registered agent costs $50, changing the business address costs $50, and amending the Certificate of Organization costs $120. Plan for these charges when your business changes, such as moving to a new office or changing who receives legal mail for the company.

Foreign LLC registration: $120

An LLC formed in another state that wants to do business in Connecticut must register here for $120. Whether your activities count as doing business in Connecticut is a legal question, and the answer depends on the facts, so ask an attorney before you assume you can operate without registering.

Taxes: what Connecticut does not charge

Connecticut has no franchise tax and no annual privilege tax on LLCs. Some vendor pages still list a "Business Entity Tax" for LLCs, but that tax was repealed for tax years from 2020. If a site presents it as a current charge, treat that page as out of date and confirm with the Department of Revenue Services (DRS) at portal.ct.gov/drs.

How the LLC is taxed determines what it pays. An LLC taxed as a partnership or an S corporation may elect the optional Pass-Through Entity Tax with DRS. The election is made each year and is irrevocable for that year. An LLC treated as a corporation pays the Corporation Business Tax, which is 7.5% of apportioned net income with a $250 minimum. It also pays a capital base tax that is being phased out (0.16% for 2026, 0.11% for 2027, and none from 2028, CGS 12-219). Companies with total income of $100 million or more, or that file in a combined unitary group, also pay a 10% surtax. These are published figures, so confirm them with DRS and your CPA before you rely on them.

Sales and Use Tax Permit: $100

A business that sells taxable goods or services needs a Sales and Use Tax Permit from DRS. The permit carries a $100 registration fee, which is separate from every Secretary of the State fee in this guide. You must display the permit at each location. Connecticut's state sales tax rate is 6.35%. Apply and read the rules at the DRS sales tax information page.

Local fees, trade licenses and the missing county layer

Connecticut has no general state business license. Registering your LLC with the Secretary of the State is a registration, not a license. Whether you need a license or permit depends on your trade. Licenses are issued by agencies such as the Department of Consumer Protection, the Department of Public Health, the Connecticut Insurance Department and the Department of Banking. Start with the Business.CT.gov New Business Checklist and the eLicense system to find the agency for your work. Trade license fees vary, so confirm the amount on the issuing agency's page. This guide does not state them.

Local approvals come from your town or city. Zoning, health and occupancy permits may apply, and these are set locally. Connecticut has no county government, so there is no county clerk and no county health department to deal with. The towns, cities, local health departments and districts, and planning regions do that work instead.

If you operate under a name other than the LLC's legal name, you file a Trade Name Certificate with the town clerk of the town where the business is primarily transacted. It is not filed with the state. The fee is $20, payable to the town clerk. Read the Business.CT.gov trade name article for the process.

What the state fee schedule does not cover

The state fees above are only part of your start-up budget. Bank charges, insurance, trade licenses, registered agent service fees, accounting help and a website are separate costs, and this guide does not estimate them. Price each one before you commit. For free or low-cost help with planning a budget, the Connecticut Small Business Development Center is a good place to start, and the SBA's Connecticut district page lists local resources.

Your Connecticut LLC fee checklist

1. Search the name on the Business.CT.gov business records search, which is free.
2. Reserve the name for $60 only if you need time before you file.
3. File the Certificate of Organization for $120, with your registered agent named in the filing.
4. Log in to your Business.CT.gov account, confirm your first Annual Report due date, and schedule the $80 filing.
5. Decide whether you need expedited service at $50, which only makes sense for a hard deadline.
6. Find out whether you sell taxable goods or services, and if so, apply for the $100 Sales and Use Tax Permit.
7. Identify the license agency for your trade, and file a Trade Name Certificate for $20 with the town clerk if you use a trade name.
8. Ask a CPA which tax treatment fits your LLC, including whether the Pass-Through Entity Tax election makes sense.

Confirm the numbers before you pay

Fees and forms change, so verify before you file. The Business.CT.gov business forms and fees page is at business.ct.gov/business-services/business-forms-and-fees. The Secretary of the State's Business Services Division home page is at portal.ct.gov/sots/business-services/bsd. Use the official pages as your source of truth, and treat any third-party fee summary, including this one, as a starting point to check against them.

This guide is informational only and is not legal, tax or accounting advice. For a complex situation, such as multiple owners, a tax election decision, or a business that operates across state lines, consult a qualified Connecticut attorney and a CPA before you form the company.