Start a Connecticut LLC — Step-by-Step Guide

Your LLC name has to be distinguishable from every other business name already registered in Connecticut. That is a legal standard, not a matter of taste — a name that differs only by punctuation, spacing, or a filler word like "the" may still be rejected as too similar. The Secretary of the State reviews all names on record, including corporations, limited partnerships, and other entity types, not only LLCs.

Run your proposed name and its close variants through the Connecticut online business search. Look for anything that sounds or reads like your choice. If a conflict exists, the state may reject your Articles of Organization, which delays everything.

Name requirements

• Must include "Limited Liability Company," "LLC," or "L.L.C." as part of the official name.
• Must be distinguishable from all active names in the Secretary of the State's records.
• Cannot use words implying a purpose the LLC is not organized for, and words like "bank," "trust," or "insurance" may require approval from the relevant Connecticut regulator.

Optional: reserve the name

If you are not ready to file but want to hold a name, Connecticut lets you reserve an available name for a set period through the Secretary of the State for a small state fee. A reservation does not create the LLC; it just locks the name while you handle the rest.

Trade names (DBAs) are different in Connecticut

If you plan to operate under a name other than your LLC's legal name, Connecticut handles that at the local level. Trade names — also called fictitious or assumed names — are filed with the town clerk in the town where you do business, not with the Secretary of the State and not with the county. Registrations run for five years and each town sets its own process. This is entirely separate from forming the LLC.

Before you file, you need a registered agent chosen and willing to serve, because the agent's name and Connecticut address go into the Articles of Organization.

Connecticut requires every LLC to keep a registered agent with a physical street address in the state for the life of the company. The agent receives lawsuits, subpoenas, regulatory notices, and official state mail on the LLC's behalf.

Who can serve

• You: If you have a physical Connecticut street address and are reliably available during business hours, you can be your own agent. Your address then appears in the public business record.
• Another individual: Any Connecticut resident with a street address in the state — a co-owner, an employee, or a Connecticut attorney.
• A commercial registered agent service: A business that Connecticut permits to serve in the agent role. It keeps its professional address on the public record instead of yours and ensures someone is always available to receive documents.

Why it matters

Using your home address makes it searchable in the state's public record, which anyone can look up. Many owners choose a commercial service specifically to keep their home address private and to guarantee compliance with the availability requirement even when they travel or work irregular hours.

The Articles of Organization is the filing that creates your LLC in Connecticut's records. You file it online through the Business One Stop portal at business.ct.gov. Connecticut charges a single state fee for this filing; the current amount is on the Secretary of the State's forms and fees page.

Online filings usually process in about two to three business days. Mailed filings take roughly seven to ten. Once processed, the LLC appears in the public business record and your filed documents become available.

What goes into the Articles

• LLC name with the required designator ("LLC," "L.L.C.," or the full phrase).
• Principal office address — a real street address, not a bare P.O. box.
• Mailing address, if different from the principal office.
• Registered agent name and Connecticut street address, with the agent's acceptance of the appointment.
• Management structure — member-managed or manager-managed.
• Organizer information — the person submitting the filing.

What you do not have to include

You do not list members' ownership percentages, describe the business in detail, or disclose any financials. The Articles are a short formation document. Your internal details live in the operating agreement, which stays private.

An operating agreement is your LLC's internal rulebook. Connecticut does not require you to file it and it never becomes public, but you should have one before you start doing business, add members, or open accounts.

What a solid operating agreement covers

• Ownership: member names, ownership percentages, and how interests are held.
• Capital contributions: what each member put in and any obligation to contribute more later.
• Profit and loss allocation: how gains and losses are split — usually, but not necessarily, in line with ownership.
• Distributions: when and how cash is paid out, and in what order.
• Management: who runs the company day to day and which decisions need a member vote.
• Voting: whether votes are weighted by ownership or counted per member.
• Transfers: what happens when a member wants to sell or leave — rights of first refusal, approval requirements.
• Dissolution: how and when the company can be wound up and how assets are divided.

For single-member LLCs, the agreement reinforces that the company is a genuine separate entity — courts weigh that when someone challenges the liability shield, and banks often ask for it. For multi-member LLCs it is essential; without it, Chapter 613a's default rules govern, and they rarely match what the members had in mind.

An Employer Identification Number is the nine-digit federal tax ID the IRS provides free of charge. It works like a Social Security number for the business — you use it on tax filings, to open bank accounts, and to hire employees.

When you need one

• Your LLC has more than one member (a partnership return requires an EIN).
• You plan to hire employees.
• You want a business bank account (most banks require an EIN).
• You have elected S-corp or C-corp tax treatment.

A single-member LLC with no employees can technically use the owner's Social Security number, but most owners get an EIN anyway to keep the SSN off business paperwork and to simplify banking.

How to apply

Go to IRS.gov and work through the online EIN Assistant. It runs about ten minutes, and since the IRS assigns the number on the spot, you can put it to use that same day. You need a U.S. Social Security number or ITIN to apply online; applicants without one file Form SS-4 by fax or mail.

Keeping the LLC's finances separate is not optional — it is what preserves the liability shield. If you pay personal expenses from the business account or run business income through your personal account, a court can disregard the LLC and hold you personally liable.

What most banks want to open an LLC account

• Your filed Articles of Organization from the Secretary of the State.
• Your IRS EIN confirmation.
• Your operating agreement (many banks ask for it — have it ready).
• Government-issued ID for every authorized signer.

Connecticut community banks and credit unions are often more flexible with brand-new LLCs than large national chains, and several online business banks can open an account without a branch visit. Before you settle on one, weigh the monthly fees, the caps on transactions, and any minimum-balance rules.

Most of the compliance work is front-loaded into formation. After that, it is mainly one annual filing plus attention to any change in your agent or address.

Annual report

File between January 1 and March 31 each year, online only, through Business.CT.gov. Connecticut does not accept a paper annual report. It updates your registered agent, addresses, and member or management details — it is not a financial disclosure. Miss the March 31 deadline and the LLC falls out of good standing; leave it long enough and the state can administratively dissolve it.

Registered agent and address changes

If your registered agent changes address, resigns, or you switch agents, file the update with the Secretary of the State promptly. A stale agent address leaves the LLC technically non-compliant even when everything else is current.

Taxes

Federal treatment follows your structure — Schedule C for single-member, Form 1065 for multi-member, Form 1120-S for an S-corp election. Connecticut taxes pass-through income at the individual level and administers a Pass-Through Entity Tax that many multi-member LLCs interact with. If you sell taxable goods or services, register for sales and use tax with the Department of Revenue Services.

Licenses and permits

Connecticut issues no single general business license, but many professions require state licensure, and some towns have their own permit requirements. These run on their own cycles, separate from your LLC registration with the Secretary of the State.