Skip to content
LLC 101 Guide

Unit 1 · Connecticut

Starting an LLC in Connecticut (2026): 7 Tasks and the 3 Best LLC Services

CT Registered Agent.org ($199), Connecticut Registered Agent.co ($199) and Mainstay Filing ($199): that is the order of the services we would hire in Connecticut in 2026 for setting up an LLC. Connecticut wants $120 when you file and the annual report every year; the 7 tasks below walk through all of it.

Prepared by the LLC 101 Guide instructors

Need-to-know facts

What the state charges to file
$120
Taken from business.ct.gov in October 2026
Annual report
$80 a year
Deadline: on or before March 31
State cost, years 1 to 3
$280
Filing plus the repeating state fees
How many tasks
7
One by one

Course objectives

  • Where and how to file a Connecticut LLC
  • What the registered agent rule asks for
  • How to stay in good standing
  • The services at the top of the class

Services we recommend in Connecticut

Cost over three years leads, then assignments completed, renewal price, Connecticut fit and plain pricing (grading page).

Top of the class

1. CT Registered Agent.org: best for a small first bill

Our first pickFormation $199, renewal $99 yearly

CT Registered Agent.org earns the top grade in Connecticut: forming the Connecticut LLC runs $199 with the agent covered in year one, and the agent renews at $99.

The decision is cost: across three years it totals less than Mainstay Filing.

The price leaves out the annual report, so that is yours to file every year.

What the price covers

  • The formation filing
  • A year of agent service is part of the price

What works

  • $199 to form
  • A free first agent year
  • The agent renews at $99

What to weigh

  • The annual report remains your responsibility
  • The EIN application is not included ($99)
Visit CT Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

2. Connecticut Registered Agent.co: best for a second Connecticut choice

Focused on ConnecticutFormation $199, renewal $99 yearly

Connecticut Registered Agent.co takes second place: forming the Connecticut LLC runs $199 with the agent covered in year one, and the agent renews at $99.

The price leaves out the annual report, so that is yours to file every year.

CT Registered Agent.org and this service cost the same.

What the price covers

  • The formation filing
  • A year of agent service is part of the price

What works

  • $199 to form
  • The agent renews at $99
  • A free first agent year

What to weigh

  • The annual report remains your responsibility
  • The EIN application is not included ($99)
Visit Connecticut Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

3. Mainstay Filing: best for a first year with very little homework

Does most of the work$199 yearly plus the $120 state fee

Pick number 3 is Mainstay Filing, where a flat $199 covers formation, the registered agent and the annual report, and renewal costs $199.

CT Registered Agent.org comes in $200 lower across three years, which holds this one back from first.

The annual report is part of the service, and the $80 state fee is passed through.

What the price covers

  • Formation paperwork handled
  • Registered agent for the whole year
  • Annual report filed for you on time
  • The EIN application is part of the price
  • The official fee, nothing added

What works

  • One flat $199 each year
  • The EIN task is part of the package
  • $199 every year

What to weigh

  • Renewal costs $100 above CT Registered Agent.org
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The Connecticut picks compared

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1CT Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit CT Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Connecticut Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit Connecticut Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Listed prices, read November 13, 2026. Every row also owes the $120 state fee.

The tasks

  1. Task 1

    Choose the LLC's name

    the Connecticut Secretary of State keeps the records. Search them now, because in Connecticut a name that is taken can send the filing back.

    If the first name fails, you want another ready.

  2. Task 2

    Pick your registered agent

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. A Connecticut resident, or a business entity formed in Connecticut or registered there. The agent signs to accept the appointment.

    The address has to be a Connecticut street address that is not a P.O. box, plus a Connecticut mailing address, which can be a P.O. box.

    Every service we recommend here can be your registered agent.

    Source: Taken from cga.ct.gov in October 2026

  3. Task 3

    Compare doing it alone with paying for help

    Skip the services and you pay the state $120. Use one of our picks and you pay $199 extra to skip the forms.

  4. Task 4

    Prepare and sign the Certificate of Organization

    Send the Certificate of Organization to the Connecticut Secretary of State along with $120 to bring the LLC into existence; the legal basis is Conn. Gen. Stat. § 34-247. The office describes its speed as Most online filings automatically accepted.

    Source: Taken from business.ct.gov in October 2026

  5. Task 5

    Order the LLC's federal tax number

    The IRS hands out EINs, not Connecticut. Apply once the state approves you, then give the number to your bank. If you hire Mainstay Filing, the EIN application is taken care of.

  6. Task 6

    Prepare the operating agreement

    Owners sign it to settle shares, voting and what happens when a member leaves. It is a private document and never gets filed.

  7. Task 7

    Handle Connecticut's recurring filing

    Put the annual report on your calendar: $80, every year, deadline on or before March 31.

    Source: Taken from business.ct.gov in October 2026

What this unit costs

ItemPaid toPrice
Filing to form the LLCPaid to the state$120
Annual reportPaid to the state$80 every year
Paid helpThe service$199 to start
State total across three yearsPaid to the state$280
To get the three-year state number we add up the filing, the reports due in years two and three and any yearly minimum tax, and we keep service fees separate.

How we ordered the Connecticut picks

What decided it was course fee across three years, which carries 34% of the grade.

CT Registered Agent.org wins the cost criterion with $397 over three years, against $200 more at Mainstay Filing.

Short answers

How much does Connecticut charge to set up an LLC?

$120, paid to the state. Our recommended services bill $199 on top.

Which form creates the LLC?

Connecticut treats the LLC as formed when the Connecticut Secretary of State accepts the Certificate of Organization.

Is a registered agent required?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

How long does Connecticut take to process the filing?

Posted processing time: Most online filings automatically accepted.

What does Connecticut require each year?

Calendar note on the annual report: $80, filed every year, timing as the state words it: on or before March 31.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

A service is optional. Owners can send the papers in with the $120 fee as long as they appoint a registered agent.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

CT Registered Agent.org, Connecticut Registered Agent.co and Mainstay Filing, from highest grade to lowest.

Reading list and sources

  1. Hand-in notes for Connecticut Secretary of the State, Business Services Division. Each statement rests on business.ct.gov, last opened August 2026.
  2. Hand-in notes for Connecticut Secretary of the State, Business Services Division. Each statement rests on business.ct.gov, last opened August 2026.
  3. Hand-in notes for Connecticut yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source. Each statement rests on business.ct.gov, last opened October 2026.
  4. Hand-in notes for Connecticut report due date. Each statement rests on cga.ct.gov, last opened August 2026.
  5. Hand-in notes for Connecticut formation fee: Filing fee, official source. Each statement rests on business.ct.gov, last opened October 2026.
  6. Hand-in notes for Connecticut formation fee: Filing fee, official source. Each statement rests on business.ct.gov, last opened October 2026.
  7. Hand-in notes for Processing and expedite, official source. Each statement rests on business.ct.gov, last opened October 2026.
  8. We opened the pricing page at CT Registered Agent.org on November 13, 2026
  9. We opened the pricing page at Connecticut Registered Agent.co on November 13, 2026
  10. We opened the Connecticut service page at Mainstay Filing on November 13, 2026