Connecticut Foreign Registration › Registered agent
Choosing a Connecticut registered agent for a foreign LLC
A foreign LLC in Connecticut can name the Secretary of the State as its agent, or any Connecticut resident aged 18 or over, or another business registered with the office that has a Connecticut address; changing the agent later costs $50. An LLC cannot appoint itself.
The three routes in item 10
| Route | Who | What the form wants |
|---|---|---|
| A | The Secretary of the State and successors | A check in the box and nothing else |
| B | An individual | Signature accepting; Connecticut business, residence and mailing addresses |
| C | A business | Name as on state records; signer for it; Connecticut business and mailing addresses |
Complete one of the three. The form warns against completing more than one. In route B the business and residence addresses cannot be P.O. boxes, though the mailing address can be one.
Who qualifies
Connecticut allows several kinds of agent. A Connecticut resident can act as agent for their own LLC. Any Connecticut resident aged 18 or older can serve. Any other business entity registered with the office that has a Connecticut address can serve. Foreign entities may use the Secretary of the State as agent. A manager or member of the LLC may act as agent if they live in Connecticut; the LLC itself may not.
What an agent does
The office describes a registered agent as a person or third party who receives and forwards legal and official correspondence for a business, and who is the business's official point of contact with the state. That includes court papers. A registered agent is also the person the office asks to confirm and update their information when an annual report is filed.
Who sees what the agent receives
If you name an individual as agent, that person's Connecticut residence address goes on the form, and the content of every document filed with the office is public record. Think about whether a person should be asked to put a home address in a public record for a company that is not theirs. A registered business with a Connecticut address, or the Secretary of the State, avoids the question.
Choosing between the routes
The Secretary of the State route needs no person and no Connecticut address. The cost is that papers go to the office, which then has to reach you through whatever contact details are on file, so those details must stay current. An individual in Connecticut gets the papers directly, but must be willing to accept the duty, must be reachable at a Connecticut residence address and must stay in the state. A business in Connecticut is the better choice for a long-term arrangement, since it does not retire or move away. A commercial registered agent has filed a commercial listing with the office; it is a business offering paid agent services, cannot be an individual, and can use mass agent changes.
What agent changes cost
| Filing | Fee |
|---|---|
| Change of agent | $50 |
| Change of agent address | $50 |
| Resignation of agent, no form available | $50 |
| Change of business address | $50 |
| Change of agent for a nonstock corporation | $20 |
Changing or losing the agent
When the agent changes, file the change of agent online for $50. If the agent moves within the state, a change of the agent's address is the same fee. An agent who wants out files a resignation, for which the office lists no form. An LLC that loses its agent should replace them quickly, because the report process may refuse to proceed with insufficient agent information on file.
Our agent service
We can serve as the Connecticut registered agent for an LLC we register, or you can bring your own. The Secretary of the State route is available to any foreign LLC and costs nothing extra on the form.
Agent questions
Can the Secretary of the State be my agent?
Yes. Foreign entities may use the Secretary of the State as agent, by checking part A of item 10.
Can my LLC be its own agent?
No. The form does not let the LLC appoint itself.
Can I use a registered agent from my home state?
Only if that business is registered with the Connecticut office and has a Connecticut address.
How much does it cost to change the agent?
$50.
Our rate, then the Connecticut fee
Register in Connecticut
+ $120 Connecticut fee
- The Foreign Registration Statement, prepared from your answers
- Proof of existence from the home state, requested where the filing calls for it
- A Connecticut registered agent: ours, or one you already have
- The filing and the date your annual report window opens
- Renewal: after the first year, the agent service renews at $149 a year
$199
Start my Connecticut filingOur rate and the state fee are separate lines at checkout. $199 plus the state fee, including your first year of registered agent service; after that the agent service renews at $149 a year.
Sources
- Business.CT.gov, foreign LLC forms and fees
- Connecticut Secretary of the State, Foreign Registration Statement for a limited liability company (PDF)
- Business.CT.gov, foreign annual report forms and fees
- Business.CT.gov, foreign stock corporation forms and fees
- Business.CT.gov, foreign nonstock corporation forms and fees
- Connecticut Secretary of the State, Application for Certificate of Authority, foreign corporation (PDF)
- Business.CT.gov, who can be an agent for my business
Already working in Connecticut?
Tell us when the LLC started. We check it against the 90-day window when we prepare the filing.