Yes, must be authorized to do business in Connecticut
Can you be your own agent?
Yes, if owner resides in Connecticut and meets all requirements
Best Registered Agent Services for Connecticut LLCs (2026)
Affiliate disclosure: Northwest Registered Agent, Bizee, ZenBusiness and LegalZoom pay us a commission if you sign up through our link, at no extra cost to you. We list only the registered agent services we have an affiliate relationship with, so this is not a survey of the whole market.
This table is not scored. The four are listed cheapest annual renewal first, and the rows below it say which one fits which situation. The scored ranking, and the formula behind it, is on the formation services review, which orders them on three-year cost, BBB rating and Trustpilot score.
Note: Bizee holds a C rating from the BBB and is not accredited. BBB's profile carries a live alert describing a pattern of complaints about unexpected charges, difficulty canceling and filing delays, and Bizee has posted a response to it. We flag this so you can make an informed choice.
Prices are each provider's standard published rates; year-one pricing applies when you form your LLC through the same service. BBB and Trustpilot figures as recorded September 15, 2026, not re-checked since, and both sources update continuously. These are the dates the figures were last written to our dataset, which is the most we can show: they are not verification dates. See how we evaluate these companies in our full formation services review →
Which Registered Agent Is Best for Your Connecticut LLC?
You're forming a new LLC and want the agent bundled
Our pick: ZenBusiness
Registered agent is free for year one with their $0 starter formation plan, backed by an A from the BBB and a 4.8/5 Trustpilot score.
Your LLC already exists and you just need an agent
Our pick: Northwest Registered Agent
A flat $125/yr for registered agent service, the lowest renewal of the services listed here, and a privacy policy that says it does not sell your information. Registered agent customers are enrolled by default in annual report filing at $100 plus state fees, which you can cancel.
You want year one free and the cheaper renewal after it
Our pick: Bizee
Registered agent is free for year one on every Bizee plan and renews at $149/yr, $50/yr less than ZenBusiness, the other service listed here that includes year one free. Northwest renews lower still at $125/yr, but its first year comes inside a paid $39 formation package rather than free. Tradeoff: a C rating from the BBB, which cites a pattern of complaints about charges and cancellation, so read every auto-renewal term.
Complex legal needs alongside your filing
Our pick: LegalZoom
The only one of the services listed here with licensed attorney consultations, and the most expensive registered agent listed here at $249/yr, which is never included in their plans.
Ready to file your annual report?
Go directly to the Connecticut Secretary of State portal.
Best for: Connecticut residents who work from a fixed location and don't mind public address disclosure
Friend or family member
Pros
Low cost option
Personal relationship and trust
Keeps your address private
Cons
Depends on their availability and reliability
May strain personal relationships
Still requires Connecticut residency
Best for: LLC owners with reliable Connecticut contacts who understand the responsibility
Professional service
Pros
Maximum privacy protection
Guaranteed availability and compliance
Professional document handling and forwarding
Cons
Annual fee typically $100-300
Less direct control
Ongoing expense
Best for: Business owners prioritizing privacy, reliability, and professional service
This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. It reports what each state publishes about filing deadlines, fees, and the consequences of missing them, with the sources this page cites. It cannot tell you what your own company owes: the date turns on when and where you formed, states change these rules between our reviews, and in several states an entity-level tax falls due in a year when no report does. Confirm your own dates with the filing office named on this page before you rely on one here, because the penalty for missing a deadline can be administrative dissolution of the company.
Frequently Asked Questions
A registered agent is a person or business designated to receive official legal documents, tax notices, and court papers on behalf of your LLC. Connecticut law requires every LLC to maintain a registered agent with a physical Connecticut address to ensure the state and courts can reach your business for important matters.
Without a registered agent, the Connecticut Secretary of the State can't deliver dissolution notices, the IRS can't serve tax correspondence, and courts can't issue summonses or lawsuit documents. This creates serious consequences: your LLC can face administrative dissolution, miss critical tax deadlines, or lose a lawsuit by default because you never received the complaint.
When you file your Certificate of Organization with the Connecticut Secretary of the State, you must designate your registered agent's name and Connecticut street address on Form LLC-1. If your registered agent moves or becomes unavailable, you must file an amended form within 30 days. Many LLC owners use professional registered agent services ($100 to $300 annually) to avoid serving this role personally and maintain privacy.
Your next step is to decide whether to serve as your own registered agent or hire a professional service before submitting your Certificate of Organization.
Operating without a registered agent violates the Connecticut Uniform Limited Liability Company Act and exposes your LLC to immediate administrative dissolution by the Connecticut Secretary of State. The state will administratively dissolve your LLC without notice if you fail to maintain a registered agent, effectively terminating your legal business status.
Beyond dissolution, your LLC loses good standing status with the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, making it impossible to conduct business legally, obtain licenses, or enter contracts. You'll also miss critical legal documents, lawsuits, tax notices, and regulatory communications, because the state can't serve papers to your business. This creates personal liability exposure, as you may face legal judgments by default without knowing you were sued.
Reinstatement requires filing a Certificate of Reinstatement with the Secretary of State and paying a $50 reinstatement fee, plus back filing fees. The practical consequence: your business operations halt, your credit suffers, and you face potential personal liability.
Your next step is to appoint a Connecticut resident or professional registered agent immediately and file an amended LLC operating agreement with your chosen agent's information through the Secretary of State's website.
If you serve as your own registered agent in Connecticut, there's no cost beyond the residency requirement of maintaining a physical Connecticut address. Professional registered agent services typically charge $100 to $300 annually, though rates vary by provider and service level. The Connecticut Secretary of the State doesn't charge a separate registered agent fee, costs apply only if you hire a third party.
For LLC owners, this distinction matters significantly. Using your personal address as the registered agent saves money but exposes your home address on public filings and requires you to handle all official documents personally during business hours. Hiring a professional registered agent costs $100 to $300 yearly but provides privacy, ensures compliance with the Secretary of the State's requirements, and guarantees someone qualified receives legal notices on your behalf.
Many formation services include the first year of registered agent service free when you file Certificate of Organization, making professional representation affordable for startups. Next, compare registered agent providers' Connecticut-specific features and renewal rates to determine whether self-service or professional representation aligns with your privacy and operational needs.
Yes, using a professional registered agent in Connecticut protects your privacy by keeping your personal address off public LLC documents filed with the Connecticut Secretary of State's Division of Commercial Recording. When you file your Certificate of Organization, only your registered agent's business address appears in public records accessible through the Connecticut Secretary of State's online database, your home or personal business address remains completely private. This protection matters because Connecticut requires all LLCs to maintain a registered agent with a physical Connecticut street address, and that address becomes public record. Without a registered agent, you'd be forced to list your personal address, making it discoverable by competitors, creditors, and the public. Professional registered agents charge $50 to $300 annually and maintain confidential addresses specifically for this purpose. Your next step: compare Connecticut-approved registered agent providers, confirm their addresses are actively maintained in Connecticut, and select one before filing your Certificate of Organization with the Secretary of State.
Yes, you can change your Connecticut registered agent at any time by filing a Certificate of Change of Registered Agent (Form LLC-6.1) with the Connecticut Secretary of State's Business Services Division. The filing fee is $75, and processing typically takes 5 to 7 business days. You must ensure continuous registered agent coverage, Connecticut law prohibits operating without one, even for a single day, or your LLC risks administrative dissolution and loss of good standing. This matters because gaps in registered agent service mean you won't receive critical legal notices, tax documents, or lawsuit papers, potentially resulting in default judgments against your business. The practical implication: coordinate the transition carefully so your new agent's appointment takes effect on or before your current agent's resignation date. File Form LLC-6.1 online through the Connecticut Secretary of State's website at ct.gov/sots, or submit by mail to ensure your change is processed before any lapse occurs.
Sources
Each entry below is a document recorded in our verified Connecticut sources, and each entry says what the document is. Some statutory text is read from an accurate mirror rather than from the state's own host, and those say so.
See how Northwest Registered Agent, Bizee, ZenBusiness and LegalZoom, the formation services we partner with, compare on 3-year cost, BBB rating and Trustpilot score before you choose.
Edmond Hui is a software engineer and serial entrepreneur based in New York who has founded multiple online businesses across e-commerce, media, and information publishing. Before transitioning into tech, he spent years as a commercial real estate professional closing deals totaling over 100,000 square feet, giving him firsthand experience with business formation and entity structuring. He built MyStateLLC to provide the free, state-specific LLC guidance he wished existed when forming his own companies.
