Skip to content
Founder Mentor Guide

Mentor walkthrough 3 · Connecticut

Foreign LLC Registration Walkthrough, Connecticut (2026): 5 Stages and the 3 Best Services

Ranked for 2026, the services worth your call for bringing an LLC into a second state in Connecticut are Mainstay Filing ($199), Connecticut Registered Agent.co ($199) and CT Registered Agent.org ($199), in that order. Budget 5 stages and a $120 filing fee.

Advice from the Founder Mentor Guide mentors

What to know before you start

Fee at the state office
$120
business.ct.gov, seen in October 2026
Proof of good standing
90 days
No older than
Annual report
$80
Annual report
State cost, years 1 to 3
$280
State charges only
Stages in this walkthrough
5
In order

By the end you will know

  • Which LLCs from elsewhere must register in Connecticut
  • The form and the fee
  • What comes after registration
  • Who we would phone to file

If you would rather hand it off

The mentors' five criteria are on how we score, and they decide the order.

Our call

1. Mainstay Filing: best for LLCs on the move

Best overallService $199, renewal $149 a year

Mainstay Filing takes first place, and the reason is that $199 over the state fee in any state; year one of the registered agent is free, then $149 yearly.

Connecticut Registered Agent.co costs $100 less across three years; this one still ranks higher because it takes more work off your plate.

Once the free agent year is over, it is $149 a year.

What you get

  • The registration filing
  • Your first year of registered agent is free
  • One fee wherever you register

What works

  • A $199 service charge
  • One price anywhere
  • The first year of the agent is included

What to watch

  • Agent renews at $149, $50 above Connecticut Registered Agent.co
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Our call

2. Connecticut Registered Agent.co: best for a lean Connecticut filing

Connecticut specialistService $199, renewal $99 a year

Pick number 2 is Connecticut Registered Agent.co, where $199 plus the state fee to register, and $99 every year afterward.

What you get

  • Filing made with the state
  • Agent service for one year comes with the price

What works

  • $99 a year for the agent after that
  • $199 plus the state fee
  • Agent service costs nothing extra in the first year

What to watch

  • A single-state service
Visit Connecticut Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Our call

3. CT Registered Agent.org: best for a small agent renewal

Connecticut specialistService $199, renewal $99 a year

Pick number 3 is CT Registered Agent.org, where $199 plus the state fee to register, and $99 every year afterward.

On price it is a tie with Connecticut Registered Agent.co.

What you get

  • Filing made with the state
  • Agent service for one year comes with the price

What works

  • $199 plus the state fee
  • Agent service costs nothing extra in the first year
  • $99 a year for the agent after that

What to watch

  • A single-state service
Visit CT Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Every price in one table

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Mainstay Filing$199$149/yr$497Visit Mainstay FilingPartner 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.
3CT Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit CT Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Listed prices, viewed November 13, 2026. Plan for $120 more in state fees, whichever row you pick.

Registering with Connecticut, stage by stage

  1. Stage 1

    Does the rule cover you?

    Quick definition: a foreign LLC is one formed in a different state. Connecticut wants it registered before it operates here. The price of ignoring the rule: fees for the period before you registered

    Check it yourself: business.ct.gov, seen in October 2026

  2. Stage 2

    Get a certificate from your home state

    Request certificate of existence (certificate of good standing) from the state of formation, dated within 90 days.

    A recent certificate is the safe choice, so order late.

  3. Stage 3

    Arrange a Connecticut registered agent

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

    Check it yourself: cga.ct.gov, seen in October 2026

  4. Stage 4

    Your next job is the Foreign Registration Statement, Limited Liability

    the Connecticut Secretary of the State, Business Services Division receives the filing above and $120.

    Check it yourself: business.ct.gov, seen in October 2026

  5. Stage 5

    Deal with Connecticut's ongoing filing

    After registering, a foreign LLC sends in the annual report ($80), between January 1 and March 31.

What each stage costs in Connecticut

StageGoes toCost
Registration feeState office$120
Annual reportState office$80
Paid helpThe service$199 at the start
State fees, years one to threeState office$280
Whatever goes to Connecticut is an official fee you can verify on the pages listed below. The three-year row combines the filing, two later reports and a minimum tax where there is one; service prices stay out of it.

How the scores came out

On work taken off your desk (32% of the score) finished first, with right behind.

The company belongs to one state and works in a second, so one provider for both is the better fit.

Short answers

What does Connecticut collect from a foreign LLC when it registers?

$120 at the state office. Hiring one means $199 on top.

Which form do I file to register?

Fill in the form named in stage 4 and send it to the Connecticut Secretary of the State, Business Services Division.

Do I need a certificate from my home state?

Yes: certificate of existence (certificate of good standing) from the state of formation, issued within 90 days of filing.

What if the LLC does business there without registering?

fees for the period before you registered

What is due after registering?

After registering, the LLC will owe the annual report, at $80 per filing.

Which service should handle the registration?

Go with Mainstay Filing: a service charge of $199 next to Connecticut's fee, with your first registered agent year included. Then Connecticut Registered Agent.co and CT Registered Agent.org.

Where we got the facts

  1. Backing for Connecticut Secretary of the State, Business Services Division: business.ct.gov, August 2026.
  2. Backing for Connecticut Secretary of the State, Business Services Division: business.ct.gov, August 2026.
  3. Backing for Connecticut yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source: business.ct.gov, October 2026.
  4. Backing for Connecticut report due date: cga.ct.gov, August 2026.
  5. Backing for Connecticut formation fee: Filing fee, official source: business.ct.gov, October 2026.
  6. Backing for Connecticut formation fee: Filing fee, official source: business.ct.gov, October 2026.
  7. Backing for Foreign LLC forms and fees, Business.CT.gov: business.ct.gov, October 2026.
  8. Backing for Foreign Registration Statement form: business.ct.gov, October 2026.
  9. Backing for Foreign investigations penalties: business.ct.gov, October 2026.
  10. Backing for Who can be an agent: business.ct.gov, October 2026.
  11. Backing for Foreign annual report forms and fees: business.ct.gov, October 2026.
  12. Mainstay Filing Connecticut service page; prices copied November 13, 2026
  13. Connecticut Registered Agent.co pricing page; prices copied November 13, 2026
  14. CT Registered Agent.org pricing page; prices copied November 13, 2026