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Founder Mentor Guide

Walkthrough 1 · Connecticut

Connecticut LLC Formation Walkthrough (2026): 7 Stages and the 3 Best LLC Services

For forming an LLC in Connecticut in 2026, our mentors would send you to Connecticut Registered Agent.co ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and CT Registered Agent.org ($199), in that order. Think of it as 7 stages with a $120 price tag from the state, plus the annual report every year.

Advice from the Founder Mentor Guide mentors

The short version

Cost to form
$120
We pulled this from business.ct.gov in October 2026
Annual report
$80 a year
The state words the deadline like this: on or before March 31
State cost, years 1 to 3
$280
Service fees not counted
Walkthrough stages
7
One at a time

What you will get from this walkthrough

  • The Connecticut formation paper, its price and who gets it
  • The registered agent requirement
  • Upkeep that repeats
  • Which services we recommend and why

The Connecticut call list

Five weighted criteria set the order (see how we score), and three-year cost and work taken off your desk count most.

Our call

1. Connecticut Registered Agent.co: best for a no-frills formation

Top recommendation$199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year

Start with Connecticut Registered Agent.co; expect $199 for the formation on top of state fees, and $99 when the agent renews.

Cost settles it: three years here come to less than at Mainstay Filing.

You still send in the annual report every year.

What you get

  • Filing made with the state
  • A year of agent service comes with the price

What works

  • Then $99 per year
  • A $199 formation fee
  • First agent year included

What to watch

  • The price leaves out the annual report
  • The EIN application is $99 extra
Visit Connecticut Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Our call

2. Mainstay Filing: best for one bill for filing and upkeep

Works in every stateYear one $199; renewal $199; state fee separate

Second place goes to Mainstay Filing, since $199 a year hands you the formation, a registered agent and the annual report, with renewal at $199.

Across three years it trails Connecticut Registered Agent.co by $200.

You never fill out the annual report; the state's $80 comes through at exactly what Connecticut sets.

What you get

  • Formation filing prepared and sent
  • Registered agent all year long
  • Annual report filed for you
  • The EIN application comes with it
  • State fee passed through at cost

What works

  • The EIN application is covered
  • $199 when you renew
  • A flat $199 every year

What to watch

  • A yearly premium of $100 over Connecticut Registered Agent.co
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Our call

3. CT Registered Agent.org: best for owners happy to do their own reports

Local choice$199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year

Third place goes to CT Registered Agent.org, since expect $199 for the formation on top of state fees, and $99 when the agent renews.

You still send in the annual report every year.

Its prices are identical to Connecticut Registered Agent.co's, so either is fine on cost.

What you get

  • Filing made with the state
  • A year of agent service comes with the price

What works

  • First agent year included
  • Then $99 per year
  • A $199 formation fee

What to watch

  • The price leaves out the annual report
  • The EIN application is $99 extra
Visit CT Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3 services, compared

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Connecticut Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit Connecticut Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner 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.
What each company posted on November 13, 2026. These figures leave out Connecticut's $120 fee.

Starting a Connecticut LLC, stage by stage

  1. Stage 1

    Pick a name and make sure it is free

    Do your name search at the Connecticut Secretary of State. Finding a clash now beats a rejected Connecticut filing later.

    Pick a second choice now.

  2. Stage 2

    Line up a 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.

    Any of the services we phone can be your registered agent.

    Check it yourself: We pulled this from cga.ct.gov in October 2026

  3. Stage 3

    Handle it alone or get help

    The state takes $120 regardless. If you hire a service from our list, add $199.

  4. Stage 4

    Time to send in the Certificate of Organization

    Once the Connecticut Secretary of State accepts the Certificate of Organization and $120, the LLC exists. The law behind it is Conn. Gen. Stat. § 34-247. The state lists the wait as Most online filings automatically accepted.

    Check it yourself: We pulled this from business.ct.gov in October 2026

  5. Stage 5

    Ask the IRS for an EIN

    State approval first, IRS number second. This stage is part of what Mainstay Filing sells.

  6. Stage 6

    Write an operating agreement

    Ownership and decision rules go in the operating agreement, a document that lives apart from the Connecticut filing.

  7. Stage 7

    Stay in good standing in Connecticut

    The filing that returns on schedule is the annual report ($80, every year, by on or before March 31).

    Check it yourself: We pulled this from business.ct.gov in October 2026

What this walkthrough costs

StageGoes toPrice
The formation stageState office$120
Annual reportState office$80 every year
A filing service (optional)Your service$199 to start
State fees, years one to threeState office$280
Here is how the three-year state row is built: filing fee, then the report in each of years two and three, then any yearly minimum tax. Service fees get their own rows.

How the scores came out

On three-year bill (32% of the score) finished first, with right behind.

Connecticut Registered Agent.co costs $397 across three years, saving you $200 compared with Mainstay Filing.

What founders ask

What does Connecticut charge to form an LLC?

Budget $120 to file. Service fees on our list run $199.

Which form creates the LLC?

Mail or upload the Certificate of Organization to the Connecticut Secretary of State.

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?

Count on Most online filings automatically accepted.

What does Connecticut require each year?

Send in the annual report every year; it costs $80 and the deadline is on or before March 31.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

You can. The state takes $120 at filing, and the LLC still needs a registered agent on record.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

Phone Connecticut Registered Agent.co, because $199 on top of the state fee, and the first year of agent service is already in there, then $99 a year. After that come Mainstay Filing and CT Registered Agent.org.

Where we got the facts

  1. For Connecticut Secretary of the State, Business Services Division, open business.ct.gov (we last saw it August 2026).
  2. For Connecticut Secretary of the State, Business Services Division, open business.ct.gov (we last saw it August 2026).
  3. For Connecticut yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source, open business.ct.gov (we last saw it October 2026).
  4. For Connecticut report due date, open cga.ct.gov (we last saw it August 2026).
  5. For Connecticut formation fee: Filing fee, official source, open business.ct.gov (we last saw it October 2026).
  6. For Connecticut formation fee: Filing fee, official source, open business.ct.gov (we last saw it October 2026).
  7. For Processing and expedite, official source, open business.ct.gov (we last saw it October 2026).
  8. We opened Connecticut Registered Agent.co's pricing page on November 13, 2026 for the prices
  9. We opened Mainstay Filing's Connecticut service page on November 13, 2026 for the prices
  10. We opened CT Registered Agent.org's pricing page on November 13, 2026 for the prices