Connecticut Certificate of Authority / Agent rules
Choosing the agent in item 14 of the Connecticut application
The foreign corporation applying for a Connecticut certificate of authority names its agent in item 14, and the choices are an adult who lives in Connecticut, a business on the state register with a Connecticut address, or the Secretary of the State; changing agents later costs $50 when the corporation issues shares and $20 when it does not.
The choices side by side
| Choice | Who | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Part A | The Secretary of the State | A corporation with no one in Connecticut |
| Part B | An individual in Connecticut | An officer or employee who lives here |
| Part C | A business with a Connecticut address | Long-term arrangements, commercial agents |
Who is eligible
Any Connecticut resident aged 18 or older may serve. A business entity can serve too, if it is on the office's register and has an address here. Foreign entities may use the Secretary of the State. A Connecticut resident can serve as the agent for their own business.
What an agent does
The office describes an agent as the party that takes in a business's legal and official mail, forwards it, and acts as the formal link between the business and the state. A registered agent is also asked to confirm and update their information when the entity files its annual report. For a corporation that means the agent line is looked at once a year.
Commercial agents
A commercial registered agent is one that has put a commercial listing on file with the office. Such an agent is a firm selling agent services, and cannot be an individual. Registering as a commercial agent lets it use mass agent changes, which matters if you move several entities to or from the same agent. Such an agent fits Part C of the application.
What agent filings cost
| Filing | Stock corporation | Nonstock corporation |
|---|---|---|
| Change of agent | $50 | $20 |
| Change of agent address | $50 | $20 |
| Resignation of agent, no form | $50 | $20 |
What the agent receives
Court papers that start a lawsuit are the obvious item, but the agent is also the channel for legal notices and for official letters from the state. If the agent changes address or retires and nobody files the change, those papers go nowhere. Plan for a yearly check at report time, which is when the office asks the agent to confirm and update their information.
Whose address ends up on the record
The application gives an individual agent's Connecticut addresses to the public record, since the content of every submitted document is public. Asking a colleague to serve means asking them to put a home or work address in public view, on behalf of a company that is not theirs. A business agent or the Secretary of the State avoids that.
Moving between agents
A move from the Secretary of the State to a private agent, or the reverse, is a change of agent. The price is $50 when the corporation issues shares and $20 when it does not.
Choosing
Part A removes the need for a Connecticut contact, but papers go first to the office and reach you only through the contact details on file. Part B suits a corporation that has a resident officer, but the individual must stay in Connecticut and accept the duty, and the application collects their addresses. Part C gives continuity. Whichever you pick, keep the corporation's own contact details current so that papers reach someone.
Questions to ask a prospective agent
Ask whether the business is on the Connecticut register and keeps an address here, how papers are forwarded and how fast, and what it charges for a change of agent. Ask whether it files its own commercial listing. Get the answers in writing and keep them with the corporation's records.
If you want us as agent
We are able to act as your Connecticut agent for a corporation we file for, and the other routes above remain open.
Agent questions
Can a foreign corporation use the Secretary of the State?
Yes. The state says foreign entities may.
Can my own home-state agent serve?
Only if that business is on the Connecticut register and keeps an address in the state.
What does a change of agent cost?
$50 with shares, $20 without.
Our fee, then the Connecticut fee
Get authority in Connecticut
Delaware or any stateConnecticut
$199
+ $385 Connecticut fee
- The Application for Certificate of Authority, completed from what you tell us
- Home-state proof of existence, ordered if the filing needs it
- A Connecticut agent: ours, the Secretary of the State, or a person you already trust
- The filing, then your annual report dates
- Renewal: after the first year, the agent service renews at $149 a year
Our fee and the Connecticut fee show as separate lines at checkout. A nonstock corporation pays less, and an LLC pays its own fee. $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 stock corporation forms and fees
- Connecticut Secretary of the State, Application for Certificate of Authority, foreign corporation (PDF)
- Business.CT.gov, foreign annual report forms and fees
- Business.CT.gov, foreign LLC forms and fees
- Business.CT.gov, foreign nonstock corporation forms and fees
- Business.CT.gov, who can be an agent for my business
Need authority to operate in Connecticut?
Give us the entity type and its home state. We prepare the application and settle the agent details.