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Formation ClassClass is in session: LLC paperwork, state by state.

Class session 1 · Connecticut

Connecticut LLC Formation Class (2026): 7 Assignments and the 3 Best LLC Services

Today's class on starting an LLC in Connecticut in 2026 comes with one answer: hire Mainstay Filing ($199), Connecticut Registered Agent.co ($199) and CT Registered Agent.org ($199), in that order. Starting the LLC means 7 assignments and $120 to the state, then the annual report every year.

Taught by the Formation Class faculty

The quick version

State filing fee$120Source for this: business.ct.gov, October 2026
Annual report$80 a yearFiling window per the state: on or before March 31
State fees over three years$280Filing plus the repeating state fees
Assignment count7In order

Class goals

  • The official Connecticut fee and form
  • Who can be the registered agent
  • Upkeep that repeats
  • The services at the top of the class

Who we would hire in Connecticut

The teacher's five criteria are on how we grade, and they decide the order.
Start with this one

1. Mainstay Filing: best for a single bill for filing and upkeep

$199 a year, state fee on top ($319 due at checkout)

Mainstay Filing gets first place, and the reason is that for one yearly fee of $199 the class assignments on filing, registered agent and annual report are all done for you.

Three years here run $200 higher than at Connecticut Registered Agent.co, with more of the work done in return.

Add the annual report to what it does, with Connecticut's $80 passed along at cost.

Covered by the tuition

  • The filing is done for you
  • Registered agent for the whole year
  • Annual report filed on time
  • EIN application included
  • State fee billed at cost

Strengths

  • The renewal holds at $199
  • No extra charge for the EIN application
  • A flat $199 each year

Weak spots

  • Connecticut Registered Agent.co renews for $100 less
One-state plan

2. Connecticut Registered Agent.co: best for owners who plan to stay in Connecticut

$199 and fees, then $99 each year

Second place goes to Connecticut Registered Agent.co, since a formation fee of $199, followed by $99 a year for the agent.

You still file the annual report every year.

Covered by the tuition

  • Formation paperwork handled
  • A year of agent service is part of the price

Strengths

  • $99 yearly from year two
  • No agent fee in year one
  • $199 above the state fee

Weak spots

  • No annual report service on offer
  • It bills $99 for the EIN assignment
One-state plan

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

$199 and fees, then $99 each year

Third place goes to CT Registered Agent.org, since a formation fee of $199, followed by $99 a year for the agent.

You still file the annual report every year.

On price, it is level with Connecticut Registered Agent.co.

Covered by the tuition

  • Formation paperwork handled
  • A year of agent service is part of the price

Strengths

  • $199 above the state fee
  • No agent fee in year one
  • $99 yearly from year two

Weak spots

  • No annual report service on offer
  • It bills $99 for the EIN assignment

Grades and prices together

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit 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.
Taken from each company's price page on November 13, 2026. Each row still needs Connecticut's $120 fee.

The class, assignment by assignment

  1. Assignment
    1

    Choose a name and see whether it is free

    Search the business records kept by the Connecticut Secretary of State first. They show whether the name is already on the Connecticut register.

    A spare name saves a trip back to the board.

  2. Assignment
    2

    Choose your 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.

    You can hire any of the graded services for this.

    Textbook page: Source for this: cga.ct.gov, October 2026

  3. Assignment
    3

    Self-filing versus a service

    Filing on your own costs only the $120 state fee. A service adds $199 and does the forms; see the grades for the order.

  4. Assignment
    4

    Complete, sign and file the Certificate of Organization

    You need three things for this assignment: the Certificate of Organization, $120 and the Connecticut Secretary of State as the place to send them. Statute: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 34-247. The posted turnaround is Most online filings automatically accepted.

    Textbook page: Source for this: business.ct.gov, October 2026

  5. Assignment
    5

    Take care of the EIN

    Approval first, IRS number second. Mainstay Filing files the EIN application as part of the package.

  6. Assignment
    6

    Get the owners' agreement signed

    The operating agreement is where the Connecticut LLC's owners write down who owns what and how decisions get made. The company keeps it; the state never sees it.

  7. Assignment
    7

    Handle Connecticut's recurring filing

    Expect Connecticut to ask for the annual report every year, due on or before March 31, with a fee of $80.

    Textbook page: Source for this: business.ct.gov, October 2026

The bill

EntryGoes toAmount
Filing to form the LLCPaid to the state$120
Annual reportPaid to the state$80 every year
Service fees (optional)Service$199 to start
Three-year state totalPaid to the state$280
Rows for the state use Connecticut's published fee schedules (see the textbook pages beneath the table), and each service row uses that company's own price. Over three years the state row adds the filing, the year-two report, the year-three report and any minimum tax.

How we graded the Connecticut picks

pulled ahead of on homework the price does, which counts for 34%.

Connecticut Registered Agent.co costs less, though the annual report would be your homework.

What students ask

Which Connecticut fees come with a new LLC?

The state's fee is $120. The graded services bill $199 on top.

Which form creates the LLC?

Assignment 4 shows how to fill out the Certificate of Organization and where it goes: 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?

The state posts Most online filings automatically accepted.

What does Connecticut require each year?

Once a year the LLC sends the state its annual report: $80, due on or before March 31.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

The state accepts filings straight from owners, so no service is needed. Expect $120 plus a registered agent.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

The grade order is Mainstay Filing, Connecticut Registered Agent.co and CT Registered Agent.org, and Mainstay Filing is first since you hand in $199 each year and the formation, the registered agent and the annual report are taken care of.

Next class

Textbook pages and extra reading

  1. Extra credit: compare what we say about Connecticut Secretary of the State, Business Services Division with business.ct.gov, last read August 2026.
  2. Extra credit: compare what we say about Connecticut Secretary of the State, Business Services Division with business.ct.gov, last read August 2026.
  3. Extra credit: compare what we say about Connecticut yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source with business.ct.gov, last read October 2026.
  4. Extra credit: compare what we say about Connecticut report due date with cga.ct.gov, last read August 2026.
  5. Extra credit: compare what we say about Connecticut formation fee: Filing fee, official source with business.ct.gov, last read October 2026.
  6. Extra credit: compare what we say about Connecticut formation fee: Filing fee, official source with business.ct.gov, last read October 2026.
  7. Extra credit: compare what we say about Processing and expedite, official source with business.ct.gov, last read October 2026.
  8. Pulled November 13, 2026: Connecticut service page from Mainstay Filing
  9. Pulled November 13, 2026: pricing page from Connecticut Registered Agent.co
  10. Pulled November 13, 2026: pricing page from CT Registered Agent.org