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LLC Straight Talk What it costs, what you have to file, who's worth paying.

No fluff · Connecticut

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Connecticut (2026), No Fluff

Our 2026 ranking of foreign registration services in Connecticut runs Mainstay Filing ($199), CT Registered Agent.org ($199) and Connecticut Registered Agent.co ($199). Here's the money: $120 to the state, $397 to $497 to a service across three years.
Straight from the LLC Straight Talk editorial team

The short of it

The short of it
What the state charges to register
$120
Bring a home-state certificate?
Yes (90 day age cap)
Once you're registered
$80, annual report
Who we'd use
Mainstay Filing, CT Registered Agent.org then Connecticut Registered Agent.co

Connecticut: our ranking

Prices come from each company's own page. Here's how we judge.

#1 Who we'd call first

1. Mainstay Filing: best for adding states down the road

$199 to register, $149 a year for the agent after

Mainstay Filing is who we'd use first in Connecticut, because you pay $199 on top of the state fee, the registered agent costs nothing in year one, and after that it's $149.

The extra $100 over CT Registered Agent.org across three years pays for coverage outside Connecticut.

You don't pay for the registered agent the first year. From year two, it's $149 annually wherever you registered.

What you get

  • Registration, start to finish
  • Registered agent, waived for the first year
  • The same fee no matter the state

Pluses

  • No registered agent fee in year one
  • The price doesn't change by state
  • $199 over the state fee

What's not

  • Agent renews at $149, $50 above CT Registered Agent.org
Check Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
#2 Connecticut specialist

2. CT Registered Agent.org: best for adding this state and no others

$199 to register, $99 a year for the agent after

Add up three years of its service fees and you've got $397. That puts CT Registered Agent.org second.

What you get

  • Registration filed
  • The first agent year's on them

Pluses

  • Year one of the agent comes with it
  • Agent renews at $99
  • $199 plus the state fee

What's not

  • Connecticut only, so your home state needs another agent
Check CT Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
#3 Connecticut specialist

3. Connecticut Registered Agent.co: best for another in-state choice

$199 to register, $99 a year for the agent after

Add up three years of its service fees and you've got $397. That puts Connecticut Registered Agent.co third.

Its prices match CT Registered Agent.org exactly, so the order between them's a close call.

What you get

  • Registration filed
  • The first agent year's on them

Pluses

  • Agent renews at $99
  • $199 plus the state fee
  • Year one of the agent comes with it

What's not

  • Connecticut only, so your home state needs another agent
Check Connecticut Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Side by side

#WhoFirst yearThen3 yearsWhat you get
1 Mainstay Filing $199$149/yr$497Registration, start to finish; registered agent, waived for the first year; the same fee no matter the state Check Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 CT Registered Agent.org $199$99/yr$397registration filed; The first agent year's on them Check CT Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 Connecticut Registered Agent.co $199$99/yr$397registration filed; The first agent year's on them Check Connecticut Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Prices as of November 13, 2026. The state's own fees are in the checklist below.

The questions that matter

When does an out-of-state LLC have to register?

Before your LLC does business in Connecticut. You register with the Connecticut Secretary of the State, Business Services Division, then you start working.

An unregistered LLC risks back fees for the unregistered months.

business.ct.gov, confirmed October 2026, if you don't believe us

What's it cost to register?

Figure $120 to the state and $199 if you hire help.

By year three the state has collected $280. business.ct.gov, confirmed October 2026, if you don't believe us

Which form, and who gets it?

You file the Foreign Registration Statement, Limited Liability with the Connecticut Secretary of the State, Business Services Division, and that single filing registers the LLC.

Attach certificate of existence (certificate of good standing) from the state of formation issued within the last 90 days.

Is there a filing that repeats?

Expect the annual report: $80.

Per the state, it's due Between January 1 and March 31.

What put number one on top?

Mainstay Filing scores best on jobs the price actually covers, and that test is worth 30%.

Two tests carry most of the weight: money out the door in three years (35%) and jobs the price actually covers (30%).

An out-of-state LLC already works in two states, and the first pick can cover both.

How we judge

Connecticut registration rules, with sources

WhatDetailCheck it
Fee to register $120business.ct.gov, confirmed October 2026, if you don't believe us
Good standing certificate Yes, 90 daysbusiness.ct.gov, confirmed October 2026, if you don't believe us
Annual report $80business.ct.gov, confirmed October 2026, if you don't believe us
State fees, years one to three $280The rows above, added up

The last row is our math, not the state's: filing fee, plus the reports in years two and three, plus any minimum tax. If a cost has no fixed amount, like a newspaper notice, it's explained above and left out.

More questions

Do I still need an agent at home?

Yes. Your home state has its own agent rule, and Mainstay Filing can cover both states from one account.

What's the three-year damage for each?

Mainstay Filing will set you back $497, and CT Registered Agent.org will set you back $397, and Connecticut Registered Agent.co will set you back $397, with state fees on top.

Where do these numbers come from?

Each state fee links to its official page, and each service price comes from the company's own site.

Do I have to use a service?

No law says you need a service. It's a convenience you pay for.

Will a service file it for me?

All of them do, so the service fee's the only difference.

Who should I use for a foreign registration service in Connecticut?

Mainstay Filing, because there's one fee, $199, whatever state you're registering in, and the registered agent is waived for the first year. After that, CT Registered Agent.org and Connecticut Registered Agent.co.

Keep reading

Don't take our word for it

  1. Don't take our word on Connecticut Secretary of the State: business.ct.gov, August 2026, is where it's from, no filter
  2. Don't take our word on Connecticut Secretary of the State: business.ct.gov, August 2026, is where it's from, no filter
  3. Don't take our word on Connecticut yearly filing: Annual report: business.ct.gov, October 2026, is where it's from, no filter
  4. Don't take our word on Connecticut report due date: cga.ct.gov, August 2026, is where it's from, no filter
  5. Don't take our word on Connecticut formation fee: Filing fee: business.ct.gov, October 2026, is where it's from, no filter
  6. Don't take our word on Connecticut formation fee: Filing fee: business.ct.gov, October 2026, is where it's from, no filter
  7. Don't take our word on Foreign LLC forms and fees: business.ct.gov, October 2026, is where it's from, no filter
  8. Don't take our word on Foreign Registration Statement form: business.ct.gov, October 2026, is where it's from, no filter
  9. Don't take our word on Foreign investigations penalties: business.ct.gov, October 2026, is where it's from, no filter
  10. Don't take our word on Who can be an agent: business.ct.gov, October 2026, is where it's from, no filter
  11. Don't take our word on Foreign annual report forms and: business.ct.gov, October 2026, is where it's from, no filter
  12. Mainstay Filing Connecticut service page, read November 13, 2026
  13. CT Registered Agent.org pricing page, read November 13, 2026
  14. Connecticut Registered Agent.co pricing page, read November 13, 2026