Connecticut Registered Agent Requirements

Every Connecticut LLC must continuously maintain a registered agent, the party authorized to receive service of process and official state mail on the company's behalf. The governing statute is Conn. Gen. Stat. § 34-243n, and the agent is named when you file the Certificate of Organization (the appointment is included in the $120 filing fee). For the formation process, see our LLC guide.

Who Can Serve Under § 34-243n

Connecticut's statute lists the eligible agents precisely:

• A natural person who resides in Connecticut
• A Connecticut corporation
• A foreign corporation holding a certificate of authority
• An LLC or a registered foreign LLC
• A Connecticut or authorized foreign LLP
• A Connecticut or registered foreign statutory trust

Whoever you pick must sign to accept the appointment. Connecticut will not record an agent who has not agreed to the job, and the same acceptance rule applies later if you ever switch agents.

The Address Rules

Under § 34-243n(e) the agent "shall have a place of business in this state." In practice the state's forms require two addresses:

• A Connecticut street address (a business or residence address; a PO box is not acceptable here)
• A Connecticut mailing address, where a PO box is fine

Both must be in Connecticut. The addresses go on the public record and stay searchable in the state's business registry.

Can the LLC Be Its Own Agent? The Two-Part Answer

This is where Connecticut gets misquoted, so take it in two halves:

• The LLC itself cannot be named. The Secretary of the State frames the entity option as any other registered business entity with a Connecticut address, so your company cannot appoint itself.
• An individual owner can serve personally. A member or manager who is a Connecticut resident may sign the acceptance and act as the agent, listing their own Connecticut street address.

So a solo founder who lives in Connecticut can run a fully self-contained setup; the one thing the law rules out is putting the company's own name in the agent box.

What the Agent Receives

• Service of process (lawsuits, subpoenas) against the LLC
• Secretary of the State notices, including annual report reminders
• Department of Revenue Services correspondence
• Other official government mail

The agent should be reachable at the registered address during normal business hours; a missed lawsuit can end in a default judgment.

Fees Connected to the Agent

One quirk worth knowing: the annual report cannot be used to change your agent. A switch requires the separate BUS-09 filing, with the incoming agent's acceptance.

Why Many Owners Hire an Agent Anyway

• Privacy. Serve personally and your street address sits in Connecticut's public business registry, searchable by anyone.
• Coverage. A commercial agent is staffed every business day, so a process server never finds an empty address.
• Reminders. We flag the January 1 to March 31 annual report window before it closes, which matters in a state where an overdue report blocks your Certificate of Legal Existence.

FAQ

Can I be my own registered agent in Connecticut?

Personally, yes, if you are a Connecticut resident with a Connecticut street address and you sign the acceptance. Your LLC as an entity, no; the state does not allow a company to name itself.

What happens if my agent resigns?

Appoint a replacement promptly with a BUS-09 filing ($50). An LLC that fails to maintain an agent invites missed lawsuits and, eventually, administrative action by the state.