Checking a Connecticut business should not leave you guessing. The state runs a free public search that confirms whether a company is real, registered, and current on its filings. This guide shows you how to use it and what every result means.
What Is the Connecticut Business Entity Search?
The Connecticut business entity search is the free public tool for looking up any business registered with the Connecticut Secretary of the State. It runs through Business.CT.gov, the state’s official business portal. You use it to check name availability, confirm an entity’s status, find its registered agent, and review its filing history.
Connecticut’s office is officially the Secretary of the State, though most people search for it as the Connecticut Secretary of State. As of 2026, Stephanie Thomas is the 75th Secretary of the State, sworn in on January 4, 2023, per the Secretary of the State’s office. Her Business Services Division runs the search. Business.CT.gov is a shared hub: it spans Secretary of the State filings, the Department of Revenue Services (DRS) for taxes, and the Department of Labor (DOL) for employer services, according to Business.CT.gov.
| Detail | What to know | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tool | Business Records Search at service.ct.gov | Secretary of the State |
| Cost | Free public search | Business.CT.gov |
| Search by | Business name, ALEI (Authoritative Legal Entity Identifier), or filing number | Business.CT.gov |
| Coverage | Domestic (CT-formed) and foreign (out-of-state) entities | Business.CT.gov |
| Run by | Secretary of the State’s Business Services Division | Business.CT.gov |
| Portal | Business.CT.gov, spanning SOTS, DRS, and DOL services | Business.CT.gov |
How Do I Search Connecticut Business Records?
Open the Business Records Search tool, type a full or partial business name, then refine with the exact-name option or Advanced Search. You can also search by ALEI or filing number. The tool covers both Connecticut-formed and foreign entities on record, per the Secretary of the State’s Business Records Search instructions.
- Open the Connecticut Business Records Search on Business.CT.gov.
- Enter a full or partial business name.
- Tick the exact-name option to match a precise legal name.
- Use Advanced Search to filter by entity type before you search. For an LLC search, pick the LLC entity type in the dropdown. For a corporation search, choose the stock or nonstock corporation type.
- Search by ALEI or filing number when you already have the ID.
The tool is a JavaScript app, so it can load slowly. Give it a moment before assuming an entity is missing.
What Does a Connecticut Business Search Result Show?
Each record shows the entity’s ALEI, legal name, status, principal office address, registered agent, and filing history. The ALEI (Authoritative Legal Entity Identifier) is Connecticut’s unique ID for the business, assigned at formation and separate from any federal or state tax ID, per Business.CT.gov.
| Field | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| ALEI | The entity’s unique Connecticut identifier, used to search and file |
| Legal name | The exact registered name of the entity |
| Status | Whether the entity may legally operate |
| Principal office address | Where the business is headquartered |
| Registered agent | Who accepts legal service for the entity |
| Filing history | Formation and annual report filings on record |
| NAICS code | The industry classification, where the record stores one |
Source: Business Records Search, Business.CT.gov.
What Do Connecticut Entity Statuses Mean?
A status tells you whether an entity may legally operate. Connecticut shows active entities alongside distress signals, and it administratively dissolves (forfeits) businesses that fall behind on filings. Check the status before you sign a contract with or invest in any company.
| Status or notice | What it means | What to do | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active | The entity is registered and authorized to operate | Confirm its annual reports are current | Business.CT.gov |
| Notice of Intent to Dissolve or Revoke | Still active, but a required filing is missing; 90 days to cure | File the missing report within 90 days | Secretary of the State |
| Forfeited (administratively dissolved) | An annual report went unfiled for more than one year; the name is released for reuse | Reinstate before relying on the entity | Business.CT.gov |
| Certificate of Dissolution or Revocation | The document confirming the entity was dissolved or its authority revoked | Treat the entity as no longer authorized | Secretary of the State |
Connecticut administratively dissolves an entity when its annual report is more than one year past due, under Conn. Gen. Stat. §34-267g for LLCs, §33-890 for stock corporations, §33-1181 for nonstock corporations, §34-422 for LLPs, and §34-32b for limited partnerships, per the reasons for administrative dissolutions on Business.CT.gov.
How Do I Check Business Name Availability in Connecticut?
Search the Business Records Search and the trade name records; if no identical or confusingly similar name appears, the name is likely available. The search is a first check, not a guarantee, because the final call happens at filing. Connecticut requires new names to be distinguishable from existing ones and to carry the right designator, such as “LLC” or “Inc.”
You can hold an available name before you form the entity. A name reservation on Form BUS-002 costs $60.00 and stays effective for 120 days from the filing date, with no renewal on the form, per the Application for Reservation of Name on Business.CT.gov.
How Do I Get a Certificate of Legal Existence in Connecticut?
Connecticut issues a Certificate of Legal Existence, its version of what other states call a Certificate of Good Standing. You order it through Business.CT.gov for a fee, and it confirms the entity exists and is current on its filings. Banks, lenders, and licensing agencies often require it before they work with you.
To order one, sign in to Business.CT.gov, open the entity’s record, and select the certificate request. The state publishes the current fee and processing time on the portal, so confirm both on Business.CT.gov before you file. The certificate only issues cleanly when the entity is up to date on annual reports, so clear any distressed status first.
What Other Business Searches Does Connecticut Offer?
Connecticut offers four public searches, not one. All four sit under the Business Search menu on Business.CT.gov. The UCC lien search matters most for due diligence, because it reveals whether a business’s assets are pledged to secured creditors.
| Search | What it finds | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Business records | Registered entities, status, registered agent, filings | Business.CT.gov |
| Trade names (DBAs) | Fictitious “doing business as” names companies operate under | Business.CT.gov |
| Trademarks | State-registered marks | Business.CT.gov |
| UCC lien records | Uniform Commercial Code liens showing assets pledged to creditors | Business.CT.gov |
How Do I Verify a Connecticut Business Is Legitimate?
Confirm the entity shows an active status in the Business Records Search, check that the registered agent and principal address match what the counterparty claims, review the filing history for missed reports, run a UCC lien search, and verify any required license through the state’s license verification tool.
- Confirm the entity is Active, not forfeited, revoked, or withdrawn.
- Match the registered agent and principal office address against what the business tells you.
- Read the filing history for gaps; missed annual reports signal distress.
- Run a UCC lien search to see whether assets are pledged to secured creditors.
- Verify any professional or business license separately, since a registered entity can still be unlicensed for its activity.
- For an out-of-state company operating in Connecticut, confirm it registered as a foreign entity, not just formed elsewhere.
When Is the Connecticut Annual Report Due?
Every Connecticut LLC, corporation, LLP, LP, and nonprofit must file an annual report with the Secretary of the State, and the due date and fee vary by entity type on Business.CT.gov. Confirm your exact date and fee on the annual report filing page. Miss the deadline, and the state starts the dissolution clock.
| Stage | Trigger | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Notice of Intent to Dissolve or Revoke | A required filing, often an overdue annual report, is missing; 90 days to cure | Secretary of the State |
| Administrative dissolution (forfeiture) | Annual report unfiled for more than one year | Business.CT.gov |
| Name released | After forfeiture, the entity name becomes available for reuse | Business.CT.gov |
This is the causal chain behind a distressed status in the search. A missed report triggers the notice, and a report more than one year past due triggers forfeiture under the statutes above. Filing on time keeps the entity in good standing.
How Commenda Helps With Connecticut Business Registration and Compliance
Connecticut compliance is a moving target: annual report deadlines, registered agent duties, and a 90-day window to cure a Notice of Intent before your entity forfeits its status. Commenda’s entity management platform handles formation filings, registered agent service, annual report deadlines, and good-standing monitoring for Connecticut and every other state you operate in. Forming a new entity? Start with Commenda incorporation.
Use our compliance calendar to track every Connecticut filing deadline in one place, and our company name checker to test a name before you file. Book a demo to get a good-standing review of your entities so you close the laptop knowing every report is filed on time.
