Unlock new opportunities for your business in Connecticut by obtaining a Certificate of Legal Existence. Explore our comprehensive guide to understand its importance and learn how this document can enhance your company's reputation and operations.
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Starts at $0 + state fees and only takes 5-10 minutes
As a business owner, you may have to prove your entity’s legal existence, tax compliance, and history from time to time. For all these purposes, a Connecticut Certificate of Legal Existence, also referred to as a Certificate of Good Standing in some states, can come in handy.
A Certificate of Legal Existence verifies your entity’s registration with the Connecticut Secretary of State’s office. The document proves that your business is compliant with legal requirements and authorized to carry out operations in the state. It also shows that you’re up-to-date with all required filings, including annual reports and tax returns.
The Secretary of the State (SOS) issues this certificate after checking your business ID and name as they appear in official records. The application process is straightforward. You can visit the official government portal to complete the filing.
You may also print the form and mail it directly to the office of the SOS with a cover letter. This requires a $50 fee to process the certificate in three to five business days. You may expedite the process with an alternate payment of $100 to $130.
If you don’t have time or need help to file your Connecticut Certificate of Legal Existence, you can read about our Certificate of Good Standing service and see how it can help you.
The certificate is a one-page legal document that carries the state seal. It both proves your legal existence in the state and verifies your adherence to state law.
You can register your business with the SOS as a Connecticut limited liability company (LLC), limited liability partnership (LLP), or corporation to get this certificate. If you have no outstanding tax liabilities or delayed annual reports, your certificate should be issued without any complications. The document includes vital information such as:
A Connecticut Certificate of Legal Existence can be necessary for several reasons. Here are a few of them:
According to the Connecticut SOS, any business entity registered with the office can apply for a Certificate of Legal Existence.
LLCs and corporations can get a Certificate of Legal Existence. Statutory trusts, along with religious corporations or societies, also require registration in the state and therefore are eligible to obtain the certificate.
If your business isn’t registered with the SOS, such as a sole proprietorship, the certificate isn’t available.
Following the online process, you can file for a Certificate of Legal Existence. It involves these steps:
Before applying for the certificate, you must ensure that your business entity has no outstanding taxes or Connecticut annual reports. Obtain the local, state, and federal permits or licenses before registering the entity and keep them up to date.
You need an account with the Connecticut Secretary of the State portal to apply for a Certificate of Legal Existence in the state. Sign in to the portal and request the certificate by choosing the relevant fields.
You may choose between express, short-form, or long-form certificates on the website. The short-form certificate reflects name changes, while a long-form is issued for domestic use only. Select the number of copies you need.
Make the payment of $50 and expedited service fee, if applicable, using your credit card information. Submit the completed form online or print a copy and mail it to:
The Office of the Secretary of the State of Connecticut, Commercial Recording DivisionP.O. Box 150470Hartford, CT 06115-0470
In Connecticut, the Certificate of Legal Existence is valid for 90 days following issuance. In some cases, requesting parties will ask for a certificate that’s been issued more recently than that (for example, they might require a certificate issued within the last 30 or 60 days).
Once you download or receive your Certificate of Legal Existence from the Connecticut Secretary of State, promptly send it to the party that originally requested it to ensure your document fits its time window.
Compliance may not be simple to keep up with, especially when considering all the other aspects that make a business go round. At ZenBusiness, we understand that your business needs don’t stop after the business has been registered. ZenBusiness can help keep you in good standing with our worry-free compliance service. With this service, we not only help keep your business in compliance, but we can also secure a Connecticut Certificate of Legal Standing for you if you need one; you just pay the state fees. And, if you don’t have the worry-free compliance but still need a Certificate of Legal Existence, our Certificate of Good Standing service can help.
You have to pay $50 to obtain the certificate for your professional corporation, LLC, or LP. A fee of $40 is required for LLPs and statutory trusts.
Routine processing takes up to five business days. You can choose expedited services if you need the certificate promptly.
Yes, you can expedite your request; expedited requests carry a fee of $100 for express certificates and $130 for short-form certificates.
No. However, to obtain this certificate you must be compliant.
Disclaimer: The content on this page is for information purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, or accounting advice. If you have specific questions about any of these topics, seek the counsel of a licensed professional.
Written by Team ZenBusiness
ZenBusiness has helped people start, run, and grow over 700,000 dream companies. The editorial team at ZenBusiness has over 20 years of collective small business publishing experience and is composed of business formation experts who are dedicated to empowering and educating entrepreneurs about owning a company.
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