No.1
Number one here
1. Mainstay Filing: best for businesses active in several states
$199 for the registration work and the state's fee besides, $319 payable at checkout; the agent is $149 yearly after year one
Score9.3out of 10
First place: Mainstay Filing. $199 covers the Connecticut registration and the registered agent role is free the first year, then $149 annually.
The first agent year costs nothing; later years are $149 each, in this state or any other.
Its three-year total exceeds Connecticut Registered Agent.co's by $100; the broader coverage outweighs that difference in our scoring.
In the price
- The registration prepared and lodged on your behalf
- Year one as your registered agent, at no charge
- Same-business-day scanning of legal papers served, free of charge
Why pick it
- Year-one registered agent service costs nothing
- A $199 service charge, with the state's fee added
- One price in each of the fifty states
- Service of process on the company scanned within the same business day, no charge
Weak spots
- The agent is $149 a year after year one, $50 more than Connecticut Registered Agent.co
No.2
Low renewal
2. Connecticut Registered Agent.co: best for companies that only add Connecticut
$199 for the registration work and the state's fee besides; the agent is $99 yearly after year one
Score8.9out of 10
Second place: Connecticut Registered Agent.co. The Connecticut registration costs $199 with the first agent year included, and $99 a year follows.
An in-state street address serves as the registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.
In the price
- Filing with the state
- One year of registered agent service at the start
Why pick it
- Registration at $199, with the state fee extra
- Afterward, $99 a year keeps the agent
- Covers the first year of registered agent service
Weak spots
- Serves Connecticut only; the home state needs its own agent
- The EIN application carries a separate fee ($99)
No.3
Best value here
3. CT Registered Agent.org: best for Connecticut registrations only
$199 for the registration work and the state's fee besides; the agent is $99 yearly after year one
Score8.8out of 10
Third place: CT Registered Agent.org. The Connecticut registration costs $199 with the first agent year included, and $99 a year follows.
An in-state street address serves as the registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.
The published prices and features of Connecticut Registered Agent.co and CT Registered Agent.org are identical, which makes the order between them close.
In the price
- Filing with the state
- One year of registered agent service at the start
Why pick it
- $199 to register, state fee on top
- Agent charge of $99 a year after the first
- Includes your registered agent for the first year
Weak spots
- Serves Connecticut only; the home state needs its own agent
- The EIN application carries a separate fee ($99)
The 3 rulings in brief
| Rank | Provider | Ruling score | Service charge | Year two | Suited to | Link |
|---|
| 1 | Mainstay Filing | 9.3 | $199 | $149/yr | Businesses spread over several states | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
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| 2 | Connecticut Registered Agent.co | 8.9 | $199 | $99/yr | The lowest agent renewal on this list | Visit Connecticut Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
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| 3 | CT Registered Agent.org | 8.8 | $199 | $99/yr | The lowest agent renewal on this list | Visit CT Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
The Startup Judge assigns each score out of 10 itself, applying the criteria on
How we rank; no customer ratings are used.
Connecticut foreign registration service charges in 2026: year one, renewals and the three-year total
| Provider | Year one | Year two | Year three | Total over three years | Agent covered in year one |
|---|
| Mainstay Filing | $199 | $149 | $149 | $497 | Free |
|---|
| Connecticut Registered Agent.co | $199 | $99 | $99 | $397 | Included |
|---|
| CT Registered Agent.org | $199 | $99 | $99 | $397 | Included |
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Each charge was taken from the provider's own pages on November 12, 2026. Connecticut's $120 registration fee is payable in addition to every row below and is not in the totals.
The basis for the order
The Startup Judge weighs charge over three years at 31% and work taken off the founder at 31%; renewal conduct, fit with local rules and pricing in plain sight divide the remaining 38%. In Connecticut, work taken off the founder was the criterion that tipped it.
A second-state registration involves two jurisdictions. One provider at one price in both earned the higher coverage score, ahead of Connecticut Registered Agent.co.
Each criterion and its weight appear on How we rank.
Foreign LLC registration in Connecticut: the form, the office and the fee
Registration is lodged with the Connecticut Secretary of the State, Business Services Division using the Foreign Registration Statement, Limited Liability. The state fee is $120. Connecticut also requires certificate of existence (certificate of good standing) from the state of formation, issued no more than 90 days before the filing.
Once registered, the company's recurring filing is the annual report, priced at $80, with a due date of between January 1 and March 31.
Items to gather before filing
- Certificate of existence (certificate of good standing) from the state of formation, no older than 90 days at filing.
- The exact legal name registered in the home state, along with the date it was formed.
- A registered agent whose street address is in the state. Any provider on this page can fill the role.
- The $120 state fee, remitted with the application.
- A date in your calendar for the annual report, which carries a $80 fee.
Consequences of operating in Connecticut unregistered
Fees for the unregistered period are owed too.
Questions on Connecticut foreign registration services
Is an out-of-state LLC required to register in Connecticut?
Yes, as soon as it conducts business there.
What will foreign registration in Connecticut run in total?
The state fee is $120; service charges run $199.
Must the home state vouch for the company before Connecticut accepts it?
It must. Certificate of existence (certificate of good standing) from the state of formation, issued no more than 90 days before filing accompanies the application.
Is a registered agent still needed after the company is registered?
Yes. A registered agent with a street address in the state stays on file for as long as the registration lasts.
Which foreign registration services were heard in this ranking?
Mainstay Filing ($199), Connecticut Registered Agent.co ($199) and CT Registered Agent.org ($199), ruled upon in that order.
Which foreign registration service does the record favor in Connecticut?
Mainstay Filing, since $199 is added to the state fee in any state, and the first year as registered agent is included.
The record
- Connecticut Secretary of the State, Business Services Division, on the record as of August 2026
- Connecticut Secretary of the State, Business Services Division, on the record as of August 2026
- Connecticut yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source, on the record as of October 2026
- Connecticut report due date, on the record as of August 2026
- Connecticut formation fee: Filing fee, official source, on the record as of October 2026
- Connecticut formation fee: Filing fee, official source, on the record as of October 2026
- Foreign LLC forms and fees, Business.CT.gov, on the record as of October 2026
- Foreign Registration Statement form, on the record as of October 2026
- Foreign investigations penalties, on the record as of October 2026
- Who can be an agent, on the record as of October 2026
- Foreign annual report forms and fees, on the record as of October 2026
- Exhibit: Mainstay Filing, Connecticut service page, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: Connecticut Registered Agent.co, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: CT Registered Agent.org, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026