Trade Name Certificates

Connecticut State Law requires that anyone conducting business under an assumed name, must file a Trade Name Certificate in the Town Clerk's Office in the town where business is transacted. Unlike business entities filed with the Connecticut Secretary of State's Business Services Division, the filing of a trade name does not create a separate business entity. 

Corporations and Limited Liability Companies filed with the Connecticut Secretary of State's Office may do business under an assumed name other than the registered name of the business, but must file a trade name certificate with the town clerk. Effective July 1, 2019, such application must provide the town clerk with the name of the business, business identification number, and principal office address as reflected on Secretary of State's filing system.

Corporations and Limited Liability Companies doing business under the business name registered with the Office of the Secretary of the State do not need to file a trade name with the town clerk. 

All people who are authorized to sign on behalf of the business must sign their name on the Trade Name Certificate.

Trade Name Application (Natural Persons)      Instructions      Addendum (to be used if 3 or more persons must sign)

Use this form for an original trade name or an amendment filed for a trade name held by one or more natural persons. The term “natural persons” is used here to highlight that these are filed by people/individuals, not business entities. With the exception of phone number, all of the information requested on the form is now mandatory and a town clerk should not accept a filing with missing or inappropriate information.  Phone number has been added as a practical measure in the event the town clerk needs to contact the filer. 

Trade Name Application (Business Organizations)      Instructions

Use this form for an original trade name or an amendment filed by a business organization.  As we move forward, it’s important to now verify that the business exists under the name and business ID as reported to the Secretary and reflected on business.ct.gov.  Business names are unique in the state and the business ID/ALEI (authoritative legal entity identifier) is a unique number given to a business when it forms with the Secretary.  The name and business ID should match exactly what you see on business.ct.gov, which will help you as we move towards a central registry. 

Trade Name Cancelation (All Filer Types)

Use this form if a filer wishes to cancel a trade name prior to expiration. To keep the form simple, we have designed for one person to file and affirm that the filer is authorized to do so.  

Renewal: Under the new law, all trade names will expire 5 years from the date they are filed. Trade names existing prior to January 1, 2025 will expire on December 31, 2029. 

If you would like more information about starting a business in Connecticut, the Department of Consumer Protection has a New Business Checklist Tool available on their website.

For additional information regarding Trade Names, please click here for information from the Connecticut Secretary of the State, Business Services Division.