Trade Name Certificates

A Trade Name certificate is required under the Connecticut General Statutes for the purpose of identifying those individuals doing business in the state under a fictitious trade name, i.e., for consumer protection purposes. Any person conducting business under any assumed name shall file a Trade Name Certificate in the town they are doing business in. All people who are authorized to sign on behalf of the business must sign their name on the Trade Name Certificate. (CGS 35-1).

"No person…shall conduct…business in this state under any assumed name or under any designation, name or style, corporate or otherwise, other than the real name or names of the person or persons conducting…such business, unless there has been filed in the office of the town clerk in the town in which such business is…to be conducted a certificate stating the name under which the business is…to be conducted and the full name and post office address of each person conducting…such business or, in the case of a corporation or limited liability company, by an authorized officer thereof, and acknowledged before some authority authorized to administer oaths."

The trade name filing requirement does not apply to:

  • Partnerships, if the partnership name includes the true Surname of at least one of the persons composing said partnership;
  • Limited Partnerships which have registered with the Secretary of State;
  • Limited Liability companies which have registered with the Secretary of State. Certain words related to banks, trusts and savings are prohibited from use. (CGS 35-2)

NOTE: A TRADE NAME CERTIFICATE DOES NOT PROTECT THAT NAME FROM USE BY SOMEONE ELSE.

  • The penalty for failure to file a trade name certificate is $500.00.
  • FILING FEE FOR TRADE NAME CERTIFICATES: $5.00 ***EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2018 the fee will be $10.00

For more info, check the Secretary of the State's website.

The full text of the CT General Statute can be found here.

Click here to get required forms.