What is a DBA in Connecticut?

In Connecticut a DBA is a trade name, a public filing that lets a person or company do business under a name different from the owner's legal name. You register it by filing a trade name certificate with the town clerk of the town where the business is principally transacted (Conn. Gen. Stat. Sec. 35-1a). It connects the name to you on the public record. It does not create a separate legal entity, protect the name, or limit your liability.

What is the difference between a DBA and an LLC in Connecticut?

In Connecticut a DBA (trade name) is only a name registration you file with the town clerk; it creates no new entity and gives no liability protection. A Connecticut LLC is a separate legal entity you form by filing a Certificate of Organization with the Secretary of the State, and it shields the owners' personal assets. You can have both, since an existing LLC can file a trade name to run a brand under another name. Choose based on whether you need liability protection or just a name.

Where do I file a DBA in Connecticut and how much does it cost?

You file a trade name certificate with the town clerk of the town where your business is or will be principally transacted, not with the state (Conn. Gen. Stat. Sec. 35-1a). The state sets the fee: a trade name filing with the town clerk is $20 under Conn. Gen. Stat. Sec. 7-34a, and the clerk can add $5 to acknowledge your signature before a notary. The Hartford clerk, for example, records a trade name application for $20.

Do I have to publish my DBA in a newspaper in Connecticut?

No. Connecticut does not require you to publish a trade name in a newspaper. Recording the trade name certificate with the town clerk is the public notice, so there is no publication step and no affidavit of publication to file (Conn. Gen. Stat. Sec. 35-1a). You use the form prescribed by the Secretary of the State and file it with your town clerk.

How long does a DBA last in Connecticut and when do I renew it?

A Connecticut trade name certificate is valid for five years from the date it is issued (Conn. Gen. Stat. Sec. 35-1a). To keep using the name you renew it with the same town clerk before it expires. Certificates that were on file before January 1, 2025 expire December 31, 2029 unless renewed. Track your five-year date and file a new certificate if an owner, address, or the name changes.

Do I need a DBA in Connecticut?

You generally need a Connecticut trade name certificate if you regularly transact business under a name different from the legal name of the person or entity that owns it. The certificate is filed with the town clerk of the town where the business is principally transacted (Conn. Gen. Stat. Sec. 35-1a). Filing puts the owner behind the name on the public record before you open accounts or sign contracts under it.

Does a Connecticut DBA protect my business name or limit my liability?

No. A Connecticut trade name certificate is a public record connecting a name to the person using it, but it gives no ownership of or exclusive right to the name, so another business could use a similar name. It also creates no separate legal entity, so a sole proprietor filing a trade name remains personally liable. For exclusive name rights you would seek a trademark, and for liability protection you would form an LLC or corporation.

Does a Connecticut trade name certificate need to be notarized?

Yes. In Connecticut the trade name application must be signed and acknowledged before a notary or other authority qualified to administer oaths before you file it with the town clerk (Conn. Gen. Stat. Sec. 35-1a). Many town clerks can notarize the signature at the counter for a small fee. The form itself is prescribed by the Secretary of the State and lists the trade name and each owner's legal name and address.

How to File a DBA in Connecticut

In Connecticut a DBA is a trade name certificate filed with your town clerk for a $20 fee, with no newspaper publication and a five-year term. Attorney review available.

Find out where you stand in Connecticut

What kind of business is registering the name?

DocDraft provides document preparation, not legal advice.

Introduction

Connecticut registers a DBA at the town level, filed with your town clerk rather than a county or the state; called a trade name, it lets a person or business use a name different from the owner's legal name and creates no separate legal entity. Connecticut does not file DBAs with a state business registry. You file a trade name certificate, on a form prescribed by the Secretary of the State, with the town clerk of the town where your business is or will be principally transacted (Conn. Gen. Stat. Sec. 35-1a, which replaced former Sec. 35-1 effective January 1, 2025). The state sets a single filing fee: a trade name filing with the town clerk is $20 under Conn. Gen. Stat. Sec. 7-34a, and the clerk can add $5 to acknowledge your signature before a notary. As an example, the Hartford town and city clerk records a trade name application for the $20 fee. Filing a trade name does not create a corporation or an LLC, does not shield the owner from liability, and does not give a trademark or an exclusive right to the name. Connecticut does not require you to publish a trade name in a newspaper; recording the certificate with the town clerk is the public notice. A Connecticut trade name certificate is valid for five years from the date it is issued, and you renew it with the town clerk to keep using the name (Conn. Gen. Stat. Sec. 35-1a); certificates issued before January 1, 2025 expire December 31, 2029 unless renewed. DocDraft builds your Connecticut trade name certificate from your facts, with attorney review available before you file.

Key Things to Know

1
Connecticut calls a DBA a trade name and files it with the town clerk of the town where you do business, not a county or state agency. It is a business name different from the owner's legal name, and it creates no separate legal entity.
2
You file a trade name certificate with the town clerk of the town where your business is or will be principally transacted, on a form prescribed by the Secretary of the State (Conn. Gen. Stat. Sec. 35-1a). Connecticut files trade names at the town level, not with the state.
3
The filing fee is set by state law. A trade name filing with the town clerk is $20 under Conn. Gen. Stat. Sec. 7-34a, and the clerk can add $5 to acknowledge your signature before a notary. Hartford, for example, records a trade name application for $20.
4
Connecticut does not require newspaper publication of a trade name. Recording the certificate with the town clerk is the public notice, so there is no publication step and no affidavit of publication to file.
5
A Connecticut trade name certificate is valid for five years from the date it is issued (Conn. Gen. Stat. Sec. 35-1a). You renew it with the town clerk to keep using the name; certificates issued before January 1, 2025 expire December 31, 2029 unless renewed.
6
A trade name does not give you any ownership of or exclusive right to the name, and it does not limit your liability. A sole proprietor with a trade name is still personally responsible for the business.
7
The application must be signed and acknowledged before a notary or other authority qualified to administer oaths, and it must give the trade name and the legal name and address of each owner (Conn. Gen. Stat. Sec. 35-1a).

Key decisions before you file

Before you file a DBA (Doing Business As) in Connecticut, a few decisions shape the document: which option to choose and what each one means. The DBA (Doing Business As) guide walks through them.

Open the DBA (Doing Business As) guide

Customize your DBA (Doing Business As) Template with DocDraft

CONNECTICUT TRADE NAME CERTIFICATE (CONNECTICUT DBA) (Filed with the town clerk under Connecticut General Statutes section 35-1a)

This certificate registers a trade name, commonly called a DBA, under which the registrant named below will conduct business in Connecticut. It is filed on a form prescribed by the Secretary of the State with the town clerk of the town where the business is principally transacted, not with a state business registry.

Trade Name. The trade name being registered is [ASSUMED NAME]. The name does not include a word such as Corporation, Incorporated, LLC, or Limited unless the registrant is in fact that type of entity.
Town of Filing. The business is or will be principally transacted in the town of [TOWN], Connecticut, and this certificate is filed with the [TOWN] town clerk. If the business is transacted in more than one town, a certificate is filed with the clerk of each such town.
Registrant. The full legal name of the registrant is [REGISTRANT LEGAL NAME], with residence or business address [REGISTRANT ADDRESS]. The registrant is [an individual / a general partnership / a limited liability company / a corporation / other]. If the registrant is an entity, its state of organization is [STATE].
Additional Owners. Each additional owner who will use the trade name is [NAME AND ADDRESS OF EACH ADDITIONAL OWNER, OR STATE NONE]. For a general partnership, every partner is listed.
Nature of Business. The general type of business conducted under the trade name is [DESCRIBE THE BUSINESS].
Principal Address. The street address of the principal place of business is [STREET ADDRESS, CITY, CT ZIP].
Filing and Fee. The registrant files this certificate with the [TOWN] town clerk and pays the state-set fee. A trade name filing is $20 under Connecticut General Statutes section 7-34a, and the clerk can add $5 to acknowledge the signature before a notary. As an example, the Hartford town and city clerk records a trade name application for the $20 fee.
Publication. Connecticut does not require publication of a trade name in a newspaper. Recording this certificate with the town clerk is the public notice, so there is no publication step or affidavit of publication.
Term, Acknowledgment, and Declaration. This certificate is valid for five years from the date it is issued (Connecticut General Statutes section 35-1a), and the registrant renews it with the town clerk to keep using the name. The registrant signs this application and acknowledges it before a notary or other authority qualified to administer oaths, and declares that the information is true. Filing does not create a separate legal entity, does not grant any exclusive right or trademark in the name, and does not limit the personal liability of a sole proprietor or general partner.

Dated: ____________

[REGISTRANT SIGNATURE] [PRINTED NAME AND TITLE]

Note: This Connecticut certificate follows Connecticut General Statutes section 35-1a, which replaced former section 35-1 effective January 1, 2025. The Secretary of the State prescribes the form, the town clerk records it and collects the state-set fee, and the five-year term is set by state law. For other states and the generic template, see the DBA (Doing Business As) hub.

Connecticut Requirements for DBA (Doing Business As)

File With the Town Clerk
In Connecticut a DBA is a trade name certificate filed with the town clerk of the town where the business is principally transacted, on a form prescribed by the Secretary of the State (Conn. Gen. Stat. Sec. 35-1a). Connecticut files trade names at the town level, not with the state.
State-Set Filing Fee
The filing fee is set by state law. A trade name filing with the town clerk is 20 dollars under Conn. Gen. Stat. Sec. 7-34a, and the clerk can add 5 dollars to acknowledge the signature before a notary. Hartford, for example, records a trade name application for 20 dollars.
The Trade Name
The exact trade name to register. It must not include a word such as Corporation, Incorporated, LLC, or Limited unless the registrant is that type of entity. A certificate is required when the business uses a name different from the legal name of its owner.
Registrant and Owners
The full legal name and address of the registrant, the type of registrant, and the name and address of each additional owner. For a general partnership, every partner is listed and signs the application.
Town of Principal Business
The town where the business is or will be principally transacted, which sets the town clerk where you file. If the business is transacted in more than one town, a certificate is filed with the clerk of each such town.
No Newspaper Publication
Connecticut does not require publication of a trade name in a newspaper. Recording the certificate with the town clerk is the public notice, so there is no publication step and no affidavit of publication to file (Conn. Gen. Stat. Sec. 35-1a).
Five-Year Term and Renewal
A Connecticut trade name certificate is valid for five years from the date it is issued (Conn. Gen. Stat. Sec. 35-1a). Renew it with the town clerk to keep using the name. Certificates on file before January 1, 2025 expire December 31, 2029 unless renewed.
No Entity, No Trademark, No Liability Shield
A Connecticut trade name is only a name registration. It creates no separate legal entity, gives no exclusive right or trademark in the name, and does not limit the personal liability of a sole proprietor or general partner.

Find out where you stand in Connecticut

Introduction

Key Things to Know

Key decisions before you file

Customize your DBA (Doing Business As) Template with DocDraft

Connecticut Requirements for DBA (Doing Business As)

File With the Town Clerk

State-Set Filing Fee

The Trade Name

Registrant and Owners

Town of Principal Business

No Newspaper Publication

Five-Year Term and Renewal

No Entity, No Trademark, No Liability Shield

Frequently Asked Questions