LLC Name Reservation Requirements in Connecticut
At a glance
| Governing law and optional reservation scope | Optional LLC name reservation under Connecticut Uniform LLC Act (§ 34-243l); formation is a separate filing (§ 34-247) |
|---|---|
| Who may apply and for which LLC or series name | Any person may apply for compliant LLC name; § 34-243l names no separate series, existing-LLC, or name-change applicant route; foreign LLC name registration is separate (§ 34-243m) |
| Name availability, designator, distinguishability, and consent | Available name complying with LLC designator and record-distinguishability rules; protected categories include existing, registered, reserved and registered-name records; recorded consent and undertaking or qualifying judgment routes (§§ 34-243k, 34-243l) |
| Application, signer, form, and filing office | Deliver application with applicant name/address and proposed name to Secretary of the State; person or authorized agent signs, stating signer name/capacity; written delivery unless electronic delivery permitted (§§ 34-243l, 34-247b, 34-247e) |
| Reservation, renewal, transfer, and cancellation fees | $60 application or cancellation; $60 transfer; § 34-243u lists no reservation-renewal fee (§ 34-243u(a)(1)–(2)) |
| Term, start date, and statutory exclusive use | If available, Secretary reserves name for applicant's exclusive use for 120 days; § 34-243l(a) states no separate start-date formula |
| Renewal, filing window, and repeat limits | § 34-243l states no reservation renewal procedure, filing window, or successive-term limit; foreign-name registration has a distinct renewal rule (§ 34-243m(d)) |
| Transfer notice, signer, and transferee details | Owner delivers signed notice in a record to Secretary, naming transferee and address; $60 filing fee (§§ 34-243l(b), 34-243u(a)(2)) |
| Cancellation, withdrawal, revocation, and scope of name rights | Cancellation is priced at $60 but § 34-243l gives no procedure; a filed record may be withdrawn before it takes effect under § 34-247g; reservation does not settle trademark, actual use, or formation |
Requirements one by one
Applicant and name
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 34-243l(a) lets a person apply for the exclusive use of a name that complies with § 34-243k. The latter section requires an LLC designator and record distinguishability from existing entity, foreign registration, reserved, and registered names. An entity-type suffix usually cannot make an otherwise conflicting name distinguishable. Section 34-243k(c) allows recorded consent plus an undertaking to change the conflicting name; subsection (e) has a narrower consent rule for differences consisting of an entity-type term, and subsection (g) recognizes a certified final judgment establishing an LLC's right to use a name. Those provisions do not establish that any particular proposed name is available.
Application, fee, and term
The § 34-243l(a) application states the applicant's name and address and the name to be reserved. The general rules in § 34-247b and § 34-247e govern signature and filing: the applicant or an agent signs, the record states each individual signer's name and capacity, and delivery is written unless the Secretary permits electronic records. Under § 34-243u(a)(1), there is a $60 application fee. If the Secretary finds the name available, § 34-243l(a) requires a 120-day reservation for the applicant's exclusive use; that section gives no separate start-date formula or renewal process.
Transfer and cancellation
Under § 34-243l(b), the reservation owner transfers the hold by a signed notice in a record filed with the Secretary, naming the recipient and address. Section 34-243u(a)(2) charges $60 for the transfer. Section 34-243u(a)(1) also charges $60 to cancel a reserved name, although § 34-243l does not prescribe the cancellation steps. Under § 34-247g, a filed record may be withdrawn before it takes effect through a certificate of withdrawal; that is a timing-limited filing rule.
What trips people up
The 120-day reservation under § 34-243l is distinct from a foreign LLC's name registration under § 34-243m. The latter lasts a year and expressly permits successive renewals in a 90-day pre-expiration window. Those renewal rules do not appear in the reservation provision. A reservation also differs from the certificate of organization that forms an LLC under § 34-247.
Common questions
Can someone reserve the name before organizing the LLC?
Yes. Section 34-243l(a) permits a person to apply; § 34-247 separately describes formation by organizers filing a certificate of organization.
Does the $60 cancellation fee mean the owner can cancel without a filing?
No such shortcut is stated. Section 34-243u(a)(1) prices filing a cancellation, while § 34-243l does not specify its form. Confirm the current filing instructions with the Secretary of the State.
Statutes and sources
The quoted text comes from the official Connecticut General Statutes, Chapter 613a, accessed September 22, 2026. The 2026 supplement to Chapter 613a, checked the same day, amends other sections and contains no replacement text for the cited reservation provisions.
Source links
Every statute quoted above, linked, with the date we checked it.
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