Connecticut · 3 jurisdictions covered
Business licenses and permits in Connecticut
Connecticut charges $100 for a sales tax permit that then expires every two years — unusual on both counts. It is also one of the few states that licenses auto repair shops directly, through the DMV, for $480 across two years.
What applies everywhere in Connecticut
16 requirements are set by Connecticut itself and apply whichever city you open in. Local permits sit on top of them.
| Requirement | Issued by | Fee | Applies | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Report | Connecticut Secretary of the State, Business Services Division | $80 a year for an LLC, $150 for a stock corporation, $50 for a nonstock corporation | Only in some cases | 2026-09-04 |
| Barbershop and Salon License (local, not a separate state premises fee) | Connecticut Department of Public Health, Practitioner Licensing and Investigations | No fee | Only in some cases | 2026-09-04 |
| Certificate of Incorporation | Connecticut Secretary of the State, Business Services Division | $250 one-time filing for a stock corporation authorising up to 20,000 shares; a nonstock corporation is $50 | Only in some cases | 2026-09-04 |
| Certificate of Organization (LLC) | Connecticut Secretary of the State, Business Services Division | $120 one-time filing, including appointment of the statutory agent | Only in some cases | 2026-09-04 |
| Child Care License | Connecticut Office of Early Childhood, Division of Licensing | Fee not published — the Office of Early Childhood's application and fee pages could not be reached, so no dollar amount is recorded here rather than guessed | To every business | 2026-09-04 |
| Electrical Contractor License | Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, License Services Division | $150 to apply; renewal is $150 a year | Only in some cases | 2026-09-04 |
| Food Service Establishment License | Connecticut Department of Public Health, Food Protection Program | $200–$500 a year, set entirely by the local health department or district rather than the state | To every business | 2026-09-04 |
| General Business License — Connecticut position (licensing by activity) | Connecticut Secretary of the State, Business Services Division | No fee | Only in some cases | 2026-09-04 |
| Heating, Cooling and Sheet Metal License | Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, License Services Division | $150 to apply; renewal is $150 a year | Only in some cases | 2026-09-04 |
| Home Improvement Contractor Registration | Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, License Services Division | $220 to register; renewal is $220 a year | Only in some cases | 2026-09-04 |
| New Home Construction Contractor Registration | Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, License Services Division | $360 to register, being a $240 registration fee and a $120 guaranty fund contribution | Only in some cases | 2026-09-04 |
| Plumbing and Pipefitting License | Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, License Services Division | $150 to apply; renewal is $150 a year | Only in some cases | 2026-09-04 |
| Qualified Food Operator | Connecticut Department of Public Health, Food Protection Program | No fee | Only in some cases | 2026-09-04 |
| Repairer's License | Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles, Dealers and Repairers Licensing Unit | $480 to obtain — a $140 application fee plus a further $340 once approved — for a two-year license | To every business | 2026-09-04 |
| Sales and Use Tax Permit | Connecticut Department of Revenue Services | $100 one-time registration; renewal is automatic and free | To every business | 2026-09-04 |
| Veterinary Facility Permit — Connecticut statute position (individual license only) | Connecticut Department of Public Health, Practitioner Licensing and Investigations | No fee | Only in some cases | 2026-09-04 |
Sources
Every statewide figure above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- Connecticut Secretary of the State — business filing fee schedule, revised 1 July 2020, covering formation and annual report feesConnecticut Secretary of the State · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- Connecticut General Statutes § 34-267g — Dissolution by forfeiture (an LLC more than one year in default of filing its annual report, after a further three months' notice)Connecticut General Assembly · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-18
- Connecticut General Statutes § 33-890 — Administrative dissolution (a corporation more than one year in default of filing its annual report, after a further three months' notice)Connecticut General Assembly · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-18
- Connecticut General Statutes chapter 386 — barbering, the individual license fee and the two-year operator requirementConnecticut Department of Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- Central Connecticut Health District — fee schedule effective 1 July 2025, adopted 19 June 2025, with food and salon license feesCentral Connecticut Health District · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- Connecticut General Statutes chapter 387, § 20-253 — hairdresser and cosmetician license examination and renewal fees, each $100, renewed once every two yearsConnecticut General Assembly · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-18
- Connecticut Office of Early Childhood — licensing structure and the elicense.ct.gov renewal portalConnecticut Office of Early Childhood · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection — electrical contractor license fee and termConnecticut Department of Consumer Protection · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- Connecticut Department of Public Health — food service licensing, delegated entirely to local health departmentsConnecticut Department of Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- City of New Haven Health Department — environmental health fees as of 1 July 2025, an example local food license scheduleCity of New Haven Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- Business.CT.gov — licenses and permits, confirming Connecticut has no single statewide general business licenseState of Connecticut · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection — heating, cooling and sheet metal work license fee and termConnecticut Department of Consumer Protection · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection — home improvement contractor registration, fee and the $200 triggering thresholdConnecticut Department of Consumer Protection · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection — new home construction contractor registration fee and termConnecticut Department of Consumer Protection · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection — plumbing and pipefitting license fee and termConnecticut Department of Consumer Protection · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- Connecticut Public Health Code sections 19-13-B42, B48 and B49 — the qualified food operator requirement for class III and IV establishmentsConnecticut Department of Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- Connecticut DMV form K-36 — automobile dealer's or repairer's license application and fee schedule, revised July 2026Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- Connecticut Department of Revenue Services — TSSN-23, the $100 sales and use tax permit feeConnecticut Department of Revenue Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- Connecticut Department of Revenue Services — sales tax permit renewal, automatic and free every two yearsConnecticut Department of Revenue Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- Connecticut General Statutes chapter 384 — veterinary medicine, regulating only the individual practitioner's licenseConnecticut Department of Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
Which Connecticut city are you opening in?
- Bridgeport, CTBridgeport runs its own City health department (Department of Health & Social Services, Environmental Health Division) rather than relying on a regional health district, per the department's own page and fee-schedule letterhead. Its City office pages describe no general municipal business license — but it does license a closed list of specific activities locally: a real personal-services/salon license by category (Barber, Beauty, Hair Braiding, Massage Therapy, Nail, Tattoo, each $175/year), food establishment permits by class, an itinerant/mobile vendor license, and three independently-charged childcare inspections (Health, Fire and Zoning) beyond the state Office of Early Childhood license.17 published records
- New Haven, CTNew Haven runs its own City health department (NHV Health) rather than a regional health district, which publishes its own Environmental Health fee schedule. The City's 'Licenses & Permits' page lists an entry named 'Business License' that links to the Building Department's Permit & License Center Applications page, which lists specific activity licenses (amusement, auction/auctioneer, broker, rooming house, sales and street vendors/peddlers) rather than a general license to operate a business. The City does license personal-care premises locally as a combined 'Salon, Tattoo, and Body Care Facilities' category (Health Department, $150/year, City Ordinance OR-2023-0001), and a food truck here clears two independent local licenses — a Health Department food license and a separate, ordinance-backed Street Vendor license from the Building Department (Code of General Ordinances Chapter 17, Article XI) — on top of whatever state-level registrations apply.16 published records
- Stamford, CTStamford is Connecticut's consolidated city-town government — there is no separate Town of Stamford alongside the City — with its own Department of Health, Land Use Bureau (Building + Zoning), Fire Marshal's Office and Town Clerk, confirmed directly from the City's own pages rather than assumed from Bridgeport's structure. Its own Business page lists activity-specific permits and no general municipal business license, matching the Bridgeport and Connecticut state records. It does license hairdressing/cosmetology/barber shop establishments locally by station count (Code of Ordinances Chapter 141) and massage establishments separately, but the dollar fee for either — set by Board of Representatives resolution rather than printed in the ordinance — is not published, unlike Bridgeport's published $175/category figure.16 published records
Is there a single Connecticut business license?
No. Connecticut has no single license that covers every business. What you need depends on your industry, your city and your county, and most of the obligations that matter are issued locally rather than at state level.
The state-level registrations that do apply to nearly everyone are tax accounts rather than licenses — which is why they are easy to miss.
Who issues permits in Connecticut?
- Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, License Services DivisionHome improvement contractor registration · Electrical, plumbing and HVAC licensing5 permits
- Connecticut Secretary of the State, Business Services DivisionEntity formation · Annual reports4 permits
- Connecticut Department of Public Health, Food Protection ProgramFood service licensing rules · Local health department delegation2 permits
- Connecticut Department of Public Health, Practitioner Licensing and InvestigationsBarber and cosmetology licensing · Veterinary licensing2 permits
- Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles, Dealers and Repairers Licensing UnitRepairer's license · Dealer licensing1 permit
- Connecticut Department of Revenue ServicesSales and use tax permits1 permit
- Connecticut Office of Early Childhood, Division of LicensingChild care centre licensing · Family child care home licensing1 permit
By industry
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.