Connecticut business status search answers the question a contract, a loan, or a lease usually turns on: is this entity still legally alive, and is it current with the state? The status sits near the top of every record in the Business Records Search, and it is updated as filings are processed. A business can be active, forfeited, dissolved, merged, converted, or withdrawn, and each value changes what the entity can legally do.
This page covers each status value, the difference between active and in good standing, how a status changes, and what a buyer should do with the answer. It is written for owners checking their own record and for anyone who needs to know whether a company can sign a contract today. Fees appear in the table only.
How to check a Connecticut business status
The Business Records Search returns the status beside every result and again at the top of each record. Search by name or ALEI, open the record, and read the status line with its date. The date matters as much as the word, because a record can change between the day you check and the day you sign.
Read the status before the name
A result list sorted by relevance puts similar names together, and the status column is the fastest way to discard closed entities. Sort by status and open only the active records, then confirm the ALEI and the formation date before you accept a match. A closed record with a familiar name is a frequent source of confusion.
Check the filing history behind the status
A status is a conclusion drawn from the filings. A forfeited record usually shows a gap in annual reports, and a reinstated record shows the gap plus a reinstatement filing. Open the history when the status does not match what the business claims, because the documents set out the sequence.
Order a certificate for a dated answer
A search page is a snapshot that anyone can refresh. A certificate of legal existence is a dated document with the state seal, and it is what a bank, a landlord, or a procurement office will accept. Order the certificate when the answer has to survive a review, and keep it with the contract.
Current status and standing:
https://service.ct.gov/business/s/onlinebusinesssearch
Connecticut status values
Connecticut uses a small set of status values, and each one tells you whether the entity exists and why it stopped. The label appears on the record and on the certificates the state issues, so the same words show up in contracts, loan files, and court papers.
| Status | What it means | What the entity can do |
|---|---|---|
| Active | Registered and current on its filing obligations | Sign contracts, hold assets, and sue in its own name |
| Forfeited | Closed administratively, usually for a missed annual report | Nothing until reinstated |
| Dissolved | Closed voluntarily by its owners | Wind up only, no new business |
| Merged | Combined into another entity | Nothing; the survivor holds the rights |
| Converted | Changed entity type under the same registration | Continue as the new type |
| Withdrawn | A foreign entity left Connecticut | Operate elsewhere, not in Connecticut |
Active
Active means the entity is registered and current on its annual report. It does not mean the business is profitable, insured, licensed, or tax compliant. A company can be active with unpaid taxes, a lapsed professional license, and a judgment against it, because the registry tracks filings rather than money.
Forfeited
Forfeited is the status Connecticut assigns when an entity fails to file its annual report. The business loses its legal existence, cannot sign new contracts in its own name, and may still owe the reports and fees for the years it skipped. A forfeited entity can be reinstated, but the record keeps both the forfeiture and the reinstatement.
Dissolved
Dissolved means the owners filed to close the entity. A voluntary dissolution leaves a clean record, and the business winds up its affairs, pays its debts, and distributes what remains. A dissolved entity can still be sued for acts that happened before the closure, and a creditor can sometimes pursue the owners for an improper distribution.
Merged and converted
A merged entity no longer exists as a separate business, and its rights and obligations pass to the survivor. A converted entity keeps its ALEI and continues under a new type, so a conversion does not interrupt its contracts. The distinction matters when a vendor produces a certificate from before the transaction.
Withdrawn
A withdrawn status applies to a foreign entity that filed to stop doing business in Connecticut. The entity still exists in its home state, and it can return by filing a new registration. A withdrawal does not dissolve the company, and a search in its home state will still show it as active.
Active is not the same as good standing
Active and in good standing are related but different. Active describes the registration. Good standing is a statement that the entity is current, and in Connecticut that statement comes from a certificate of legal existence rather than a search result. A record can be active while a filing is in process, and a certificate issued during that window may say something the search page does not.
The certificate is dated, carries the state seal, and reflects all name changes on the short form. A bank that asks for a certificate does not want a printout, because a printout has no seal and no date that the bank can verify. Order the certificate for anything that has to be reviewed by a third party.
How a status changes
A status changes when a filing is processed. An annual report keeps an entity active, a missed report moves it to forfeited, a reinstatement returns it to active, and a dissolution closes it. The record updates when the office posts the document, which can lag the filing date by a few days.
Missed annual report
The annual report window runs from January 1 to March 31. A business that misses the window receives a notice and a period to respond before the state forfeits the entity. The forfeiture is administrative rather than a court decision, and it does not require a hearing.
Reinstatement
Reinstatement restores a forfeited entity after the missing reports and fees are filed. Connecticut offers a reinstatement application, and approval usually requires a current registered agent. The entity returns with the same ALEI, which keeps its contracts and its tax identity intact.
Voluntary dissolution
A voluntary dissolution is a decision by the owners. The filing is inexpensive and takes effect when accepted, but the business still has to settle its tax accounts and file a final annual report. A dissolution that leaves a tax balance open can follow the owners after the entity is gone.
Reinstatement in detail
Reinstatement is available for most forfeited entities, and it is usually the fastest way to restore a business that lost its status by accident. The application asks for the entity’s current information, the missing reports, and the fees that were due. The state reviews the package and returns the entity to active status.
The record keeps the gap. A buyer who checks the filing history will see the forfeiture and the reinstatement, and the gap can raise questions about contracts signed during that period. If the entity signed while forfeited, the owners may face personal exposure, which is one reason to file the annual report before the deadline rather than after a notice.
What a status means for a contract
A counterparty that is active can sign, be sued, and hold assets in its own name. A counterparty that is forfeited cannot, and a contract signed by a forfeited entity may be unenforceable against the business. The owners may be liable instead, which is rarely what the other side expects.
A dissolved entity can still be sued for pre-closure acts, but it cannot take on new obligations. A merged entity’s obligations sit with the survivor, and the survivor’s record is the one to check. A withdrawn foreign entity can be sued in its home state, but a Connecticut court may have trouble enforcing a judgment against a business that no longer registers there.
Connecticut status and filing fees
The fees below come from the Secretary of the State schedule. An expedited option exists and is billed once per request, not per report. Check the published amount before filing, as the office updates charges periodically.
| Filing | Fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual report, LLC | $80.00 | January 1 to March 31 |
| Annual report, stock corporation | $150.00 | January 1 to March 31 |
| Annual report, non-stock corporation | $50.00 | January 1 to March 31 |
| Certificate of dissolution | $0.00 | No state fee |
| Revocation of dissolution | $50.00 | Restores a dissolved corporation |
| Certificate of legal existence, LLC | $50.00 | Short form |
| Certificate of legal existence, corporation | $80.00 | Short form |
| Certificate of legal existence, LLP | $80.00 | Short form |
| Change of registered agent | $50.00 | Required for reinstatement |
| Certificate of no record | $50.00 | Cannot be expedited |
| Expedited service | $50.00 | Per transaction |
Status and the filing history
Every status change leaves a document behind. A forfeiture follows a missing report, a reinstatement follows an application, and a dissolution follows a certificate. The filing history lists those documents in order, which lets a buyer reconstruct what happened without calling the business.
A record with a clean history and an active status is easy to accept. A record with a forfeiture, a reinstatement, and a recent agent change is not necessarily bad, but it deserves a question. The Connecticut filing history page covers how to read the sequence, including the difference between a document that changed the status and one that merely confirms it.
Status checks for loans and leases
A lender or a landlord reads the status differently from a customer. A customer needs to know that the business exists today. A lender needs to know that the entity will still exist when the loan matures, and that the collateral is held by the same legal person that signed the note. A status check is the first link in that chain, not the last.
A lease usually names the legal entity rather than the brand. If the record shows a different legal name, the tenant may be signing in a name the entity does not hold, which complicates enforcement. Ask for the certificate of legal existence and compare the name on it with the name on the lease before the first payment.
A lender also checks the filing history for a forfeiture and reinstatement. A gap can signal a period when the entity signed documents without authority, and a title company may refuse to insure a transaction that depends on those documents. The dated certificate is what resolves the question, and the record is what tells you to ask.
Status of a foreign entity in Connecticut
A foreign entity has two statuses to check: one in its home state and one in Connecticut. The Connecticut record shows the registration date, the home state, and a Connecticut status that runs from active to withdrawn. An entity can be active at home and withdrawn in Connecticut, and the reverse is impossible without a reinstatement.
A foreign entity that never registered but does business in Connecticut does not appear in the state search at all. That absence is not proof that the business is unregistered everywhere, and it does not prove that it is small. A company can operate nationally from one home state and never file a Connecticut registration until a contract or a lease forces the question.
Withdrawal is not dissolution. A withdrawn entity keeps its home registration and its contracts, and it can return to Connecticut by filing a new registration. A buyer who sees a withdrawn status should check the home state before deciding that the business has closed. The Connecticut registered agent page covers the appointment a returning entity has to restore.
How fast the record updates
A filing posts when the office processes it, which can be the same day for an online filing and several days for a paper one. A reinstatement or a dissolution can take longer than an annual report, because the office reviews the package before posting. The status on the search page can therefore lag the filing date by a short window, and a certificate ordered during that window can state a status that the search page has not yet shown.
Do not assume that a status is wrong because it has not changed yet. Check the filing history for a pending document, and check the acknowledgment email for the filing date. If the gap is longer than a week, call the Business Services Division with the ALEI and the filing number rather than filing again.
A duplicate filing can create a second record and a second fee, which is harder to unwind than a short wait. A certificate issued late in the week can describe a record that the portal still shows as pending when the next business day opens, so compare the date on the paper with the date on the screen. The confirmation email is the proof that the first filing was received, and it is the document the office will ask for if the record does not update.
When a status looks wrong
A business sometimes reports an active status that the record does not show. The usual reasons are a different legal entity, a recently filed report that has not posted, or a forfeiture the owners never noticed. Ask for the ALEI and the filing confirmation before accepting the claim.
A parent company and a subsidiary are the most frequent source of confusion. The parent may be active while the subsidiary that signed the contract is forfeited, and the brand name on the website belongs to neither record. Match the entity on the signature block to the entity on the certificate.
If the record shows a forfeiture the owners dispute, ask when the annual report was filed and for the acknowledgment. A payment that was reversed, or a report filed under a former name, can leave the entity forfeited even though the owner believes the filing was complete. The filing history shows what the state actually received.
What the status cannot tell you
The status does not report tax standing, license standing, insurance, credit, or litigation. A business can be active and owe the Department of Revenue Services a balance, or hold an active registration and a suspended professional license. Each of those questions needs a separate search with the agency that holds the record.
The status is also a snapshot. It changes when a filing is processed, and a record that is active today can be forfeited next month. A dated copy is the only proof of what the state held on a specific day, and the date belongs in the contract file.
A short status check for contracts
A practical check takes a few minutes and covers the questions a contract raises. Confirm the entity is active, confirm the agent is current, confirm the name matches the contract, and order a certificate if the deal is large enough to justify one.
- Status. Active, not forfeited, dissolved, or withdrawn.
- Agent. A street address in Connecticut that still receives mail.
- Name. The legal name matches the signature block.
- Authority. The signer is an officer, manager, or member with authority.
- Date. The record was checked on the day of signing.
Frequent status mistakes
Most status errors come from reading one field and stopping. The registry is precise about the current value, and it is silent about the reasons unless you open the history.
- Treating active as approved. Registration is not a license or a credit check.
- Ignoring the date. A printout without a date proves nothing about today.
- Missing the reinstatement gap. The history shows the forfeiture even after the status returns.
- Checking the wrong entity. A parent and a subsidiary can carry similar names and different statuses.
- Assuming a dissolved business is gone. It can still be sued for pre-closure acts.
Frequently asked questions
The questions below come from owners checking their own record and from buyers checking a vendor. Every reply names the document or the office that settles it.
What does forfeited mean in Connecticut?
It means the state closed the entity administratively, usually because an annual report was not filed. The business loses its legal existence and cannot sign new contracts until it is reinstated. The record keeps the forfeiture even after reinstatement.
How do I check if a Connecticut business is in good standing?
Search the record and read the status, then order a certificate of legal existence for a dated answer. The certificate is what a bank or a landlord accepts, and it reflects the entity’s filing status on the day it was issued.
Can a forfeited Connecticut business be reinstated?
Yes, in most cases. The application requires the missing annual reports, the fees that were due, and a current registered agent. The entity returns with the same ALEI, and the record shows both the forfeiture and the reinstatement.
What is the difference between dissolved and forfeited?
A dissolved entity was closed voluntarily by its owners. A forfeited entity was closed by the state for a missed filing. Both stop the business from signing new contracts, but only the forfeiture leaves a compliance gap that a buyer will question.
Does an active status mean a business is licensed?
No. The status covers the business registration only. A professional or occupational license is issued by a separate agency, and a business can hold an active registration with a suspended license. The Connecticut license search page covers that record.