Connecticut business entity information, including entity name, type, number, and formation date, is available through the Connecticut Business Records Search. The tool covers domestic (Connecticut-formed) and foreign (out-of-state but registered in Connecticut) entities on record, giving you the four data points you need for onboarding, compliance, or business transactions.

The search accepts a business name, business ALEI, or filing number. The Secretary of the State's Business.CT.gov portal hosts the underlying records. Below is where to find each piece of information and what format each data point takes in Connecticut's system.

Summary table: finding your Connecticut entity information

Each data point sits under a different label in state records, from "Business ID" to "Date formed."

How to search for Connecticut business entities

Access the Business Records Search to look up any registered business by name, business ALEI, or filing number.

Navigate to the search tool, enter your business name, business ALEI, or filing number, and open the matching result to view full details, including your ALEI and formation date. Using your complete legal name as registered is the most reliable way to land on the right record.

The database covers all domestic and foreign entities on record in Connecticut.

What you'll see in search results

Search results display these fields:

• Business name

• Business ID (the ALEI)

• Principal

• Agent

• Date formed

• Business entity type

• Street address, city, state, and zip code

An entity's record also carries a status. "Active" means the entity is current. Connecticut labels a business "forfeited" once it has been administratively dissolved, most often for missing an annual report; reinstatement is available afterward.

Since January 2025, the search tool also shows a Sub Status for active businesses: green for Current (no outstanding obligation to the Secretary of the State), yellow for Overdue (past due on filings, no administrative action yet), and red for Delinquent (action has been taken against the business). Filings approved with a future effective date can also be withdrawn before they take effect, a feature the state added the same month.

How to find your entity number in Connecticut

Your Connecticut entity number is called the ALEI, or Business ID, officially the Authoritative Legal Entity Identifier. The Secretary of the State associates this number with your entity record when your formation or registration filing is accepted, and it's a public number, distinct from your federal EIN or a state tax account number.

Where to locate your Connecticut ALEI number:

1. Business Records Search (fastest method): The number appears in search results and on the entity details page. Results label it "Business ID"; the search prompt calls it your "business ALEI."

2. State-stamped filings: Your Certificate of Formation, Organization, or Incorporation carries the number once accepted; a blank Certificate of Organization form has no ALEI field, since the number is associated with the record once the Secretary of the State accepts the filing.

3. Annual reports and state correspondence: The state's annual report instructions ask for your company name or ALEI as the first filing step.

Connecticut entity number format

Connecticut's own sources don't publish a fixed digit count or format convention for the ALEI/Business ID, so treat any specific format claim from third-party sites with caution. Separately, Connecticut requires name designators that identify an entity's legal form (these signal entity types in the name itself, not the numbering system).

An LLC's name must contain "limited liability company" or the abbreviation "LLC" or "L.L.C." under CGS Chapter 613a (§ 34-243k(a)). A corporation's name must contain "corporation," "incorporated," "company," "limited," "Societa per Azioni," or an approved abbreviation such as "Corp.," "Inc.," "Co.," "Ltd.," or "S.p.A." under CGS Chapter 601 (§ 33-655(a)(1)).

How to find your entity type in Connecticut

Connecticut recognizes multiple business entity types, and the state's entity types list includes LLCs, stock corporations, benefit corporations, nonstock corporations, LLPs, LPs, general partnerships, religious corporations, and statutory trusts, in both domestic and foreign forms where applicable.

Where to find your Connecticut entity type:

1. Business Records Search (most accessible): Search results include a field labeled "Business entity type."

2. Certificate of Formation, Organization, or Incorporation: The certificate the state returns is titled for the filing you made.

3. Annual reports: Your entity type appears on your Connecticut annual report filings.

How to find your formation date in Connecticut

Your formation date, the date the Connecticut Secretary of State filed and approved your business entity, appears in Business Records Search results and on official state documents.

Where your Connecticut formation date appears:

1. Business Records Search (easiest access): The field is labeled "Date formed," shown in both search results and on the entity details page.

2. Certificates and formation documents: Certificates of Legal Existence show a "Formation Date" in MM/DD/YYYY format. A blank Certificate of Organization has no pre-printed date field; the Secretary of the State's acceptance of the filing sets the date.

3. Annual report deadlines: LLC annual reports are due each year after January 1 and before April 1, tracking the January 1 to March 31 window described in the Secretary of the State's own guidance. That window governs each year's subsequent report; your entity's first report can fall on a different timeline depending on when you formed or registered, so confirm your specific due date on the portal.

Formation date vs. effective date

An LLC's Certificate of Organization, and a foreign LLC's registration certificate, take effect when the Secretary of the State files them and generally cannot specify a future effective date, subject to statutory exceptions.

Other LLC records can specify a delayed effective date of up to 90 days after filing. Connecticut's corporation statute works differently: a corporate document takes effect either when filed or at a specific time on the date of filing, a same-day option rather than the LLC's longer delay window. Don't assume the LLC and corporation effective-date rules are interchangeable.

Onboard your entity to Discern in minutes

With your Connecticut entity name, ALEI, and formation date in hand, onboarding to Discern's entity management system takes minutes. Discern tracks Connecticut annual report deadlines by entity type, prepares filings in advance using your centralized entity data, and provides Discern's registered agent service so state notices reach you.

For teams managing entities beyond Connecticut, Discern handles annual report filings, formations, foreign registrations, and registered agent coverage across all 51 jurisdictions from a single platform.

Book a demo with Discern.

Frequently asked questions

Here are answers to the questions that come up most often when businesses look up their own Connecticut entity information.

Is the Connecticut ALEI the same as my EIN?

No. The Business ID, or ALEI, is a public number the Secretary of the State associates with your entity record. It's separate from your federal EIN and from any Connecticut tax account number.

What does "Forfeited" mean in a Connecticut search result?

It means the Secretary of the State has administratively dissolved the entity, most often because an annual report wasn't filed. A forfeited entity can typically be brought back to active status through reinstatement.

I can't find my original Certificate of Organization. Where else can I get my formation date?

Your formation date appears in the Business Records Search results under "Date formed," so you don't need the original certificate to confirm it. Certificates of Legal Existence also show the formation date if you need an official document for a transaction.

Does a Connecticut entity's Sub Status affect whether it's in good standing?

The Sub Status shown in search results tells you whether an active business has outstanding obligations (Current), is behind on filings (Overdue), or has had action taken against it (Delinquent). It's a useful early signal, but it's separate from an entity's underlying legal status, such as active or forfeited.