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How to Find Business Records in Connecticut
Connecticut Business Records
Searching for Business Records in Connecticut
In the State of Connecticut, it is the duty of the Secretary of State to
maintain certain public records, including records pertaining to
corporations and to Uniform Commercial Code documentation. Since these
documents are considered matters of public record, they may be accessed
and viewed by anyone, even those who do not have an ownership interest
in the business for which they are searching.
What Records Are Maintained by the Connecticut Secretary of State?
The Connecticut Secretary of State maintains business records pertaining
to the formation and status of businesses such as corporations, limited
liability companies, limited liability partnerships and limited
partnerships. These business entities receive different treatment under
the law than other, unincorporated types of businesses. For that reason,
it is necessary for the Secretary of State to maintain records of the
formation of these types of businesses.
Additionally, the Connecticut Secretary of State maintains records
pertaining to UCC and lien filings. A UCC, or Uniform Commercial Code,
filing, demonstrates a lien that one party has in the collateral
property of a debtor, usually in exchange for a loan. Liens held by the
IRS are also maintained by the Connecticut Secretary of State.
Why Would a Business Not Have Documents On File?
Not all businesses are incorporated. In particular, sometimes
individuals running their own business do so as a �sole proprietor,� and
elect not to incorporate. Since sole proprietors are not considered
separate legal entities, it is not necessary to file documentation of
their formation.
Additionally, some businesses elect not to incorporate in their own
state, but to incorporate in a different state entirely. A business may
choose to do this if the laws of another state seem advantageous to the
business. When this happens, documentation of the incorporation may not
necessarily be filed in the business�s home state. Therefore, it should
be remembered that just because a business has not incorporated in
Connecticut, it should not immediately be assumed that the business has
not incorporated at all. If you must search all fifty states to find the
state of incorporation for a business, remember that the State of
Delaware is a good place to start, since many businesses believe that
the laws of Delaware are most advantageous to businesses.
How Can I Search for Records Maintained by the Connecticut Secretary of
State?
If a business has been incorporated in the State of Connecticut, you may
access the business information either online or in person. If you wish
to inquire in person, the Connecticut Secretary of State is located at
30 Trinity Street, Hartford, Connecticut 06106.
If you wish to make your inquiries online, the website for the
Connecticut Secretary of State is located here: www.sots.ct.gov. To
search business records, from the Secretary of State home page, select
the option �Business and UCC Inquiries� at the bottom left.
To make a business inquiry, from the Business and UCC Inquiries page,
searchers should be able to select the word �Business� under the
�Inquiries� heading at the left side of the page. However, at the time
of the writing of this article, that link resends the searcher back to
the �Business and UCC Inquiries� page again. The link does work from
other pages in the website, however. Clicking on another link at the
left, such as �Get Certificate,� will take you to another page in the
website where you may select �Business� under the �Inquiries� heading.
If the link works correctly, you will be taken to a page with the words
�Business Inquiry� at the top.
On the �Business Inquiry� page, you may choose to search by name, by
business ID, or by filing number. Radio buttons at the left allow you to
select your method of search, and your search terms should be input on
the right. After the search has been performed, a list of search results
will be displayed. The names of the corporations are all clickable
links. Clicking on these will allow you to view additional information
about the corporation, including name, business ID, address, state of
incorporation, type of business, status, date of incorporation, the name
and address of the registered agent, and information about the
principals. Clickable links at the bottom allow searchers to also view
the name history, filing history, and shares for the business.
The link on the �Business and UCC Inquiries� page for UCC is similarly a
mistaken link at the time of the writing of this article, so it will be
necessary to skip to another website page such as �Get Certificate,� and
then proceed to �UCC� under the �Inquiries� heading. This takes you to a
page with the words �UCC Inquiry Search� at the top, where you may
search the UCC documents by debtor name, business name or lien number.
After obtaining the search results, the list will include clickable
links that allow you to view additional information about the type of
lien, the parties involved, the date of filing, and the date of lapse.
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