Connecticut SB 294: AN ACT CONCERNING TRADE NAMES, FRAUDULENT FILINGS, IMPERMISSIBLE BUSINESS SOLICITATIONS, DISSOLUTION OF CORPORATIONS, THE ISSUANCE OF AN APOSTILLE AND FEES CHARGED BY A NOTARY.

Bill Text

Substitute Senate Bill No. 294 
 
Public Act No. 26-81 
 
 
AN  ACT  CONCERNING  TRADE  NAMES,  FRAUDULENT  FILINGS, 
IMPERMISSIBLE  BUSINESS  SOLICITATIONS,  DISSOLUTION  OF 
CORPORATIONS,  THE  ISSUANCE  OF  AN  APOSTILLE  AND  FEES 
CHARGED BY A NOTARY. 
Be it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  in  General 
Assembly convened: 
 
Section  1.  Section  35-1a  of  the  general  statutes  is  repealed  and  the 
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2026): 
(a) No person shall transact business in this state under any assumed 
or fictitious name, or under any designation, name or style, corporate or 
otherwise, other than the real name or names of the person or persons 
transacting  such  business,  unless  a  trade name is  recorded  and  a 
certificate evidencing  such  trade  name has  been  issued  in  accordance 
with this section or section 35-1b, as amended by this act. 
(b) [An application for a trade name certificate] A trade name shall be 
recorded  by  submitting  a  trade  name  application.  A  trade  name 
application shall  be  filed  on  a  form  prescribed  by  the  Secretary  of  the 
State in the office of the town clerk in the town in which such business 
is, or will be, principally transacted. 
(1) An application filed by a [natural] person or [a group of natural] 
persons shall provide: (A) The name  under which  such business is, or 

Substitute Senate Bill No. 294 
 
Public Act No. 26-81 2 of 16 
 
will  be,  transacted,  (B)  the  physical  address  of  the  business  located  in 
the town of filing, (C) the valid electronic mail address of the business, 
and  (D)  the  full  name,  physical  address  and  valid  electronic  mail 
address of each person transacting such business. 
(2) [For  the  purposes  of  this  section,  "business  organization"  means 
any  corporation,  limited  partnership,  limited  liability  partnership  or 
limited liability company on record with the Secretary of the State.] An 
application filed by a business organization shall provide: (A) The name 
under  which  such  business  is,  or  will  be,  transacted,  (B)  the  business 
identification  number  for  the  business  organization  provided  by  the 
Secretary   of   the   State,   (C)   the   name   of the   corporation,   limited 
partnership, limited liability partnership or limited liability company on 
file with the Secretary of the State, (D) the principal business address of 
the business organization on file with the Secretary of the State, and (E) 
the  electronic  mail  address  of  the  business  organization. No  business 
organization may file an application for a trade name under this section 
unless such business is active and has filed all required annual reports 
with  the  Secretary.  Upon  the  dissolution,  withdrawal,  forfeiture  or 
revocation  of  a  business organization,  all  trade  names  issued  to  such 
organization   shall   be   deemed   cancelled.   As   used   in   this   section, 
"business  organization"  means  any  corporation,  limited  partnership, 
limited  liability  partnership,  limited  liability  company  or  any  other 
business entity, foreign or domestic, that is on record with the Secretary 
of the State. 
(c) An application for a trade name [certificate] shall be executed by 
each [natural] person filing such application or, in the case of a business 
organization, by [an authorized officer of] a person authorized by such 
business organization and acknowledged before an authority qualified 
to [administer oaths] take acknowledgments under chapter 6. The filing 
fee for the trade name application shall be in accordance with section 7-
34a. 

Substitute Senate Bill No. 294 
 
Public Act No. 26-81 3 of 16 
 
(d) [A town clerk shall issue a trade name certificate upon acceptance 
of  a  trade  name  application  filed  in  accordance  with  this  section  or 
section 35-1b. Such] Upon acceptance of a trade name application by a 
town  clerk,  a  trade  name  certificate  evidencing  such  trade  name  shall 
issue from the Connecticut Trade Name Registry established pursuant 
to  section  35-1c,  as  amended  by  this  act.  The  trade  name  reflected  on 
such certificate shall be valid for a period of five years from the date of 
issuance. 
(e) All  trade [name  certificates  issued] names  recorded prior  to 
January 1, 2025, shall expire on December 31, 2029. [, unless renewed in 
accordance with this act.] A trade name in existence prior to January 1, 
2025,  may  be  renewed  at  any  time  during  such  five-year  period,  in 
accordance  with  the  provisions  of  subsection  (a)  of  section  35-1b,  as 
amended by this act, and the renewed trade name shall be valid for five 
years from the date such renewal is accepted by the town clerk. 
Sec.  2.  Section  35-1b  of  the  general  statutes  is  repealed  and  the 
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2026): 
(a)