Trade Name Certificates

Connecticut State Law (Sec 35-1) requires anyone doing business under any assumed name, or under any designation, name or style, to file a Trade Name Certificate in the Town Clerk's office in the town where business is being conducted.

All registrants must sign the certificate and indicate residential address. This form must be notarized and the original copy filed in the Town Clerk's office. Failure to do so before conducting business within the town will be considered an unfair or deceptive trade practice, and can result in a fine of up to $500 as well as potential criminal liability.

The filing fee is $15, which includes 2 certified copies for your own records. Before a registrants trade name can be certified, the town clerk's office must first verify that the same trade name has not previously been issued to another registrant. Once a trade name has been certified it does not need to be renewed.

If your business is a corporation or LLC, you must file with the Connecticut Secretary of State prior to filing your Trade Name Certificate in Darien. Trade name certificate registration is not required for 

• Partnerships that have properly registered with the Secretary of State
• Any assumed business name that is a surname or merely descriptive of the owner(s). Certain words related to banks, trusts, and savings are prohibited from being used in trade names

For more information on starting a new business in Darien, see the Connecticut Secretary of State's office website.