Steadworthy

As of 2026-07-23 · verified against primary sources

Connecticut charitable solicitation registration: requirements, fees, and deadlines

RegistrationRequired
AgencyConnecticut Department of Consumer Protection — Public Charities Unit
Initial fee$50
Renewal fee$50
Renewal / report due11 months after fiscal year end
Filing channelElectronic filing available

Who must register

Connecticut generally requires charitable organizations to register with the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection — Public Charities Unit before soliciting contributions there, unless an exemption applies. Requirements attach to out-of-state charities soliciting Connecticut residents as well as local ones.

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 21a-190b(a) · official source

How to register in Connecticut

  1. 01Register with the Department of Consumer Protection's Public Charities Unit via the eLicense portal before soliciting — $50 nonrefundable fee, with the preceding fiscal year's financial report and the audit/review attestation. In-state chapters can ride a parent's consolidated registration. If you're exempt, Connecticut still wants filings: submit the exemption claim before soliciting (no fee), then a confirmation letter every five years — signed by an authorized officer under penalty of false statement — for as long as you rely on the exemption.Conn. Gen. Stat. § 21a-190b(a) (annual registration prior to solicitation, $50 fee, financial report + attestation); § 21a-190d (pre-solicitation exemption s…
  2. 02Renew annually no later than eleven months after fiscal year end (a December year-end renews by the following November). The financial-statement rule is an attestation model: over $1,000,000 gross revenue, attest that a CPA audit report has been completed; $500,000–$1,000,000, attest to an audit or review — the report itself isn't submitted, and government grants/fees are excluded from the revenue base.Conn. Gen. Stat. § 21a-190b(a) (renewal within 11 months of FYE, P.A. 13-196); § 21a-190c(b) (attestation tiers, P.A. 23-98 § 16 / 23-99 § 30, for statements…

Form CT-CHARITY-REG (registration)

Charitable Organization Registration / Renewal (eLicense)

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 21a-190b(a) — annual registration with the Department of Consumer Protection prior to any solicitation, $50 nonrefundable fee; filed via t… · official form

Form CT-EXEMPTION-CLAIM (initial registration)

Exemption Claim (commissioner-prescribed form)

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 21a-190d chapeau (pre-solicitation exemption substantiation, P.A. 10-9 + P.A. 19-177); RCSA § 21a-190k-3(a)-(b) (claim contents and signat… · official form

Exemptions we check for

The state, not Steadworthy, decides whether an exemption applies.

Financial statement thresholds

If you use a paid fundraiser

Connecticut's small-organization exemption (normally under $50,000 in annual contributions) requires that no person be compensated primarily to conduct solicitations — a paid solicitor defeats it, though ordinary paid program staff don't. Exempt small organizations must still keep three years of fiscal records.

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 21a-190d(6) (exemption conditioned on not compensating any person primarily to conduct solicitations; $50,000 threshold per P.A. 00-217); …

If you haven't registered yet

Connecticut's late fee is $25 per month or part of one, though the commissioner may waive or reduce it for good cause — a softer posture than Pennsylvania's never-waived rule. Soliciting without registering (or without the pre-solicitation exemption claim, required since 2019) violates the Act.

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 21a-190b(c) ($25/month late fee; commissioner may waive or reduce for good cause); § 21a-190b(a), § 21a-190d (registration or exemption cl… · how to get current, calmly

Is your charity registered in Connecticut? Check free.

Free. No account. Built from public records. Informational, not legal advice.

Connecticut registration: common questions

Does a charity need to register to solicit donations in Connecticut?
Yes. Connecticut generally requires charitable organizations to register with the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection — Public Charities Unit before soliciting contributions in the state, unless an exemption applies. The requirement reaches out-of-state charities soliciting Connecticut residents.
How much does charitable registration cost in Connecticut?
The initial registration fee is $50, and renewal is $50. Fees are stated as the state sets them; where a fee varies with contributions, the tiers are cited on this page.
When is the Connecticut charitable registration renewal due?
11 months after fiscal year end. The date is computed from the organization's own fiscal year end under the rule this page cites, so it differs between charities.
Are any charities exempt from registering in Connecticut?
Connecticut recognizes exemptions, and this page lists each one we check for with its statutory citation. At least one of them still requires a filing to claim it — an exemption is not always automatic. The state, not a third party, decides whether an exemption applies.
Does Connecticut require audited financial statements?
Connecticut requires an accountant's report above a revenue threshold. The lowest threshold on record is a review above $500,000 in gross revenue. Every threshold and its citation are listed on this page.

Related: registration fees by state · renewal deadlines by state · exemptions · all state registration requirements

Nearby states

Fundraising rarely stops at a border — where Connecticut charities also commonly solicit:

Citations

Statuses and requirements reflect public records and cited sources as of the dates shown. Informational, not legal advice.