How to Start a Home Care Agency in Connecticut: Homemaker-Companion Registration

If you want to start a home care agency in Connecticut that sends caregivers into clients' homes, the paperwork is probably not what you expect. Many people search for a 'connecticut home care license,' but a non-medical agency does not get a license in the usual sense. It registers with the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) as a homemaker-companion agency. Hands-on medical care is a separate path, handled by the Department of Public Health (DPH) through a licensed home health agency.

This guide walks through the non-medical path step by step. It gives the fees and deadlines the state publishes and marks the points you need to confirm with the agency yourself.

Disclaimer: This article is informational. It is not legal, tax or licensing advice. Rules and agency practice change, so confirm current requirements with DCP and the other agencies named here. Before you sign a lease, hire staff or file anything, talk with a Connecticut business attorney and a CPA who works with health care businesses.

What You Need Before You Start

Gather these items before you file. Several of them, especially the bond or insurance policy, can take weeks to arrange, so start early.

• A business name that does not include the words 'health,' 'medical' or 'nurse.' You can check availability free with the Business.CT.gov business records search.
• A registered agent with a Connecticut street address that is a usual place of business, open during normal hours with someone present. A post office box or commercial mailbox does not qualify.
• A surety bond or insurance policy of at least $10,000 that includes theft by an employee. Get quotes early, because DCP requires this coverage before registration.
• A federal Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS, which you need for payroll and bank accounts.
• A written hiring process that includes background checks completed before any worker starts a client assignment.
• Formation filing fees: $120 for a Certificate of Organization (LLC), or $250 for a Certificate of Incorporation (corporation), plus the $150 Organization and First Report if you incorporate.
• An annual budget that covers the $375 DCP renewal fee, the Secretary of the State annual report and your insurance premiums.
• Client paperwork: a service agreement, a written list of non-medical services, and a complaint procedure.

Step 1: Confirm You Are Running a Non-Medical Agency

Before you spend money on formation, decide which kind of agency you are building. A homemaker-companion agency provides non-medical help. That includes cooking, laundry, light cleaning, personal hygiene help and companionship. It is registered with DCP.

If your plan includes hands-on medical care, the homemaker-companion registration does not cover it. That work requires a licensed home health agency through DPH, which is a separate application with its own requirements. Some owners start with non-medical services and add medical care later. Plan for that second license from the beginning if it is part of your model, and ask both agencies how the two would interact under one business.

Step 2: Choose a Name and Form Your Entity

Pick a business name first, because the name limits apply everywhere the agency operates. The agency cannot use 'health,' 'medical' or 'nurse' in its name. Avoid those words in your marketing and domain names too, since a name that looks medical can create problems with DCP and with clients.

Most owners form an LLC. For an LLC, the legal name must include 'Limited Liability Company' or an abbreviation such as 'LLC' or 'L.L.C.' The name must also be distinguishable on the state record from names already registered or reserved.

You can reserve a name for 120 days for a $60 fee. The Certificate of Organization costs $120 on Business.CT.gov. Online filings submitted through Business.CT.gov can be expedited for $50, with service completed within 24 hours. Expedited service is not offered for paper filings. The state says most online filings are accepted automatically, so expedited service is usually unnecessary.

Start at the Business.CT.gov forms and fees page: https://business.ct.gov/business-services/business-forms-and-fees. The Secretary of the State's Business Services Division also publishes guidance at https://portal.ct.gov/sots/business-services/bsd.

Step 3: Appoint a Registered Agent

Every LLC and corporation formed in Connecticut must appoint and keep a registered agent. The agent receives legal and official correspondence for the business. The agent must be either a Connecticut resident at least 18 years old or a business entity registered with the Secretary of the State.

The registered agent's address must be a usual place of business in Connecticut. A post office box or commercial mailbox does not qualify. Many owners use their own office or a registered agent service. Check the address carefully, because a mail address that fails this test can cause missed legal notices. The agent is confirmed and updated each year when you file the annual report.

Step 4: Get an EIN and File a Trade Name Certificate if Needed

Apply for a federal EIN from the IRS once your entity exists. You will need it for a business bank account, payroll and tax filings.

If you will operate under a name other than the exact legal name on your formation documents, you need a trade name certificate. It costs $20 and is filed with the town clerk of the Connecticut town where the business is primarily conducted. It is not filed with the Secretary of the State. Connecticut has no county government, so there is no county clerk to visit. Use the town clerk's office. The state's trade name guidance is at https://business.ct.gov/knowledge-base/articles/trade-names.

Step 5: Check Local Zoning and Town Requirements

Connecticut has no single state business license. It does have local rules. Towns and cities regulate zoning, home occupations and occupancy. If you plan to run the agency from a home office, check the home occupation rules in your town before you sign any lease or start paying office costs. Rules vary a lot from town to town, and some prohibit client visits or employees reporting to a residence.

Call the town's zoning or planning office and ask in writing whether your planned use is allowed at the address. Ask the local health department whether any local permit applies to your office. The state does not issue a general business license that covers these questions, so the town answer controls.

Step 6: Put the Bond or Insurance in Place

You must maintain a surety bond or insurance of at least $10,000 that includes theft by an employee. The requirement appears in Connecticut General Statutes section 20-672. Ask your insurance broker for a policy or bond that names theft by an employee and meets this minimum, and ask DCP to confirm the form it accepts.

Keep the coverage active for as long as you are registered. A lapse can put your registration at risk, so set a calendar reminder for the renewal date of the policy or bond.

Step 7: Build a Hiring Process That Meets the Rules

Background checks must be completed before you hire. Build that step into your onboarding so no worker starts a client assignment before the check is finished. Confirm with DCP which checks it expects and how results should be kept.

Be careful about who counts as an employee. Since the 2023 law change, the employee group includes temporary workers and independent contractors. Treating a caregiver as an independent contractor does not take that person outside your registration obligations. Whether a worker is a contractor or an employee is a legal and tax question, so have an attorney or CPA review your worker agreements before you use them.

Step 8: Submit the DCP Homemaker-Companion Registration

Find the homemaker-companion agency application on the DCP website and read it all the way through before you fill it out. Assemble the bond or insurance proof, your formation documents, your registered agent information and your hiring and client paperwork.

Some points to confirm directly with DCP:

• The initial registration fee. The annual renewal fee is $375, but confirm the first-year amount on the current application.
• Processing time. The state does not publish a turnaround figure here, so ask DCP before you plan a start date.
• How your first term is calculated. All registrations expire on October 31. A new registration may expire on the next October 31, which could be much sooner than a full year after you register. Ask DCP how your first expiration is set.
• Locations. One registration covers all of your locations, so you do not file a separate registration for each office or service area. Local zoning still applies to each physical office.

Do not begin providing services until DCP has registered your agency. Clients and referral sources may ask for proof of registration, so keep a copy where you can produce it quickly.

Step 9: Set Up Your Ongoing Compliance Calendar

Registration is not a one-time event. Put these recurring items on your calendar the day you register:

1. DCP renewal: $375 each year, with all registrations expiring October 31.
2. Secretary of the State annual report: $80 for an LLC or $150 for a corporation, filed every year. Business.CT.gov shows each entity its own next due date in your account. For LLCs, the widely reported practice is a January 1 to March 31 window, so confirm your date there. The annual report also updates your registered agent information.
3. Insurance or bond renewal: keep the $10,000 minimum with theft by an employee coverage in force at all times.
4. Tax filings: an LLC has no franchise tax or annual privilege tax in Connecticut. An LLC taxed as a partnership or S corporation may elect the optional Pass-Through Entity Tax with the Department of Revenue Services (DRS), and the election is annual and irrevocable for that year. An LLC taxed as a corporation pays the Corporation Business Tax of 7.5% of apportioned net income, with a $250 minimum, plus the phasing-out capital base tax. Ask a CPA which applies to you.
5. Sales tax permit: a business selling taxable goods or services must hold a Sales and Use Tax Permit, which carries a $100 registration fee. Non-medical companion services may or may not be taxable under current law, so confirm with DRS before you assume you need or do not need the permit. Start at https://portal.ct.gov/drs.

Tips and Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Using a restricted word in the name. 'Health,' 'medical' and 'nurse' cannot appear in the agency name. Check your logo, signage, website and advertising too, because a mismatch between your name and your marketing creates confusion.
• Listing a post office box as the registered agent address. The address must be a usual place of business that is staffed during business hours.
• Treating the SOTS filing as your license. Forming an LLC is a registration with the Secretary of the State. It does not authorize you to provide home care. The DCP registration is still required.
• Starting services before registration. Take on clients only after DCP has registered the agency and your coverage is in place.
• Hiring before background checks are done. Make the check a hard step in onboarding, not a task someone may skip when you are short-staffed.
• Missing October 31. Put the renewal on a calendar with two reminders, one at least 60 days ahead.
• Assuming home office use is allowed. Get the answer from your town in writing before you sign anything.
• Mixing up the bond and the business name rules. Coverage requirements and name restrictions are separate, and both must be met.
• Offering medical care under a non-medical registration. Hands-on medical care needs the DPH home health agency path. Do not blur the two in your service descriptions.

Expected Results

Completing this process may help you open a non-medical agency that is registered with the state, carries the required coverage and can show clients and referral partners that it meets the homemaker-companion rules. It is designed to give you a clear, documented base for hiring and serving clients. It does not guarantee that DCP will approve your application on the first submission, that any town will approve a home office, or that clients or referral sources will sign up.

Many first-year agencies spend more time on hiring, scheduling and insurance than on the filings themselves. The state does not publish a processing time for the DCP registration, so ask DCP and your town for their timing and build that into your launch plan.

Where to Get Help

• Connecticut Small Business Development Center (CTSBDC): free advising for owners at https://ctsbdc.uconn.edu/.
• SBA Connecticut district office: local resources at https://www.sba.gov/district/connecticut.
• Business.CT.gov business search: check name availability and entity status at https://service.ct.gov/business/s/onlinebusinesssearch.
• Department of Consumer Protection: the homemaker-companion application and current fees. Confirm the initial fee and processing time directly with DCP.

A Connecticut attorney can review your worker classification, client agreements and registered agent arrangement. A CPA can advise on the entity tax election, the sales tax question and your payroll setup. For complex situations, such as combining non-medical and medical services, bring both professionals in before you file.