Event Planning Permit Requirements in New Haven, CT

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

   Required if operating as a business entity (LLC or corporation) or if you have employees. Free from the IRS. You will need an EIN to open a business bank account and sign vendor contracts professionally.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online application)

   Free

   Immediate (online application)

1. Connecticut business registration (Secretary of the State) and trade name filing

   Event planning businesses formed as an LLC, corporation or partnership must register with the Connecticut Secretary of the State; an LLC's certificate of organization costs $120 and the annual report is $80. Sole proprietors and partnerships operating under a trade name file a trade name certificate with the town clerk of the town where the business is located (CGS Sec. 35-1) - Connecticut has no county government and no county clerks, and the Secretary of the State does not file sole proprietor trade names. An LLC also provides personal liability protection that a trade name filing does not.

   Official government source

   $120 LLC certificate of organization; $20 trade name certificate at the town clerk; $80 LLC annual report·1-7 business days for an online filing with the Secretary of the State

   $120 LLC certificate of organization; $20 trade name certificate at the town clerk; $80 LLC annual report

   1-7 business days for an online filing with the Secretary of the State

2. Connecticut Sales and Use Tax Permit (if selling taxable goods or services)

   Event planning coordination is generally not itself a taxable service in Connecticut, but a planner who sells tangible goods - supplies, decorations, rented items, floral arrangements - or any enumerated taxable service must register with the Department of Revenue Services before making those sales. Registration is done online through myconneCT under 'New Business/Need a CT Registration Number?'. DRS then issues a Sales and Use Tax Permit that must be displayed conspicuously for customers; a separate permit is required for each business location, and a permit issued to a previous owner cannot be reused when a business is purchased.

   Official government source

   $100 registration fee to collect sales and use tax, charged once per location at registration·Registration through myconneCT is completed online; the Sales and Use Tax Permit follows registration

   $100 registration fee to collect sales and use tax, charged once per location at registration

   Registration through myconneCT is completed online; the Sales and Use Tax Permit follows registration

1. No general business license required in New Haven

   New Haven does not issue a blanket municipal business license covering every business, and event planners do not need one. City licensing is category specific - food service, peddlers and vendors, and similar regulated activities. Events using public parks, streets or plazas need a separate special event permit, and a trade name certificate ($20) is filed with the City Clerk if you work under a business name.

   Official government source

   No fee - New Haven issues no general business license·Not applicable

   No fee - New Haven issues no general business license

   Not applicable

2. New Haven Special Event Permit (for events in public spaces)

   Events that use New Haven's public parks, streets, plazas or other city venues need a special event or pavilion permit from the city, and as the event planner you may be applying on the client's behalf. Availability is reserved through the parks permit office before the application is filed, and personal checks are not accepted for permit payments.

   Official government source

   Fee set by the city's parks and special event permit schedule; requests filed less than three weeks ahead add a $40 late charge·Submit at least three weeks before the event (New Haven Code Sec. 19-7)

   Fee set by the city's parks and special event permit schedule; requests filed less than three weeks ahead add a $40 late charge

   Submit at least three weeks before the event (New Haven Code Sec. 19-7)

3. New Haven Special Event / Temporary Use Permit

   Connecticut has no unincorporated land and no county government, so every event site sits inside a city or town. Events using New Haven parks, streets, plazas or other public property require a special event or pavilion permit from the city (Parks and Public Works, with sign-offs from police, fire and health as the event requires). Expect to provide a site plan, proof of insurance and sanitation arrangements for larger gatherings.

   Official government source

   Fee set by the city's parks and special event permit schedule; requests filed less than three weeks ahead add a $40 late charge·Submit at least three weeks before the event (New Haven Code Sec. 19-7)

   Fee set by the city's parks and special event permit schedule; requests filed less than three weeks ahead add a $40 late charge

   Submit at least three weeks before the event (New Haven Code Sec. 19-7)

Official Sources

• New Haven Business Licensing
• Connecticut Secretary of State — Business Registration
• IRS EIN Application

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