Cleaning Service Permit Requirements in Stamford, CT

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

   Required if you have employees or operate as an LLC or corporation. Free from the IRS.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online application)

   Free

   Immediate (online application)

1. Connecticut Department of Revenue Services — Sales Tax Permit

   Required for all businesses selling tangible personal property or taxable services in Connecticut. Connecticut charges a 6.35% state sales tax and taxes certain services (broader base than many states). Register with the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services via myconneCT; a $100 registration fee applies.

   Official government source

   $100 (registration fee)·Immediate (online via myconneCT)

   $100 (registration fee)

   Immediate (online via myconneCT)

2. Connecticut Workers' Compensation Insurance

   Connecticut requires most employers to carry workers' compensation insurance for employees. Sole proprietors with no employees are generally exempt, but confirm with state requirements.

   Official government source

   Varies (typically $500–$2,000/year depending on payroll)·Immediate to 1 week

   Varies (typically $500–$2,000/year depending on payroll)

   Immediate to 1 week

1. Stamford Certificate of Occupancy and category-specific permits (no general business license)

   Stamford requires no general business license, and Connecticut has no statewide one - so nothing is issued annually to be displayed at the place of business. What Stamford does require is a Certificate of Occupancy for the premises from the Building Department, plus whichever category-specific permits fit the business. The city's Permits and Licenses catalogue lists Building Department permits (building, demolition, zoning, signs, temporary tents, contractor registration), Engineering excavation and obstruction permits, and Department of Health licences (annual food establishment, retail food store, mobile food establishment, cosmetology, massage establishment, hotel/motel, public pool, multiple family dwelling, rooming house, refuse trucks). Note the Building Department sits under Operations; Economic Development is a separate office that issues no permits.

   Official government source

   No general business license fee exists; Building, Engineering and Health permit fees are set per category by Stamford's adopted fee schedules·A building permit must be issued or refused within 30 days of application (CGS Sec. 29-263(a)); Health Department licences such as food and cosmetology run annually and require plan review and inspection before issuance

   No general business license fee exists; Building, Engineering and Health permit fees are set per category by Stamford's adopted fee schedules

   A building permit must be issued or refused within 30 days of application (CGS Sec. 29-263(a)); Health Department licences such as food and cosmetology run annually and require plan review and inspection before issuance

2. Stamford Trade Name (DBA) Certificate and home occupation zoning approval

   A cleaning service operating under any name other than the owner's own legal name must file a trade name certificate with the Stamford Town Clerk - CGS Sec. 35-1a requires the filing in the town where the business is principally transacted, on a form prescribed by the Secretary of the State, acknowledged before an officer qualified to administer oaths. The certificate is valid for five years and is renewable. Connecticut abolished county government in 1960, so there is no Fairfield County clerk. If the business is run from home, the use must also comply with the Stamford Zoning Regulations, administered by the Land Use Bureau's Zoning Enforcement division. Note CGS Sec. 35-1 itself was repealed effective January 1, 2025 and replaced by Secs. 35-1a to 35-1e.

   Official government source

   $20 for a trade name application, renewal, amendment or cancellation - a statewide statutory fee set by CGS Sec. 7-34a, plus $1 per page for a copy and $2 to certify it·The Town Clerk issues the trade name certificate on acceptance of the completed application; the certificate is then valid for five years (CGS Sec. 35-1a(d))

   $20 for a trade name application, renewal, amendment or cancellation - a statewide statutory fee set by CGS Sec. 7-34a, plus $1 per page for a copy and $2 to certify it

   The Town Clerk issues the trade name certificate on acceptance of the completed application; the certificate is then valid for five years (CGS Sec. 35-1a(d))

Official Sources

• City of Stamford Department of Building, Land Use & Economic Development
• Connecticut Department of Revenue Services — Sales Tax Permit

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