CTConnecticut
Connecticut Lien Law Deadlines for Suppliers and Subcontractors
Connecticut generally requires the lien certificate within 90 days after furnishing stops, and a notice of intent within that period when no exemption applies. Lodge the certificate with the town clerk, serve the owner within 30 days after lodging, and generally start foreclosure and record a lis pendens within 1 year after recording.
Public date calculations cover Florida and Kansas. Connecticut dates require qualified review.
Risk context
Connecticut is High Risk for Suppliers
Connecticut stacks several steps into the same 90 days: a notice of intent when required, and a sworn lien certificate lodged with the town clerk, not a county office. The original contractor is an additional notice recipient only if it timely lodged the statutory affidavit. Service is formal, through a state marshal, proper officer, or indifferent person, and the owner gets credit for good-faith payments made to the original contractor before your notice arrives.
Deadline schedule
Connecticut Mechanics Lien Deadlines (Updated 2026)
Scroll sideways to see all deadline details.
| Deadline Type | Timing | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Lien Filing | 90 days from last furnishing | Must file lien by 90 days from last furnishing. Lodge the sworn lien certificate with the town clerk of the town where the property is located within 90 days after you stop furnishing (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 49-34). |
| Preliminary Notice | "Notice of Intent" — within 90 days after ceasing work | Serve after commencing and within 90 days after ceasing, unless you are the original contractor or a subcontractor whose written contract with that original contractor has the owner's written assent. Assent to a lower-tier contract is not that exemption. Serve the owner and, only if it lodged the required affidavit within 15 days after its own commencement, the original contractor (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 49-35(a)). |
| Service on Owner | Within 30 days after lodging the certificate | Use the formal service required by §§ 49-34 and 49-35: a true and attested copy served by a state marshal, proper officer or indifferent person. For an owner outside the town, check for a known local agent before using registered or certified mail; unclaimed mail requires the statutory publication procedure. Serve every owner (Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 49-34, 49-35). |
| Enforcement | 1 year after recording lien | Suit to enforce must be filed within 1 year. Start the foreclosure action and record a lis pendens on the town land records within 1 year after recording, or within 60 days after a final decision on an owner's application to reduce or discharge the lien, if later (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 49-39). |
| Statutes | Conn. Gen. Stat. §49-33; §49-34; §49-35; §49-39 | Also §§ 49-35a and 49-36. |
Supplier pitfalls
Common Supplier Mistakes in Connecticut
Skipping the notice of intent
A direct sale to the owner does not by itself resolve whether you are the original contractor. Establish that status, or the qualifying written-contract and written-assent exemption, before omitting notice. A supplier hired by a subcontractor cannot use assent to that lower-tier contract as the exemption. The original contractor receives notice only when its timely affidavit entitles it to notice. Owner payments can limit recovery (§§ 49-35, 49-36).
Treating a supply-and-install contract as a materials-only sale
Residential installation work, or arranging installation, can bring separate home-improvement requirements into play. The materials-only exclusion requires that the seller neither performs nor arranges installation labor (§ 20-419, as amended by P.A. 26-100 § 34). This supplier guide does not resolve those requirements. Check the actual work and contracting role, rather than treating every materials invoice as a materials-only claim. Also confirm the claim exceeds $10 and establish the contracting and property-interest facts under § 49-33. For covered downstream supply, § 49-35(b) does not require a separate owner agreement or consent.
Lodging the lien in the wrong place
Connecticut liens go to the town clerk where the property is located, not a county office, within 90 days after you stop furnishing. Then serve the owner a copy within 30 days of lodging it. If the 90th day falls on a weekend or holiday, obtain a specific filing and service review; do not assume a next-business-day extension.
Missing Enforcement Deadline
Within 1 year of recording, you must both start the foreclosure action and record a lis pendens on the town land records. Doing only one is not enough.
Deadline calculator
Not Sure Which Connecticut Deadline Applies?
Use this Connecticut guide and collect your project facts for qualified review.
Review Connecticut project factsThe public calculator provides dates only for reviewed Florida and Kansas scenarios; it does not calculate a Connecticut date.
Common questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Connecticut lien law deadlines?
Lodge the lien certificate with the town clerk within 90 days after you stop furnishing. Within the same period, serve any required notice of intent on the owner and an original contractor entitled to notice. Serve the owner a copy of the certificate within 30 days of lodging it, then start the foreclosure action and record a lis pendens within 1 year of recording.
What notices are required in Connecticut?
Unless an exemption applies, serve the notice of intent after commencing and within 90 days after ceasing. The exemptions are original-contractor status or a subcontractor's written contract with the original contractor assented to in writing by the owner. The original contractor is entitled to notice only if its affidavit was lodged within 15 days after its own commencement. Serve the owner the lien certificate within 30 days after lodging it. Our guide to the notice of intent to lien explains how these notices fit a collections timeline.
When must the lien be filed in Connecticut?
90 days from last furnishing. Lodge the sworn certificate with the town clerk where the property is located within 90 days after you stop furnishing materials or services (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 49-34).
What is the enforcement period in Connecticut?
1 year after recording lien. Start the foreclosure action and record a lis pendens on the town land records within that year, or within 60 days after a final decision on an owner's application to reduce or discharge the lien, if later (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 49-39).
What statutes apply to Connecticut liens?
Conn. Gen. Stat. §49-33; §49-34; §49-35; §49-39, plus § 49-35a on reducing or discharging a lien and § 49-36 on the owner's credit for good-faith payments.
Are these the 2024 Connecticut lien law deadlines?
This guide was reviewed in October 2026. For a 2024 claim, confirm the applicable statutory version and contract facts; the current guide is not a historical determination.
Important note