Where to file bankruptcy in Connecticut

Which Connecticut court you file in, its divisions and phone, and what happens after you file.

Checked against official sources: October 25, 2026.

Short answer

You file in the federal bankruptcy district where you lived (your domicile) for most of the 180 days before filing.

Federal bankruptcy courts: 1
Courts: U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Connecticut

The bankruptcy courts in Connecticut

You file in the federal bankruptcy district where you lived (your domicile) for most of the 180 days before filing. Connecticut is one district with offices in Hartford, New Haven and Bridgeport: https://www.ctb.uscourts.gov/court-info/court-locations.

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1408

U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Connecticut

Divisions: Hartford, New Haven, Bridgeport

Clerk's phone: 860-240-3675 (Hartford)

Court's self-help page

In nearby states

Rhode Island: U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Rhode Island
Massachusetts: U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Massachusetts
New Jersey: U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey

Steps to file in Connecticut

Pick the right court
The court is set by where you lived for most of the past 180 days.
Check local rules
Court websites: U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Connecticut.
Do the first course
Take it before you file and keep the certificate. U.S. Trustee list of approved credit counseling agencies.
Prepare the forms
Get the official bankruptcy forms.
Talk to legal aid
Ask for free help: Connecticut Bar Association Bankruptcy Pro Bono Program and Statewide Legal Services of Connecticut.

Free legal help in Connecticut

Questions about filing in Connecticut

How do I find my bankruptcy court in Connecticut?

What are the Connecticut means test numbers?

For cases filed on or after April 1, 2026: 1 person: $84,302; 2 people: $106,224; 3 people: $134,470; 4 people: $159,934; Each extra person: +$11,100.

Who helps with bankruptcy for free in Connecticut?

Connecticut Bar Association Bankruptcy Pro Bono Program, Statewide Legal Services of Connecticut and CTLawHelp.org.

Related Connecticut pages

Court fees

Chapter 7 filing fee. To file Chapter 7 you pay $338 to the court: a $245 filing fee, a $78 administrative fee and a $15 trustee fee. A married couple filing one joint case pays one set of fees.

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1930(a)(1)(A); Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, items 8 and 9 (effective December 1, 2023)

Chapter 13 filing fee. To file Chapter 13 you pay $313 to the court: a $235 filing fee and a $78 administrative fee.

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1930(a)(1)(B); Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, item 8 (effective December 1, 2023)

Paying in installments. If you cannot pay the whole fee at once, you can ask to pay it in installments. File Official Form 103A with your petition. The court decides the plan: no more than 4 payments, all paid within 120 days after you file. For a good reason the court can give you more time, but the last payment must be made within 180 days. Until the fee is paid in full, you may not pay your lawyer or petition preparer.

Law: Fed. R. Bankr. P. 1006(b) (as amended Dec. 1, 2024)

Fee waiver. In Chapter 7 only, the court may waive the fee. You must have income below 150% of the official poverty line for your family size, and you must be unable to pay the fee even in installments. Ask by filing Official Form 103B with your petition. The judge decides.

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1930(f)(1); Fed. R. Bankr. P. 1006(c)

After you file: the meeting

About a month after you file, you must attend the 'meeting of creditors' (341 meeting). The trustee asks you questions under oath about your property and debts. Creditors may come and ask questions. No judge attends. Chapter 7: 21 to 40 days after filing. Chapter 13: 21 to 50 days after filing. Bring photo ID and proof of your Social Security number. If you file jointly, both spouses must attend.

Law: 11 U.S.C. 341, 343; Fed. R. Bankr. P. 2003(a), 4002(b)(1)

Two required courses

Credit counseling before you file. Before you file, you must take a credit counseling course (a 'briefing') from an agency approved by the U.S. Trustee Program. You must take it within 180 days before you file. It can be in person, by phone or online, alone or in a group. Keep the certificate: you file it with your case. If you skip it, your case can be dismissed.

Law: 11 U.S.C. 109(h), 111

Debtor education after you file. After you file, you must take a second, separate course on personal financial management (debtor education) from an approved provider. In most cases you get no discharge without it. Chapter 7: file the certificate within 60 days after the first date set for the meeting of creditors. Chapter 13: by the date of your last plan payment. Some providers send the certificate to the court for you.

Law: 11 U.S.C. 727(a)(11), 1328(g); Fed. R. Bankr. P. 1007(b)(7), 1007(c)(4)

Where to file bankruptcy in Connecticut

Short answer

The bankruptcy courts in Connecticut

In nearby states

Steps to file in Connecticut

Pick the right court

Check local rules

Do the first course

Prepare the forms

Talk to legal aid

Free legal help in Connecticut

Questions about filing in Connecticut

Related Connecticut pages