LLC Formation by State › Colorado
Colorado LLC formation: fees and rules (2026)
Forming an LLC in Colorado costs $50 in state fees, paid to the Colorado Secretary of State when you file the Articles of Organization. Colorado LLCs file a Periodic Report every year, due the last day of the entity's anniversary month, for $25. Every Colorado LLC must keep a registered agent with a Colorado street address.
- Official sources, checked October 20, 2026
- Prices verified October 2026
Colorado LLC fees and rules
- State filing fee
- $50
- Formation document
- Articles of Organization
- Filed with
- Colorado Secretary of State
- Yearly filing
- Periodic Report, every year, $25
- Due
- Last day of the entity's anniversary month
- Registered agent
- Required. A person 18 or older whose home or usual place of business is in Colorado (since July 1, 2025 the person has to hold a Colorado driver's license or ID or otherwise verify residency), or a business entity in good standing with a usual place of business in Colorado. The agent has to consent.
- Agent address
- The address has to be a physical address in Colorado, either a home or a usual place of business. P.O. boxes are not accepted.
- Filing fee rank
- 4th lowest of 50 (3 states charge less, 40 charge more)
Mainstay Filing
$199 / year, all-in, plus state fees
$199 a year plus Colorado’s $50 filing fee, which is passed through at cost.
- LLC formation, prepared and filed
- Registered agent, all year
- EIN application (with an SSN or ITIN)
- Annual report, prepared and filed every year it’s due
- Compliance reminders
The same $199 at renewal. Already have an LLC and only need an agent? Mainstay Filing’s registered agent service alone is $149 a year.
Prices verified October 21, 2026 on Mainstay Filing’s pricing and FAQ pages.
Colorado compared with neighboring states
How to form an LLC in Colorado
- Pick a name with “LLC” or “Limited Liability Company” in it, and check that it’s free on the Colorado Secretary of State business records.
- Name a registered agent: a person 18 or older whose home or usual place of business is in Colorado (since July 1, 2025 the person has to hold a Colorado driver's license or ID or otherwise verify residency), or a business entity in good standing with a usual place of business in Colorado. The agent has to consent.
- File the Articles of Organization with the Colorado Secretary of State and pay $50.
- Get an EIN from the IRS. It is free and comes after the LLC is formed.
- Sign an operating agreement among the members. It sets ownership and voting rules and stays with your records.
- File the yearly report. Colorado LLCs file a Periodic Report every year, due the last day of the entity's anniversary month, for $25.
Mainstay Filing takes care of the agent, the filing, the EIN application and each annual report for $199 a year plus Colorado’s fees.
Colorado LLC questions
How much does it cost to start an LLC in Colorado?
$50 to the state to file. Colorado LLCs file a Periodic Report every year, due the last day of the entity's anniversary month, for $25. With Mainstay Filing, the formation filing, registered agent, EIN application and annual reports are $199 a year on top of the state fees.
Does Colorado require an annual report for LLCs?
Yes. Colorado LLCs file a Periodic Report every year, due the last day of the entity's anniversary month, for $25.
Do I need a registered agent in Colorado?
Yes. A person 18 or older whose home or usual place of business is in Colorado (since July 1, 2025 the person has to hold a Colorado driver's license or ID or otherwise verify residency), or a business entity in good standing with a usual place of business in Colorado. The agent has to consent.
Can I form a Colorado LLC myself?
Yes. You can file the Articles of Organization directly with the Colorado Secretary of State and pay the $50 fee. A service such as Mainstay Filing files it for you and adds the registered agent, EIN application and annual reports for $199 a year.
Other LLC services, in brief
- Northwest Registered Agent: $39 plus the state fee, with its registered agent service included the first year, then $125 a year; annual report filing is an extra $100 plus the state fee.
- ZenBusiness: Starter package $0 plus the state fee; Pro is $199 a year with the EIN and annual-report filing, and its registered agent is a separate $199 a year that no package includes.
- Bizee: Basic package $0 plus the state fee (Standard $199, Premium $299), with one free year of its registered agent, which is $149 a year after that.
- LegalZoom: Basic package $0 plus the state fee (Pro $249, Premium $299); its registered agent is $249 a year for first-time agent customers.
Prices from each company’s own pages, checked October 20, 2026. Plus the state fee in every case.
Sources
- Colo. Rev. Stat. § 7-80-203 (Formation); contents per § 7-80-204 (multira state research spine): www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/info_center/fees/business.html, checked August 12, 2026
- Colorado formation fee: Filing fee, official source read 2026-10-01: www.coloradosos.gov/pubs/info_center/fees/business.html, checked October 1, 2026
- Colorado Secretary of State (multira state research spine): www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/business/FAQs/reports.html, checked August 12, 2026
- Colorado Secretary of State (multira state research spine): www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/business/helpFiles/REPORT_HELP.html, checked August 12, 2026
- Colorado yearly filing: Periodic report, official source read 2026-10-01: www.coloradosos.gov/pubs/business/FAQs/reports.html, checked October 1, 2026
- Colorado report due date (multira state research spine, due dates verified 714/714): colorado.public.law/statutes/crs_7-90-501, checked August 12, 2026
- Colorado registered agent statute (C.R.S. § 7-90-701): www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/business/FAQs/regAgent.html, checked October 20, 2026