How to Form an LLC in Colorado
Formation runs $199 one time plus Colorado's $50 filing fee — we draft and submit your Articles of Organization. Keeping the LLC compliant afterward takes a Colorado registered agent, a separate $99/year line item.
Colorado made LLC formation a single online transaction: Articles of Organization, $50, filed through the Secretary of State's portal. There is no paper route and no form number, just the portal, the fee, and a short list of decisions to make before you file. Below are the official steps, the exact fees, and where our $199 service picks up the work.
Build Your Colorado LLC — $199
For a one-time $199 we prepare your Articles of Organization, file them through the Colorado Secretary of State's online system, and send you the approved record as soon as the state issues it.
The Case for a Colorado LLC
An LLC gives you liability protection without corporate formality, which is why it is the default structure for small businesses across Colorado. Personal assets stay separated from business claims, and the upkeep list stays short.
Colorado LLC Filing Fee: $50
| Line item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Our LLC formation service | $199, one time |
| Colorado Articles of Organization (state fee) | $50, one time |
| Registered agent, required continuously | $99 per year |
| Periodic Report (Colorado's annual report, state fee) | $25 per year |
The official Colorado filing fee is $50, listed on the Secretary of State's fee schedule as the online fee for LLC Articles of Organization; the paper column on that schedule reads "n/a" because no paper option exists. Registering an out-of-state LLC into Colorado instead? That filing is the Statement of Foreign Entity Authority at $100, and it is online-only too.
Articles of Organization: Colorado's Formation Document
The statutory basis is Colo. Rev. Stat. § 7-80-203, which provides: "One or more persons may form a limited liability company by delivering articles of organization to the secretary of state for filing pursuant to part 3 of article 90 of this title." What the articles must contain is spelled out in § 7-80-204: the LLC's name, principal office address, registered agent, management structure, and the person or persons forming it.
There is no numbered state form to download. Colorado accepts Articles of Organization online only, through the Secretary of State's business portal, so the official form name is all there is; the "form" itself is the portal's guided filing.
How to Form an LLC in Colorado: The Official Steps
- Pick a name that carries an LLC designator and is distinguishable from every entity already on the Colorado record. The Secretary of State's business database search settles availability in seconds.
- Appoint a registered agent who qualifies under Colorado law. Note the quirk: the LLC cannot name itself as its own agent on the formation filing (owners who want that arrangement appoint an eligible person first and change the appointment later). Our $99 per year service slots in here and keeps your home address off the record.
- File the Articles of Organization through the Secretary of State's online portal and pay the $50 state fee. You will enter the name, principal address, agent details, whether members or managers run the company, and the organizer.
- Put an operating agreement in writing. Colorado never sees or files it, but it is the document that governs ownership splits, distributions, and exits; without one, the statute's generic default rules decide.
- Get your EIN directly from the IRS. It is free, the online application is short, and the number issues immediately. Nobody needs to be paid for this step.
- Calendar the Periodic Report. Colorado's annual report is a $25 online filing due around your anniversary month, with a window running from two months before it to two months after.
The Registered Agent Requirement, Start to Finish
A Colorado LLC carries the agent requirement from its first day to its last. The agent needs a physical Colorado street address (a PO box alone will not do) and has to be present during normal business hours to accept service of process. Whoever holds the role sits in the public record, name and address, for anyone to look up.
That visibility is the reason most owners point the role at us: our address takes the public exposure, and every document that arrives is scanned to your inbox the same day.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to form an LLC in Colorado?
The state fee is $50 for the Articles of Organization, which lands near the low end nationally. Budget the $25 Periodic Report each year after that.
How long does it take to form an LLC in Colorado?
Colorado runs formation entirely through its online portal, so there is no paper backlog to wait behind. Check the Secretary of State's site for current processing times when you file.
Does Colorado require an annual report?
Yes. Colorado calls it the Periodic Report: $25 per year, filed online, tied to your anniversary month.
Do I need a registered agent for my Colorado LLC?
Yes, continuously. Every Colorado LLC keeps an agent with a physical in-state address on the record from formation until dissolution.
Can I form an LLC in Colorado if I live in another state?
Yes. Colorado does not require owners to be residents. The registered agent is the piece that must be in-state, and our $99 per year service covers exactly that.
Begin Your Colorado LLC
Prefer to file it yourself? Go straight to the Secretary of State's online portal; the state's share is $50, and the agent requirement applies either way. Prefer to hand it off? $199, one time, and we handle the filing end to end.
Only need the agent? Our registered agent service is $99 per year on its own.
Questions about Colorado LLC formation or the registered agent piece? Visit our FAQ page or reach out any weekday.
Ready to get started?
The yearly fee handles your agent needs — registered address, document scans, and deadline tracking.