How to Start 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.
Putting a Colorado LLC on the books is less complicated than people fear — one form, one fee, one agent, and a couple of yearly upkeep items. Cost-wise: $50 for the state, about a week for the state to process, and then an annual maintenance cadence you keep up with. What's ahead: the steps, the costs in detail, and where our $199 service joins the process.
Build Your Colorado LLC — $199
For a one-time $199, we prep your Articles, submit them to Colorado Secretary of State, and notify you when they're approved (about about a week).
Build Your Colorado LLC — $199
The Case for A Colorado LLC
An LLC is what most US small businesses choose because it offers liability protection with minimal formality. Small businesses across Colorado default to the LLC structure for liability protection that doesn't come with corporate-level formality.
Colorado LLC Pricing
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Our LLC formation service | $199 one-time |
| State filing fee (Colorado Secretary of State) | $50 one-time |
| Registered agent (required for every Colorado LLC) | $99/year |
| State annual report fee | $25/year (Periodic Report) |
The $199 is paid to us; the state fee is paid to Colorado Secretary of State; and RA service runs $99 per year separately.
Important Colorado-specific notes: Periodic Report fee increased from $10 to $25 effective July 1, 2024. Online submission only; no paper filing. $50 late fee if filed in months 6-7 of filing window.
The Colorado LLC Formation Process
1. Pick a Name Colorado Secretary of State Will Accept
In Colorado, the entity name must signal LLC status with an approved designator and must be distinguishable from any other registered entity. Check availability with Colorado Secretary of State's online business entity database before you order business cards or buy a domain.
Words implying banking, insurance, or government affiliation are restricted in entity names. Skip them unless you've already cleared the relevant authority.
2. Line Up Your Registered Agent
The RA requirement applies to every limited liability company in Colorado: a real Colorado address (not a PO box alone) and presence throughout normal business hours. The agent details — name, address — sit on the public record at Colorado Secretary of State. Anyone with internet access can find them.
Our $99/year plan covers the agent role in Colorado — we're the address shown to the public; yours stays out of sight.
3. Lodge Your Articles of Organization at Colorado Secretary of State
This is the actual formation step: submit the formation paperwork to Colorado Secretary of State with $50 for the state's share. The fields on the form: the LLC name, the primary business address, the designated agent's name and address, whether members or managers run the LLC, and the organizer(s) doing the filing.
Visit the Colorado Secretary of State website for online filing. It's faster, and increasingly the only practical channel.
Standard turnaround is about a week from submission. A pay-for-speed option can usually be added at a higher fee.
4. Document the Operating Agreement
Colorado treats operating agreements as internal documents — not filed, not reviewed by the state, but indispensable for actually running the business. It spells out ownership stakes, distribution mechanics, management rights, and what happens when membership changes. Without a written agreement, Colorado's default LLC rules apply — and those rules are generic, not tailored to your situation.
5. Pull an EIN from the IRS
An EIN functions as the federal tax identifier for the LLC. You'll need it for banking, payroll, and federal tax filings. Get the EIN at IRS.gov — the form is a ten-minute affair, and the number is issued immediately.
EIN-for-a-fee services don't accomplish anything you can't — EINs are free from the IRS via a brief form.
6. Stay on Top of Ongoing Compliance
After formation, keeping the LLC active comes down to a small list of recurring tasks:
- Hold the designated agent designation on the Colorado record from formation onward
- File the state's yearly report by its due date every year
- Preserve a hard line between LLC and personal money (separate accounts, separate records)
- Keep current on the federal and state tax filings by their deadlines
Colorado Secretary of State can dissolve LLCs that fall out of compliance. After dissolution, the liability shield disappears until you reinstate.
Done with paperwork? Pay $199 and our team handles the Colorado formation filing.
How the Registered Agent Requirement Works
Holding a appointed agent on file is mandatory for every Colorado LLC, from formation through dissolution. Agent requirements include:
- Hold an actual Colorado location with a street address (PO box-only setups don't work)
- Remain available during the regular workday to receive court papers
- Scan and deliver incoming state correspondence and legal documents to your inbox the day they arrive
LLC owners who serve as their own agent expose their home addresses. Process servers, marketers, and anybody interested can pull it up at will.
Our Colorado agent product is $99/year. We handle the public-facing agent role and your address stays off the record.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to form an LLC in Colorado?
Forming the LLC runs $50 state-based fees. That's among the most affordable state filing fees nationally. Above the formation cost, the annual report charges $25/year (Periodic Report).
How long does it take to form an LLC in Colorado?
Colorado processes most LLC filings in about a week.
Does Colorado require an annual report?
Yes, every year. The annual report fee comes to $25/year (Periodic Report).
Do I need a registered agent for my Colorado LLC?
Yes. Every Colorado LLC needs a appointed agent based at an in-state address. The rule applies continuously from formation onward.
Can I form an LLC in Colorado if I live in another state?
Yes. A Colorado agent is still required — we cover that at $99 per year. Non-residents can form Colorado LLCs without any extra steps.
Begin Your Colorado LLC
If you'd rather DIY, file directly with Colorado Secretary of State using the Colorado Secretary of State website. The agent obligation remains regardless of how you file — the state collects $50.
Our service plays the appointed agent role for your Colorado LLC. Pricing: $99 per year — an in-state Colorado address on the public filing, same-day digital scans of legal documents, and deadline reminders ahead of each compliance date.
Need the standalone agent only? Our agent product on its own comes to $99/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.