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How to start an LLC in Colorado: checklist (2026)
To start an LLC in Colorado, file the Articles of Organization with the Colorado Secretary of State for $50, name a registered agent, get a free EIN and check your local licenses. Mainstay Filing, our best overall pick, does the filing, the agent, the EIN application and the report for $199 a year.
- Official sources, checked October 20, 2026
Colorado checklist
- File the formation document. Articles of Organization, Colorado Secretary of State, $50.
- Name a 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.
- Get an EIN. Free from the IRS online.
- Check licenses. Colorado Secretary of State says: “Contact your city hall or county clerk to obtain necessary business licenses or other special licenses” (general licenses are issued locally).
- Keep it current. Periodic Report, yearly: $25, due last day of the entity's anniversary month.
Mainstay Filing
$199 / year, same at renewal
- LLC formation, prepared and filed
- Registered agent, all year
- EIN application (with an SSN or ITIN)
- Annual report filed every year it is due where the state requires one
- Compliance reminders and stored documents
Price from the Mainstay Filing pricing and FAQ pages, checked October 21, 2026. State fees are passed through at cost and shown before you pay.
Questions
How much does it cost to start an LLC in Colorado?
The state filing fee is $50 for the Articles of Organization. The first Periodic Report later costs $25.
Do I need a registered agent in Colorado?
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Do I need a business license in Colorado?
Colorado Secretary of State says: “Contact your city hall or county clerk to obtain necessary business licenses or other special licenses” (general licenses are issued locally).
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
- Colorado Secretary of State: www.sos.state.co.us/, checked October 20, 2026
- IRS: Get an employer identification number: www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/get-an-employer-identification-number, checked October 21, 2026
- Colorado Secretary of State (business license statement): www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/business/businessChecklist.html, checked October 21, 2026