How to Start an LLC in Colorado: Fees, Filings and Annual Requirements
Forming an LLC in Colorado: the state filing fee, how to file, name rules, registered agent, annual report, state taxes, DBA and sales tax permit — from the official state sources.
Quick answers for Colorado
- LLC filing fee
- Articles of Organization for a Colorado LLC cost $50.00, filed online (the fee schedule lists no paper option). Colorado Secretary of State, Business Organizations Fee Schedule
- Annual report
- LLCs file a Periodic Report with the Secretary of State every year, online only. The report can be filed from two months before to two months after the entity's Periodic Report month (shown on its summary page) without penalty. Colorado Secretary of State Periodic Reports FAQs and Business Organizations Fee Schedule
- How to file
- File Articles of Organization online with the Colorado Secretary of State's business organizations filing system. Colorado Secretary of State, Business Organizations Fee Schedule and Registered Agent FAQs
Last verified: 2026-10-27
Forming the LLC
| LLC filing fee | Articles of Organization for a Colorado LLC cost $50.00, filed online (the fee schedule lists no paper option). Expedited filing for business organization documents (fulfilled within 3 business days) is an additional $150.00 and is listed as a paper-only service. |
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| How to file | File Articles of Organization online with the Colorado Secretary of State's business organizations filing system. The registered agent must consent to the appointment, and an individual registered agent must provide a Colorado driver's license or ID number or verify Colorado residency with the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State pages reviewed do not state a typical processing time. |
| Name rules and reservation | Colorado law (C.R.S. 7-90-601) requires most entities, including LLCs, to include a term or abbreviation identifying the entity type, and the Secretary of State will not add it for you. The name must be distinguishable from other entity names on record; punctuation and capitalization do not make a name distinguishable. A Reservation of Name costs $25.00 online; renewal and transfer of a reserved name are $25.00 each. |
| Registered agent | Every LLC must appoint one registered agent with a physical address in Colorado. An individual agent must live in Colorado or have a usual place of business there and hold a current Colorado driver's license or ID (or verify residency another way). An entity agent must be in good standing and have a usual place of business in Colorado. The agent must consent. A Statement of Change changing the registered agent information costs $10.00 online. |
Keeping the LLC in good standing
| Annual report | LLCs file a Periodic Report with the Secretary of State every year, online only. The report can be filed from two months before to two months after the entity's Periodic Report month (shown on its summary page) without penalty. The fee is $25.00, and the late filing penalty is $50.00. An LLC that does not file becomes delinquent; curing delinquency costs $100.00. |
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| DBA / assumed name | Colorado calls a DBA a "trade name." A corporation or LLC doing business under a name other than its true name must file a Statement of Trade Name with the Secretary of State. The fee is $20.00 online (renewal $5.00, withdrawal $10.00). Trade names are not unique, so more than one business can file the same trade name, and a trade name cannot be reserved. |
Out-of-state LLCs and closing
| Registering an out-of-state LLC | An out-of-state LLC files a Statement of Foreign Entity Authority online with the Secretary of State. The fee is $100.00. If its true name is not available in Colorado, it must use an assumed entity name. A Foreign Entity Authority Withdrawal costs $10.00. |
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| Closing an LLC | A Colorado LLC may file a Statement of Dissolution online through the Secretary of State's website. The fee is $10.00. After dissolution, the entity's name in the records changes to include the word "dissolved" and the date. |
Where to get help in Colorado
Starting an LLC & Small Business FAQ
How much does it cost to form an LLC in Colorado?
Articles of Organization for a Colorado LLC cost $50.00, filed online (the fee schedule lists no paper option). Expedited filing for business organization documents (fulfilled within 3 business days) is an additional $150.00 and is listed as a paper-only service.
How do you form an LLC in Colorado?
File Articles of Organization online with the Colorado Secretary of State's business organizations filing system. The registered agent must consent to the appointment, and an individual registered agent must provide a Colorado driver's license or ID number or verify Colorado residency with the Secretary of State.
What are the LLC name requirements in Colorado?
Colorado law (C.R.S. 7-90-601) requires most entities, including LLCs, to include a term or abbreviation identifying the entity type, and the Secretary of State will not add it for you. The name must be distinguishable from other entity names on record; punctuation and capitalization do not make a name distinguishable. A Reservation of Name costs $25.00 online; renewal and transfer of a reserved name are $25.00 each.
Do you need a registered agent for an LLC in Colorado?
Every LLC must appoint one registered agent with a physical address in Colorado. An individual agent must live in Colorado or have a usual place of business there and hold a current Colorado driver's license or ID (or verify residency another way). An entity agent must be in good standing and have a usual place of business in Colorado. The agent must consent. A Statement of Change changing the registered agent information costs $10.00 online.
Does an LLC have to file an annual report in Colorado?
LLCs file a Periodic Report with the Secretary of State every year, online only. The report can be filed from two months before to two months after the entity's Periodic Report month (shown on its summary page) without penalty. The fee is $25.00, and the late filing penalty is $50.00. An LLC that does not file becomes delinquent; curing delinquency costs $100.00.
How do you register a DBA in Colorado?
Colorado calls a DBA a "trade name." A corporation or LLC doing business under a name other than its true name must file a Statement of Trade Name with the Secretary of State. The fee is $20.00 online (renewal $5.00, withdrawal $10.00). Trade names are not unique, so more than one business can file the same trade name, and a trade name cannot be reserved.
How do you register a foreign LLC in Colorado?
An out-of-state LLC files a Statement of Foreign Entity Authority online with the Secretary of State. The fee is $100.00. If its true name is not available in Colorado, it must use an assumed entity name. A Foreign Entity Authority Withdrawal costs $10.00.
How do you dissolve an LLC in Colorado?
A Colorado LLC may file a Statement of Dissolution online through the Secretary of State's website. The fee is $10.00. After dissolution, the entity's name in the records changes to include the word "dissolved" and the date.
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General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.