How to start an LLC in Colorado

From the name check to the first Periodic Report, in the order Colorado expects them.

The state filings of a Colorado LLC: once to form it, then on a schedule.
  1. To form it Articles of Organization, $50
  2. Every year Periodic Report, $25, due by the end of the second month after the entity's periodic report month (the anniversary month)

A Colorado LLC is formed by filing the Articles of Organization with the Colorado Secretary of State, for $50. From then on, state fees come to $25 a year.

File with the Colorado Secretary of State

Before you file in Colorado

Colorado files everything online, and certificates of good standing are free online. The Secretary of State publishes its whole business register as public open data, updated daily.

Step by step

  1. Check that the name is free

    Start from our Colorado business lookup or go straight to the official Colorado search. Use the Secretary of State's name availability search, which says directly whether a specific name is available; a name must be distinguishable from every entity name already on record.

    The name must also say that it is an LLC, with words such as "Limited Liability Company" or "LLC". Our name availability guide covers what makes two names too close.

  2. Reserve the name, if you want to hold it

    Optional. If you are not ready to file, a reservation costs $25 and holds the name for 120 days, renewable. Source, checked 2026-10-26

  3. Appoint a registered agent

    The agent receives lawsuits and state mail for the LLC at a street address in Colorado. You may serve yourself if you have one there; a commercial agent keeps your own address off the record. See what a registered agent does.

  4. File the Articles of Organization

    File the Articles of Organization with the Colorado Secretary of State. The state fee is $50. Online only; Colorado has no paper option. Source, checked 2026-10-26

  5. Get an EIN from the IRS, free

    With the approval in hand, get the LLC's federal tax number, the EIN, from the IRS online application. It costs nothing and gives the number at once. Banks ask for it before they open a business account.

  6. Write an operating agreement

    It records who owns the LLC, how profit is split, who decides and what happens when a member leaves. It stays with the company's records; the Colorado Secretary of State never sees it. Without one, Colorado's default LLC rules fill the gaps. See what goes in one.

  7. Keep it in good standing

    Periodic Report: $25, every year, due By the end of the second month after the entity's periodic report month (the anniversary month); it can be filed from two months before to two months after that month without penalty. Source, checked 2026-10-26

    An LLC that falls behind on these, or is left without a registered agent, can be dissolved by the state.

What a Colorado LLC costs

To form $50
  • Articles of Organization Source, checked 2026-10-26 $50
Every year to keep it $25 a year
  • Periodic Report Source, checked 2026-10-26 $25 a year

Periodic Report: due By the end of the second month after the entity's periodic report month (the anniversary month); it can be filed from two months before to two months after that month without penalty.

State fees only, as each state publishes them, checked on the date beside each line. Not legal or tax advice.

Only state fees are counted here, not a registered agent service or a city or county license.

After filing, the LLC shows up in the Colorado business lookup with its status and agent. The bank account and local licenses come next; how to start an LLC covers them.

General information, not legal or tax advice. Facts checked 2026-10-26 against the official sources linked above; confirm with the state or the IRS before you file. How we check our facts · Report an error