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  ● Colorado · LLC Formation

How to Form an LLC in Colorado

Form your Colorado LLC in one of the simplest, cheapest states – CountSure files your online Articles of Organization and tracks your $25 Periodic Report deadline. $50 to file, online and approved in real time.

 
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Requirements, costs & steps for a Colorado LLC

Colorado is one of the easiest and most affordable states to form an LLC: it costs just $50, everything is done online, and your filing is usually approved in real time. There’s no franchise tax, and your only recurring obligation is a $25 annual Periodic Report. This guide covers the real costs, the filing order, and that yearly report in plain terms. Want it handled for you? Our Colorado LLC formation service files everything and tracks your Periodic Report deadline.

The short answer: To form a Colorado LLC you file Articles of Organization online with the Secretary of State for a $50 fee there is no paper option and appoint a registered agent with a physical Colorado address. Filings are processed in real time, and you can choose an immediate effective date or delay it up to 90 days. Every Colorado LLC then files a $25 Periodic Report each year. Colorado has no franchise tax and a flat 4.4% income tax

You can verify the fees from official website of Colorado – Click here to verify

  ● Key takeaways

What you need to know?

  • Filing fee: $50 for Articles of Organization, filed online with the Colorado Secretary of State (no paper filing).
  • Periodic Report: $25 every year - Colorado’s name for the annual report - due in a window tied to your formation anniversary month.
  • No franchise tax: Colorado imposes no franchise tax on LLCs; income is generally reported on your federal return.
  • Real-time processing: Online filings are approved immediately, with an option to delay the effective date up to 90 days.
  • Registered agent: Required - must have a physical Colorado street address (no PO box).

Colorado LLC at a glance

The essentials for forming and maintaining a Colorado LLC. Verify all figures before publishing.
Requirement Detail (2026)
Formation document Articles of Organization (online only)
Filing agency Colorado Secretary of State
State filing fee $50
Filing method Online only — no paper filing
Typical processing time Real-time (immediate); delayed effective date up to 90 days
Registered agent Required; physical Colorado address
Annual report Periodic Report — $25/year, tied to anniversary month
Franchise tax None
Income tax Flat 4.4% (individual & corporate)
Name reservation (optional) 120 days for $25

⬤ Step by step

How to form a Colorado LLC, step by step

Seven steps from name check through your June 1 annual tax.

Choose and check your LLC name

Your name must include “LLC,” “L.L.C.,” or “Limited Liability Company,” and be distinguishable from existing Colorado entities. Search the Secretary of State’s business database; you can optionally reserve a name for 120 days for $25

Appoint a registered agent

Colorado requires a registered agent with a physical in state address (no PO box) available during business hours. Note: as of 2025, Colorado registered agents must verify they meet state requirements. CountSure can serve as your registered agent.

File Articles of Organization online

File through the Secretary of State’s portal with the $50 fee (credit/debit card). There’s no paper option. You’ll provide the LLC name, principal address, registered agent, and organizer details, and choose member- or manager-managed.

Choose your effective date
Filings process in real time, but you can set a delayed effective date up to 90 days out – useful for a clean January 1 start.
Create an operating agreement
Not filed with the state, but strongly recommended – it sets ownership, profit splits, and management and reinforces your liability protection.
Get an EIN from the IRS

Free, and needed for banking, hiring, and taxes

Track your Periodic Report
Each LLC is assigned a Periodic Report month based on its anniversary; the $25 report is due within that window each year. Set a reminder – late filing adds a $50 penalty and risks delinquency.

  ⬤ Naming & ownership

Naming & member requirements

Countsure illustrated guide on forming an LLC in Colorado — business professional completing Colorado LLC formation checklist covering business name, name reservation, members, management, and certificate of formation
A compliant name and a clear management structure keep your filing moving. Here’s what Colorado requires.
  • Required ending: “LLC,” “L.L.C.,” or “Limited Liability Company.”
  • Restricted words: Terms implying banking or regulated activity generally need approval.
  • Optional reservation: Hold an available name for 120 days for $75 before filing
    (a Trade Name/DBA is separate, $20).
  • Minimum members: One - Colorado allows single-member LLCs. No residency or age requirement.
  • Management: Member managed or manager managed; owners’ names are not required on the public filing.

Ongoing Colorado LLC compliance & taxes

Periodic Report - $25

Under C.R.S. 7-90-501, every Colorado LLC files a Periodic Report each year to stay in good standing. It’s Colorado’s version of an annual report ($25), filed online, confirming your principal address and registered agent. Your due date is your formation anniversary month, and Colorado allows filing from two months before to two months after that month without penalty (a five-month window). Miss it and a $50 late penalty applies; prolonged non-filing leads to “delinquent” status and can cost you your business name.

No franchise tax; flat income tax

Colorado imposes no franchise tax. LLC profits pass through to your personal return by default, taxed at Colorado’s flat 4.4% income tax rate. If you elect corporate taxation, the corporate rate is also a flat 4.4%.

Sales tax

If you sell taxable goods or services, register with the Colorado Department of Revenue for a sales tax license. Colorado’s state rate is 2.9% plus local rates, and the state has home-rule cities that administer their own sales tax.

EIN and licenses

Get a free EIN from the IRS. Colorado has no statewide general business license, but many cities/counties require a local license, and some industries need specific permits.

Colorado LLC cost breakdown

What you’ll actually pay to form and run a Colorado LLC. Verify figures before publishing.
Item Cost (2026) · paid to
Articles of Organization $50 · Secretary of State (one-time, online)
Periodic Report (annual) $25 / year · Secretary of State, tied to anniversary month
Name reservation (optional) $25 · 120-day hold
Trade Name / DBA (optional) $20 filing (+ $5/yr renewal) · Secretary of State
Registered agent (optional service) ~$49–$300/yr · third party
EIN $0 · IRS (free)

  ⬤ Expert view

Insight from our team

Our guidance reflects hands-on filing experience across all 50 states and the District of Columbia, reviewed against current Secretary of State and Department of Revenue requirements.

“Colorado is one of the smoothest states to file in – it’s online-only, it processes in real time, and there’s no franchise tax, so a lot of founders are up and running the same day. The one thing people forget is the Periodic Report, because the due date is tied to your anniversary month, not a fixed calendar date. We use the 90-day delayed effective date when a client forms late in the year and wants a clean January 1 start, and we calendar the Periodic Report from day one so nobody drifts into delinquency.”

Parth Shah
CountSure

  ⬤ Keep exploring

Related guides & services

  • All state formation guides

Frequently asked questions

The state filing fee is $50, filed online. After that, your main recurring cost is the $25 annual Periodic Report. Colorado has no franchise tax.

Yes, but it’s called a Periodic Report. It costs $25 per year and is due in a window tied to your LLC’s formation anniversary month.

No. Colorado has discontinued paper filing for Articles of Organization – all LLC filings are done online, and they process in real time.

No. Colorado imposes no franchise tax on LLCs. Income is generally reported on your federal return and taxed at the state’s flat 4.4% rate.
Online filings are processed in real time – usually immediately. You can also set a delayed effective date up to 90 days out.

Yes. You must appoint a registered agent with a physical Colorado address. You can serve as your own, but many owners use a service for privacy and reliability.

 

Get Started

Start your Colorado LLC with CountSure

From the online Articles of Organization to your EIN, registered agent, and that $25 Periodic Report, CountSure handles your Colorado LLC end to end.

  • Free 30-minute consultation with a CPA
  • Fixed-fee, fully transparent pricing
  • 100% remote - no travel or visa required

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