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In Colorado, you form an LLC by filing Articles of Organization with the Secretary of State, and you do it online. The fee schedule shows $50 in the online column and n/a in the paper column, so there is no mailing it in. The yearly report is online only too. Our Colorado business guide shows how to search the records.
How should you check the name?
The test is that an entity name must be distinguishable, meaning different, from other names on record. The statute cited is 7-90-601 C.R.S. The Secretary of State publishes examples. ABC LLC differs from A B C LLC and A-B-C LLC. Case, periods, commas and apostrophes do not count as differences, so ABC Inc and A.B.C. Inc are the same name.
An LLC name must carry a designator. The state's list includes limited liability company, limited liability co., ltd. liability company, limited, L.L.C., LLC and ltd. The state runs two searches that people mix up. One checks name availability. The other searches the business database. Use both, and read our name availability guide.
A reservation costs $25 online and lasts 120 days. It can be renewed. See name reservation. Names cannot be transferred from one business to another.
Who is your registered agent?
Every Colorado entity needs one. An individual agent must be over 18 and live or work in Colorado. An entity can serve too. We cover consent, the address test, and the $10 change in the Colorado registered agent page.
What are the filing steps?
- Check the name.
- Choose an agent who agrees to serve.
- Go to the Secretary of State's page to file a form that creates a new record, and pick the LLC filing.
- Pay $50.
- Save the filed articles. Filed documents and certificates print free from the website.
The state does not ask for owner or member names. It says business entities are not required to file information about owners, officers, directors, members or managers. So the record shows only the entity type, ID number, status, principal office and agent. Keep ownership in your operating agreement.
What happens each year?
The periodic report costs $25 online. It must be filed electronically. The window runs from two months before your report month to two months after, with no penalty. Your report month is on the entity's Summary page. Miss the window and a $50 late filing penalty applies. Details are in our annual report deadlines guide.
What if you fall behind?
If an LLC does not file its periodic report on time, or does not keep a registered agent on file, its status becomes Noncompliant. After sixty days Noncompliant, it becomes Delinquent unless the right form is filed. The fix is the Statement Curing Delinquency at $100.
Names get a flag too. The state adds language to the end of the name when status changes through delinquency, dissolution or withdrawal. The delinquent entity name is saved for the entity for 400 days from the date of delinquency.
A Certificate of Good Standing is free online. The state grants one only when the status is Good Standing, and that status means the filing requirements have been met, not that anyone verified the business.
Filing at a glance
| Item | Colorado |
|---|---|
| Formation filing | Articles of Organization, online only |
| Filing fee | $50 |
| Name reservation | $25 online, 120 days |
| Periodic report | $25 online, yearly |
| Late filing penalty | $50 |
| Statement Curing Delinquency | $100 |
| Certificate of Good Standing | Free online |
All figures come from the Secretary of State's fee schedule linked above.
After approval
Draft an operating agreement, get an EIN (how to get an EIN), then open the bank account. If you plan to run the company from another state, read LLCs for non-residents. Nearby states to compare: Wyoming, Nebraska and Kansas.
Use the start an LLC form when you are ready.
After approval, check the rules in our Colorado business license guide.