Colorado LLC Fees

Want to know how much it costs to set up your own Colorado LLC?

In this guide, you’ll learn the fees and details for:

• Articles of Organization ($50)
• Registered Agent ($0 or $125)
• Operating Agreement ($0)
• Federal Tax ID Number ($0)
• Periodic Report ($10)

Forming an LLC in Colorado is quite affordable…

Filing Your Articles of Organization with Colorado

(One-time Filing Fee: $50)

Your Articles of Organization officially create your LLC with the state. Filing your LLC with Colorado is done online only. You’ll need to pay a one-time filing fee of $50 with one of the following accepted debit or credit cards:

• VISA
• Mastercard
• American Express

You can file your Articles of Organization here:

Colorado Online Business Filing

If your LLC has 2 or more members, you’ll need to submit the “Additional Members” form with your Articles of Organization.

If you need help filing your CO Articles of Organization, you can watch these video instructions. Or, you can also contact the Secretary of State’s Business Department at the following:

Phone: 303-894-2200 (hours: M-F, 8:00am – 5:00pm MT)

Registered Agent for your Colorado LLC

(Fee: $0 or $125)

A Registered Agent is someone who will accept legal documents for your LLC.

You can be your LLC’s Registered Agent if you have a street address in Colorado. Or, your LLC can be its own Registered Agent, as long as your LLC has a street address in Colorado.

If you don’t have a street address, you can pick a family member or a friend to be your LLC’s Registered Agent.

These options won’t cost you anything.

But, if you don’t have a street address in Colorado, you’ll need to hire a Registered Agent.

We recommend Northwest Registered Agent ($125 per year). They’ve been in business for 20 years and have excellent customer service.

Operating Agreement

(Fee: $0)

An Operating Agreement is the written set of rules for how you and any additional members run the LLC.

(note: it’s still best practice to have an Operating Agreement if if you’re the only member)

Included in your Operating Agreement is:

• your percentage of ownership
• how the members will share profits/losses (100% goes to you if you’re the only member)
• how taxes are paid

Unlike the Articles of Organization, your LLC’s Operating Agreement is not submitted to the State. This means that there are also no state fees to pay.

Typically, you would need to pay a lawyer or use an online site to get an Operating Agreement. Lawyers charge a few hundred dollars and websites will charge you about $50-$100.

But, we want to be a valuable resource to you. You can download our Operating Agreement for free (below), and simply fill in the blanks to customize it to your LLC.

Free LLC Operating Agreement (PDF)
Free LLC Operating Agreement (Google Docs)
Free LLC Operating Agreement (Microsoft Word)

For instructions on how to fill out your Operating Agreement correctly, watch this video.

Federal Tax ID Number

(Fee: $0)

A Federal Tax ID Number identifies your LLC with the IRS. This is also known as an Employer Identification Number (or EIN).

You’ll need to wait until after Colorado approves your LLC before obtaining your Federal Tax ID Number from the IRS.

The easiest way to get your Federal Tax ID Number is through the IRS’s online application:

Get an EIN

Most websites usually charge $75 to do your application, but you can actually do it yourself for free.

For any questions related to the online application, you can contact the IRS below.

IRS Phone support: 800-829-4933
Other IRS Phone Numbers: Contact Us

In case there are long wait times though, we made a video for you that shows how to correctly complete the online EIN application hassle-free. :)

You can watch it here.

Colorado Periodic Report

(Fee: $10 per year)

A Periodic Report keeps the State of Colorado updated with the status and contact details of your LLC. The Periodic Report is a legal requirement and you need to submit it to the state every year.

The Periodic Report can be submitted during a 5-month window:

• 2 months before your Periodic Report Month (the month your LLC is formed),
• during the Periodic Report Month itself,
• or within 2 months after the Periodic Report Month.

You’ll need to pay a filing fee of $10 each time you submit your Periodic Report.

You can submit your Periodic Report here:

Colorado Online Business Filing

You can still submit your Periodic Report 2 months after the 5-month window, but you will be charged a $50 penalty for late submission. Your LLC will also be marked “Non-compliant”.

If you fail to submit your Periodic Report within 3 months after your LLC has been marked “Non-compliant”, the status will be changed to “Delinquent” and you’ll be prevented from doing business in Colorado. Ouch, don’t let that happen!

For further questions, feel free to contact the Colorado Secretary of State:

Phone: 303-894-2200 (hours: M-F, 8:00am – 5:00pm MT)

Matt Horwitz

Founder & Educator, LLC University®

Matt Horwitz has been the leading expert on LLC education for the past decade. He founded LLC University in 2010 after realizing people needed simple and actionable instructions to start an LLC that other companies weren't offering. He's cited by Entrepreneur Magazine, Yahoo Finance, and the US Chamber of Commerce, and was featured by CNBC and InventRight.
 
Matt holds a Bachelor's Degree in business from Drexel University with a concentration in business law. He performs extensive research and analysis to convert state laws into simple instructions anyone can follow to form their LLC - all for free! Read more about Matt Horwitz and LLC University.