How to Start an LLC in Colorado (2026): 7 Steps and the 3 Best LLC Services
Lesson answer for Colorado in 2026: if you want help with starting an LLC, use Mainstay Filing ($199), Colorado Registered Agent.co ($199) and CO Registered Agent.org ($199), in that order. After the picks come 7 short steps; the state's own charge to file is $50.
$25 a yearComes due last day of the entity's anniversary month
State fees over three years
$100Excludes service fees
Steps in this lesson
7From start to finish
What you will learn
The official Colorado fee and form
The registered agent requirement
What to file each year after that
Which services we would use, and why
Teacher's pick
Who we'd use in Colorado
Same five criteria in every state; see how we grade.
Best overall
1. Mainstay Filing: best for first-time founders who want it handled
$199 a year plus the state fee ($249 at checkout)
For most new founders in Colorado, Mainstay Filing: $199 a year handles the filing, the registered agent and the periodic report, and renewal stays at $199.
Colorado Registered Agent.co is $200 less across three years; covering more lesson steps outweighs the gap on our rubric.
Each periodic report is filed for you (state fee $25, at cost).
What you get
Your filing, done
Registered agent for the full year
Periodic report filed each cycle
EIN application
State fee at cost
What we like
Flat $199 a year
EIN step in the price
$199 at renewal
Watch out for
$100 yearly premium over Colorado Registered Agent.co
Published prices, read November 12, 2026. Every row excludes the $50 state fee.
Forming the LLC, in order
Step1
Step 1: Check your name is available
Pick a name, then check it against the records at the Colorado Secretary of State so no other company already holds it.
TipPick a spare name too, in case the first is taken.
Step2
Step 2: Appoint a registered agent
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. A person 18 or older whose home or usual place of business is in Colorado (since July 1, 2025 the person has to hold a Colorado driver's license or ID or otherwise verify residency), or a business entity in good standing with a usual place of business in Colorado. The agent has to consent.
The address has to be a physical address in Colorado, either a home or a usual place of business. P.O. boxes are not accepted.
Wait for the state's approval, then get the EIN from the IRS. You need it to open accounts in the LLC's name. If you use Mainstay Filing, the EIN application is included.
Step6
Step 6: Draft the operating agreement
An operating agreement is internal. Sign it, keep it with the records, and the state never needs a copy.
Step7
Step 7: Mark the yearly deadlines
The LLC stays active by filing the periodic report every year and paying $25; the deadline is last day of the entity's anniversary month. Late: $50 added.
Official state fees, cited under References. Three-year state total = filing + reports in years two and three + any minimum tax.
Why Mainstay Filing comes first
What decided it: lesson steps handled, 35% of our rubric.
Colorado Registered Agent.co costs less but leaves the periodic report with you.
Questions students ask
What does it cost to form an LLC in Colorado?
$50 to the state. With a service, add $199.
Which form creates the LLC?
The Colorado Secretary of State takes the Articles of Organization; that filing creates the LLC.
Is a registered agent required?
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
What does Colorado require each year?
The periodic report: $25, every year, due last day of the entity's anniversary month.
Can I form the LLC without a service?
Yes. The state accepts filings from owners directly; budget $50 plus a registered agent.
Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?
We'd go with Mainstay Filing, because it takes the formation, the registered agent and every periodic report off your list for $199 a year. Then Colorado Registered Agent.co and CO Registered Agent.org.