Colorado Business Licenses, Fees and Filing Requirements for Your LLC

Some types of businesses have different requirements in Colorado, including business licenses and other fees and costs. Your CO LLC needs to pay various fees to the federal government, Colorado government and other agencies. Some of these fees are levied by the Colorado Secretary of State or statewide organizations, while others come from the federal government. On this page, we’ve summarized the most common fees and requirements. 

Note that Colorado business licenses and permits might need to be paid when you first form your business, on an ongoing schedule or on an ad hoc basis. Find more details below.

Colorado LLC Formation Filing and Fees 

To create your business in Colorado, you’ll file an LLC with the CO Secretary of State and pay an associated LLC formation fee. Every state has different LLC filing fees and filing times. Here is the current information for Colorado:

When you incorporate through Incfile, we forward this fee to the Colorado Secretary of State on your behalf when we file your paperwork. 

Some states allow you to form your LLC more quickly by paying a rush fee. You can compare state filing times and fees here, including expedited fees for Colorado.

Incorporate your Colorado LLC through Incfile today

Getting an Employer Identification Number for Your CO LLC

Every Colorado LLC should have a unique Employer Identification Number (EIN). These are provided by the Internal Revenue Service, and you use them when filing taxes, opening a business bank account and paying employees. You can get one yourself at no cost from the IRS or have Incfile obtain one on your behalf.

Get an EIN for your Colorado LLC through Incfile

Foreign Qualification to Operate in a State Outside Colorado

If you’re expanding your Colorado LLC beyond the borders of the state, you will need a Foreign Qualification or Certificate of Authority to operate in another state. These are typically necessary if you have a physical presence, employees or banking in a different state than Colorado. Fees and requirements for foreign qualifications depend on each state’s rules. Incfile provides a complete Foreign Qualification service for any state.

Get a Foreign Qualification/Certificate of Authority through Incfile

Colorado LLC Annual Report and Fees

Colorado requires you to file an Annual Report with the secretary of state. When you file your CO LLC Annual Report, you will need to pay a fee. Here are the annual filing requirements for Colorado:

Learn about your ongoing Colorado LLC filing requirements and business filing deadlines with our helpful Colorado ongoing filing lookup tool.

Incfile can also complete and file your Colorado Annual Report on your behalf.

Incfile’s Colorado Annual Report filing service

Colorado Business Licenses and Permits

Some CO LLCs will need certain business licenses and permits from federal, state and regional organizations. These permits and licenses will have associated fees that you’ll pay on a one-off or regular basis. 

Permits and licenses vary based on:

• The industry your Colorado LLC operates in (e.g., restaurants will need health permits)

• The location of your Colorado LLC (state, county or city) (e.g., a license to conduct business from the city of Colorado Springs)

• The type of business that you run (e.g., healthcare providers must meet HIPAA requirements)

You can research these permits and licenses yourself or use Incfile’s Business License Research Package, which includes:

• A complete report on all the licenses, permits and tax registrations your Colorado LLC will need

• The application forms you will need to file with the Colorado, regional and federal licensing authorities

Remember that operating your business without the required licenses can expose you to risks and fines from federal, Colorado and local governments.

Incfile’s Colorado Business License Research Package

An Operating Agreement for Your Colorado LLC

An Operating Agreement is a business document that covers how the business will be run, how managers and members are chosen, rights and duties of members and several other key areas.

An Operating Agreement is extremely useful for several reasons (learn about them here). If you’re interested in having your Operating Agreement created for you, Incfile can draft a general Operating Agreement template when you choose to form your Colorado business. You can choose to make changes to the template based on your unique requirements. 

Ad Hoc Colorado Fees or Requirements for Your CO LLC

There are several other fees or requirements that you may need to meet during the life of your Colorado LLC. These ad hoc fees will only be payable in specific circumstances, which we’ve listed below.

To Obtain a Trade/DBA Name for Your Colorado LLC

If you want your CO business to trade under a different name, you can file a form with the Colorado Secretary of State. You will need to pay a Colorado filing fee. Incfile can file this form on your behalf.

Incfile’s Colorado Fictitious Name service

To Change the Colorado Registered Agent for Your CO LLC

Your Colorado LLC needs a Registered Agent, which must be appointed when you first incorporate your LLC. You can also switch to a new CO Registered Agent later. Incfile provides a complete Colorado Registered Agent service.

Incfile’s Colorado Registered Agent service

To Reserve a Name for Your Colorado LLC

If you don’t want to form your CO business right away, you can reserve a name with the Colorado Secretary of State. You will need to pay a small fee to do this.

To Amend Certain Facts About Your Colorado LLC

Your business formation documents state certain facts about your Colorado business when it was originally formed. Over time, these facts might change — if they do, you need to file a Statement of Change with the Colorado Secretary of State. You can do this yourself or have Incfile complete the filing on your behalf.

Areas you might want to file a Colorado Statement of Change for include:

• Adding, removing or changing a Colorado LLC member or manager

• Changing the business address of your LLC

• Altering the stated business activities of your Colorado LLC

Incfile’s Colorado Articles of Amendment service

To Get a Certificate of Good Standing for Your Colorado LLC

Some organizations will request that you prove your Colorado LLC’s compliance with laws and tax requirements. If you need to prove you have met your commitments, you will need a “Certificate of Good Standing” from the Colorado Secretary of State. Incfile can obtain a certificate on your behalf.

Incfile’s Colorado Certificate of Good Standing service

The fees listed above detail all the charges that a standard CO LLC will be required to pay. In some unusual circumstances, there may be other one-off, periodic or ad hoc fees not listed above. 

Of course, your Colorado LLC will also probably need to pay self-employment, payroll, federal, state and sales taxes, but we will cover that when we talk about taxes for CO LLCs.

FAQs About Colorado LLC Fees

What Happens to the State Fees That I Am Charged When Forming My Colorado LLC?

We charge you for this fee at cost and then pay the fee to the secretary of state on your behalf when forming your Colorado business. 

Do I Need to Pay an Annual Report Fee Every Year?

Yes. Colorado requires you to file a report for your LLC every year.

Who Will I Need to Get Business Licenses and Permits From for My Colorado LLC?

It depends on various factors including:

• The type of business you run

• Where you are located

• Governing organizations in your industry

• Federal, state and local regulations

That’s why our Business License Research Package is so useful. It explores all of these areas for you and provides a comprehensive overview of exactly what your Colorado LLC needs to be compliant.