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How to Start an LLC in Colorado

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Bizee can take care of all your Colorado LLC formation paperwork — for free. Just pay the required Colorado state fee ($50).

Learn how to form an LLC 
in Colorado yourself

Read our DIY guide to forming an LLC in Colorado, with information on Registered Agents, naming rules, business licenses and more.

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Why Create a Colorado LLC?

Within the state of Colorado, business owners can take advantage of several programs and funding made available by the Colorado Office of Economic Development and Industrial Trade, provided your LLC meets the specific criteria. For example, Colorado microloans are made available to small businesses requiring access to capital, ranging from $5,000 to $50,000.


For entrepreneurs looking to start a business in Colorado, creating a Colorado limited liability company (LLC) is generally the fastest and easiest way. With more simplified rules and regulations, an LLC is an ideal business entity for startups and small to medium-sized businesses, granting you the advantages and protections that larger Colorado corporations benefit from.


If an LLC isn't the right entity for the type of business you're starting, you may want to consider forming a Colorado Corporation instead.

Benefits of starting a Colorado LLC:

  • Easily file your taxes and discover potential advantages for tax treatment

  • Create, manage, regulate, administer, and stay in compliance easily


Learn more about the benefits of the LLC business structure.


In this guide, you’ll find information on naming your LLC, getting a Registered Agent, the fees you’ll need to pay, Colorado business taxes and much more. We also cover your registration needs, filing your Colorado LLC and how you'll correspond with the Colorado Secretary of State (SOS).

How to Form an LLC in Colorado Yourself in Six Steps

Start an LLC

Step 1: Complete a Colorado LLC Search and Choose a Unique Business Name


To start the process, you’ll need a name for your LLC that’s unique and stands out, but one that’s not used by any other business or formed entity in the state. If you’re having trouble coming up with a name, try using Bizee’s Business Name Generator to brainstorm ideas. You'll also need to follow a few naming rules, which you can read about in detail on the Colorado Business Names page.


Once you’ve chosen a name, you’ll need to make sure it’s available in Colorado. To find out whether another company in the state is already using your preferred business name, use our tool to do a business name search. You can also carry out a name search on the Colorado Secretary of State's name availability search on the Colorado Secretary of State website.

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Business Name Search

Step 2: Provide an Official Business Address for your LLC


Regardless of whether your business is in an office building, a home (if the company is run from a residence) or any other physical location, every Colorado LLC must have a designated street address. It can be located outside the State of Colorado, but it cannot be a P.O. Box.

Step 3: Assign a Registered Agent


A Registered Agent is someone who receives official legal and tax correspondence and is responsible for filing reports with the Colorado Secretary of State (SOS). Every LLC in Colorado is required to have a Registered Agent.


This position can be filled by you, another manager in your business or a dedicated Registered Agent service. If your Colorado Registered Agent is a person, they must have a physical street address in Colorado and must be present during business hours to receive important documents on behalf of your business. In Colorado, you appoint your Registered Agent when you file your Articles of Organization and formally create your business.


All of Bizee’s packages include Registered Agent service. It’s free for the first year and just $119 per year after that. You can also log in to our dashboard and easily view any document we've received on your behalf.

Step 4: File Your Articles of Organization With the Colorado Secretary of State


Once you've gathered all the information for your Colorado LLC, you’ll need to file your Articles of Organization with the Colorado SOS.

The certificate must include:

  • Name of your LLC
  • Principal office address (both street and mailing)
  • Registered Agent and contact information
  • Whether the LLC is member-managed or manager-managed
  • Name(s) and address(es) of organizer(s)

Your Articles of Organization must be filed online by using an integrated filing system on the Colorado SOS website. The Colorado LLC filing fee is $50.


You only need to file your Articles of Organization once, but you must file an annual report every year. The periodic report must be filed online, and the filing fee for an annual report, set by the CO Secretary of State, is $10. Bizee can either remind you to do it, or we can do it for you.

Let Bizee Handle All the Paperwork for You for $0 + the Colorado State Fee

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What are the fees and requirements to form a Colorado LLC?


State Fee

$50

State Filling Time

3 Weeks

Expedited Filing Time

1 Business Day

Annual Report


Frequency

Annually

Due Date

During the three-month period beginning with the first day of the entity's anniversary month of formation.

Filing Fee

$10

Step 5: Get an Employer Identification Number (EIN) From the Internal Revenue Service


You’ll need an EIN to identify your business to the IRS. You use this number when filing and paying taxes or when submitting payroll information and payments for your employees. An EIN is also required to open a business bank account. You can obtain one directly from the IRS, or you can have Bizee obtain one for you as part of the Colorado LLC formation process.

Step 6: Create an Operating Agreement


A kind of "instruction manual" that explains how you'll run your business, an LLC Operating Agreement details key components of your business — how decisions will be made, how the business is divided among members and what will happen if a member leaves the company.


Although some states require that a company have this document in place, you're not legally required to have a Colorado Operating Agreement. We think it’s still a good idea to have one regardless.

Receive a Personalized Operating Agreement When You Select Bizee’s Gold or Platinum Package

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Bizee Operating Agreement

Other Colorado LLC Types


Professional LLC


Professional Limited Liability Companies (PLLCs) are different from professional corporations in that they typically have licensing requirements applicable to certain fields, such as law and medicine. In order to form a PLLC, you may need a state license to practice.


Learn more about PLLC vs. LLC and which one is right for your business.


Foreign LLC


If your business is already operating in another state and expanding to Colorado — or vice versa — you’ll need to form a Foreign LLC.


Learn more about Colorado Foreign LLC registration.

Helpful Resources from the State of Colorado

More Information in This Guide


You’ll find plenty more insight and guidance on the other pages of this guide, including:

01

How to Name Your Colorado LLC

How to search the Colorado business registry and find the right name. Includes information on naming rules, fictitious names, reserving a Colorado LLC name, and more.

02

Colorado Registered Agents

How to appoint, change and search for Registered Agents. Also includes the rules they’re required to follow.

03

Colorado LLC Fees and Requirements

How to understand the various fees you’ll need to pay and the state and federal requirements you’ll need to meet. Includes details of Employer Identification Numbers (EINs), state and federal business licenses, annual reports, and more.

04

Colorado Business Tax Rules

How to understand the various taxes you will need to pay to the state and federal governments. Includes details of state taxes such as sales and income, and federal taxes such as income and self-employment.

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