The cost to start an LLC in Colorado is $50 for the Articles of Organization, filed online with the Secretary of State, and $25 each year afterward for the periodic report that keeps the company in good standing.1Colorado Secretary of State. Business Organizations Fee Schedule Everything else — a registered agent, an EIN, a sales tax license, a local business license, state income tax — is either free, situational, or depends on where and how the business operates. Colorado is one of the least expensive states in the country to form and maintain an LLC.
The $50 Formation Fee
Articles of Organization cost $50 and must be filed online. Colorado does not accept paper filings to form an LLC, and there is no separate state-level business license required to complete formation.1Colorado Secretary of State. Business Organizations Fee Schedule2Colorado Secretary of State. Business Checklist The fee is paid at the time of submission.
The $25 Annual Periodic Report
Every Colorado LLC files an annual periodic report to stay in good standing. The fee is $25, filed online.1Colorado Secretary of State. Business Organizations Fee Schedule The filing window runs from two months before the LLC’s designated periodic report month to two months after, roughly a five-month span.3Colorado Secretary of State. Entity Status FAQ
Missing the window adds a $50 late penalty on top of the $25 fee.1Colorado Secretary of State. Business Organizations Fee Schedule If the report still isn’t filed after 60 days, the LLC’s status shifts from “Noncompliant” to “Delinquent,” and after 400 days the company name is released for others to claim. Curing delinquency costs $100. If the LLC has been delinquent for five or more years, cure also requires an affidavit signed under penalty of perjury and a government-issued photo ID.4Colorado Secretary of State. Delinquency FAQ
Registered Agent: Free or $100–$300 a Year
Colorado requires every LLC to maintain a registered agent with a physical Colorado street address who is available during business hours to receive legal documents.5Colorado Secretary of State. Registered Agent FAQ Serving as your own agent costs nothing. Commercial registered agent services typically run $100 to $300 per year and are common for owners without a Colorado office or for those who prefer to keep a home address off the public record.
Other Secretary of State Fees
Most LLCs never pay these, but they come up often enough to know:
- Name reservation: $25 for 120 days, renewable at $25 per additional 120 days.
- Articles of amendment: $25.
- Statement of change (name, address, or registered agent): $10.
- Dissolution: $10.
- Reinstatement after administrative dissolution: $100.
- Foreign LLC registration (out-of-state LLC registering to do business in Colorado): $100.
- Certificate of good standing: free online.
- Expedited service: $150, paper filing only, three-business-day turnaround.1Colorado Secretary of State. Business Organizations Fee Schedule
Federal EIN: Free
An Employer Identification Number is required to hire employees, open a business bank account, and file certain returns. The IRS issues EINs at no charge, processes online applications immediately, and warns that third-party sites charging for the number are unnecessary.6Internal Revenue Service. Get an Employer Identification Number
Sales Tax License
An LLC selling tangible goods or taxable services in Colorado needs a sales tax license from the Department of Revenue. Fees vary by half of the year. A standard retail license obtained in the first half of 2026 costs $16; one obtained in the second half costs $12.7Colorado Department of Revenue. Standard Retail License
New accounts also pay a $50 deposit, refunded automatically once the business has collected and remitted $50 in state sales tax.7Colorado Department of Revenue. Standard Retail License Out-of-pocket at opening is up to $66, with $50 coming back.
Local Business Licenses
Colorado has no statewide general business license, but many cities and counties do. Colorado Springs charges $110 per year for most business licenses.8City of Colorado Springs. Business Licensing Aurora charges a $19 application fee plus a $28 license fee, valid for two years.9City of Aurora. Business Licensing Denver and other cities have their own structures. Check with the city hall or county clerk where the LLC will operate to confirm.
Colorado State Taxes
Colorado imposes no franchise tax and no special LLC tax. By default, an LLC is a pass-through entity for federal and state purposes: the LLC itself owes no state income tax, and profits and losses flow to the members’ personal returns.10Colorado Department of Revenue. Business Income Tax An LLC that elects C-corporation treatment on IRS Form 8832 pays Colorado’s corporate income tax rate, 4.4% for the 2025 tax year.11Colorado Department of Revenue. Corporate Income Tax Guide
What a First Year Actually Costs
For a Colorado LLC with no special licensing:
- Articles of Organization: $50, one time.
- EIN: free.
- Registered agent: free if self-appointed, or $100 to $300 per year commercial.
- Annual periodic report: $25 per year.
- Sales tax license, if selling taxable goods: $12 to $16 plus a refundable $50 deposit.
- Local business license, if the city requires one: commonly $30 to $110 per year.
An owner who acts as their own registered agent and needs no sales tax or local license can form the LLC for $50 in year one and keep it active for $25 per year after that.