Most business filings with the Colorado Secretary of State cost between $10 and $100. Forming an LLC or corporation is $50, the annual periodic report is $25, and reinstating a dissolved entity is $100. Colorado Secretary of State business fees were last revised on July 1, 2024, and most transactions are online-only.1Colorado Secretary of State. Business Organizations Fee Schedule One thing that surprises people: certificates of good standing and certified copies are free.
What It Costs to Form a Business
Colorado uses a flat $50 fee to form most entity types, so the cost is the same whether you’re starting a single-member LLC or a nonprofit.1Colorado Secretary of State. Business Organizations Fee Schedule
- LLC (Articles of Organization): $50
- Profit corporation (Articles of Incorporation): $50
- Nonprofit corporation (Articles of Incorporation): $50
- Limited partnership (Certificate of Limited Partnership): $50
- Cooperative association: $50
Trade Names, Trademarks, and Name Reservations
If you operate under a name different from your legal entity name, a trade name statement costs $20 to file and $5 to renew. A state trademark registration, which protects a name more broadly within Colorado, costs $30 to file and $10 to renew.1Colorado Secretary of State. Business Organizations Fee Schedule
To hold a specific business name before you’re ready to file, a name reservation is $25 and lasts 120 days. You can renew it for additional 120-day periods.2Justia. Colorado Code 7-90-602 – Reservation of Name
Periodic Reports and Late Fees
Every active Colorado entity has to file a periodic report each year. On time, it’s $25. Late, it’s $75: the $25 report plus a $50 penalty.1Colorado Secretary of State. Business Organizations Fee Schedule
The due date depends on the entity’s assigned periodic report month. If your report month is January, the report is due by March 31. If it still isn’t filed by May 31, the entity becomes delinquent.3Colorado Secretary of State. Business FAQs – Delinquency
Changes to Business Records
Updating your registered agent or principal office address requires a Statement of Change for $10. More substantial changes to your formation documents (like the entity’s name or purpose) go through Articles of Amendment for $25.1Colorado Secretary of State. Business Organizations Fee Schedule
Delinquency, Reinstatement, and Dissolution
Once an entity is marked delinquent, its name is protected for 400 days. After that, the Secretary of State appends “delinquent” and the date to the name, and the original name becomes available for someone else.3Colorado Secretary of State. Business FAQs – Delinquency
Curing delinquency costs $100, filed as a Statement Curing Delinquency. If the entity has already been administratively dissolved, Articles of Reinstatement also cost $100.1Colorado Secretary of State. Business Organizations Fee Schedule Entities dissolved for two years or longer face extra requirements, including an affidavit and government-issued photo ID from the filer.4Justia. Colorado Code 7-90-1003 – Reinstatement
Closing a business voluntarily is comparatively cheap. Articles of Dissolution cost $10 for most entity types, including LLCs, corporations, and nonprofits.1Colorado Secretary of State. Business Organizations Fee Schedule
Fees for Out-of-State Businesses
A business formed in another state that wants to operate in Colorado files a Foreign Entity Authority Statement for $100, double the domestic formation fee. Withdrawing later costs $10.1Colorado Secretary of State. Business Organizations Fee Schedule Foreign entities file periodic reports on the same schedule and at the same cost as domestic ones.
Certificates of Good Standing and Apostilles
Certificates of good standing, certificates of fact, and certified copies of filed documents are free when obtained online through the Secretary of State’s website.5Colorado Secretary of State. Certificate of Good Standing Banks, landlords, and other states commonly request one to confirm your entity has met its filing requirements.
Third-party companies sometimes mail solicitations offering to provide your certificate of good standing for a fee. The Secretary of State’s office notes that the certificate they send is the same one available for free on the official site.5Colorado Secretary of State. Certificate of Good Standing
Apostilles, used to authenticate documents for international use, cost $5 for routine processing or $15 expedited. Apostilles are paper-only and cannot be submitted online.1Colorado Secretary of State. Business Organizations Fee Schedule
Other Filings You Might Encounter
- Conversion (changing entity type): $50
- Combined conversion: $100
- Merger statement: $150 (paper only)
- Statement of correction: $10
- Expedited processing: $150 additional, paper filings only, fulfilled within three business days
Expedited service is limited because it’s only available for paper filings, and most transactions are online-only anyway. Standard online filings usually process quickly without the extra charge.1Colorado Secretary of State. Business Organizations Fee Schedule
How to Pay
The online filing system accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover credit or debit cards issued in the United States.6Colorado Secretary of State. Online Payment Information
Businesses that file often can open a prepaid account with the Secretary of State. The minimum opening deposit is $500, and every subsequent deposit must also be at least $500. The office emails a notification when the balance drops below $250.6Colorado Secretary of State. Online Payment Information It’s practical for registered agent services or law firms handling large volumes, less so for a business filing a few times a year.