Colorado LLC cost: filing fee, annual costs & how to form
Forming an LLC in Colorado costs $75 in state charges in the first year, then about $25 a year to maintain. Here is every state charge, the deadlines, typical processing times, and the formation steps in order.
Colorado LLC cost summary
| Articles of Organization | $50 |
| Recurring charge (Periodic Report due by the end of the anniversary month) | $25 / year |
| First-year total (state charges) | $75 |
| Ongoing cost per year | $25 |
| Foreign LLC registration (if formed elsewhere) | $100 |
Totals exclude optional costs: a hired registered agent (~$100–$300/yr), publication where required, and expedited processing.
Deadlines & processing
| Filing office | Colorado Secretary of State |
| Recurring due pattern | Periodic Report due by the end of the anniversary month |
| Standard processing | Colorado is fully online and filings are processed in real time once payment clears — guides quoting the Secretary of State describe the Articles as effective the same day in the normal case (IncACA’s Colorado cost guide). There is no mail filing. |
Run your own numbers
The calculator on the homepage totals any state’s filing fee, recurring charges, and franchise-tax minimum — with optional registered agent service added: Open the LLC cost calculator →
How to form an LLC in Colorado, step by step
- Search the Colorado business database for a distinguishable name ending in an LLC designator.
- Provide a registered agent with a Colorado street address (a P.O. Box alone is not enough).
- File the Articles of Organization online — $50, effective immediately in the normal case.
- Get a free EIN; register with the Department of Revenue for wage withholding or sales tax if applicable.
- File the Periodic Report each year around your anniversary month — $25. The Secretary of State opens a five-month filing window, and late filing adds a $50 fee.
Colorado quirks that change the real cost
- The Periodic Report fee rose from $10 to $25 on July 1, 2024 — any guide still quoting $10 is stale.
- Colorado is one of the cheapest full-package states: $50 to form, $25 a year, no franchise tax.
- Keep the Periodic Report current: entities that fall out of good standing lose the ability to maintain the name and can be dissolved administratively.
Registered agent: hire one or be your own?
A commercial agent typically costs $100–$300 a year; acting as your own is free if you meet the address rules. The full cost guide: Registered agent cost guide →
First-year cost, in one view
Year one in Colorado: $50 to file, plus the first $25 recurring charge = $75. From year two, budget $25 a year, plus a registered agent if you hire one. Operating in Colorado but formed elsewhere? Registration as a foreign LLC costs $100 — see the foreign LLC guide.
Other state guides
TexasFloridaCaliforniaNew YorkWyomingDelawareNevadaArizona
Educational information only. LLC Cost Guide is not a law firm, accounting firm, or filing service, and nothing on this page is legal or tax advice. Fees and deadlines change; confirm the current figures with your Secretary of State (or Division of Corporations) before filing, and consult a licensed attorney or CPA for advice about your specific situation.