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Biz Formation Academy

A plain textbook on LLC paperwork, one state per chapter.

Chapter 3 · Colorado

Foreign LLC Registration Chapter, Colorado (2026): 4 Sections and the 3 Best Services

The recommended reading for registering an LLC formed elsewhere in Colorado in 2026 is Colorado Registered Agent.co ($199), CO Registered Agent.org ($199) and Mainstay Filing ($199), in that order. 4 sections explain the filing, the $100 fee and the duties that follow.
Written by the Biz Formation Academy editorial board

Key points

Fee to register $100 See coloradosos.gov; page last consulted October 2026
Annual report $25 Periodic report
What the state collects over three years $150 No service fee included
Section count 4 Taken one at a time

Chapter objectives

  • When registration is required
  • The filing, its fee and its office
  • Remaining in good standing
  • Which services are recommended and why

The Colorado shortlist

The editorial board's five criteria are explained on how we grade and determine the order.

1. Colorado Registered Agent.co: best for an economical registration

Highest ranked
$199 plus fees; renewal $99 annually

Colorado Registered Agent.co is ranked first in Colorado: registering with Colorado through this service costs $199 and includes a year of agent service; renewal is $99.

Its three-year total is below Mainstay Filing's, which earns first place because cost carries 34%.

Price covers

  • The Colorado registration, prepared and submitted
  • A year of agent service is built into the price

Advantages

  • $99 a year for the agent afterward
  • Agent covered in year one
  • $199 to register

Limitations

  • Limited to one state
Visit Colorado Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

2. CO Registered Agent.org: best for another Colorado choice

Focused on Colorado
$199 plus fees; renewal $99 annually

CO Registered Agent.org is ranked second: registering with Colorado through this service costs $199 and includes a year of agent service; renewal is $99.

Its prices equal Colorado Registered Agent.co's, so either serves.

Price covers

  • The Colorado registration, prepared and submitted
  • A year of agent service is built into the price

Advantages

  • $99 a year for the agent afterward
  • $199 to register
  • Agent covered in year one

Limitations

  • Limited to one state
Visit CO Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3. Mainstay Filing: best for companies adding a second state

Serves all states
$199 plus fees; renewal $149 annually

Entry number 3 is Mainstay Filing, where the first-year agent is included, so the Colorado registration costs $199 beyond the state fee.

Three years cost $100 above Colorado Registered Agent.co, and cost counts for 34% of the ranking.

Agent pricing after the first year: $149 annually, in any state.

Price covers

  • Registration is filed for you
  • The registered agent carries no charge in year one
  • Service in all fifty states

Advantages

  • The first agent year is included
  • $199 over Colorado's fee
  • The same fee in every state

Limitations

  • Renewal $50 above Colorado Registered Agent.co's
Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The Colorado rankings compared

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1 Colorado Registered Agent.co $199$99/yr$397 Visit Colorado Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 CO Registered Agent.org $199$99/yr$397 Visit CO Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 Mainstay Filing $199$149/yr$497 Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Taken from each company's price page on November 13, 2026. The $100 state fee is omitted from these figures.

Registering with Colorado, section by section

  1. Section 1

    Determine whether registration is required

    Colorado requires an out-of-state LLC to register first if it will do business here. Doing business without registering risks: with a ceiling of $5,000.

    Reference: See coloradosos.gov; page last consulted October 2026

  2. Section 2

    Appoint a registered agent for Colorado

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. The address has to be a physical address in Colorado, either a home or a usual place of business. P.O. boxes are not accepted.

    The services listed above supply one.

    Reference: See sos.state.co.us; page last consulted October 2026

  3. Section 3

    Next comes the Statement of Foreign Entity Authority

    Filing is the act of registering, and the state charges $100.

    Reference: See coloradosos.gov; page last consulted October 2026

  4. Section 4

    Keep the registration in force

    After registration, a foreign LLC files the periodic report ($25), once a year, by the end of the second month after your report month.

The cost of this chapter

SectionPayeeSum
Fee to register Paid to the state$100
Periodic report Paid to the state$25
Filing service (optional) The service company$199 in year one
State fees across years one to three Paid to the state$150

State fees come from the official pages in the bibliography. Over three years they consist of the filing, two reports and, in a few states, a minimum tax.

How the Colorado recommendations were ranked

finished ahead of on tuition over three years, which counts for 34%.

A three-year total of $397 for Colorado Registered Agent.co, which is $100 below Mainstay Filing, explains the order.

Colorado questions

What is the cost to register a foreign LLC with Colorado?

$100 at the filing office. The recommended services add $199.

Which form do I file to register?

Complete the form named in section 4 and send it to the Colorado Secretary of State, Business Program.

What if the LLC does business there without registering?

with a ceiling of $5,000.

What is due after registering?

Once registered, the LLC will owe the periodic report, billed at $25 each time.

Which services are in this lesson?

Three are recommended: Colorado Registered Agent.co ($199), CO Registered Agent.org ($199) and Mainstay Filing ($199).

Which service should handle the registration?

Colorado Registered Agent.co, because a service fee of $199 and a yearly agent renewal of $99. After it come CO Registered Agent.org and Mainstay Filing.

Related chapters

Bibliography and primary texts

  1. Primary text behind Colorado Secretary of State: sos.state.co.us, accessed August 2026.
  2. Primary text behind Colorado Secretary of State: sos.state.co.us, accessed August 2026.
  3. Primary text behind Colorado yearly filing: Periodic report, official source: coloradosos.gov, accessed October 2026.
  4. Primary text behind Colorado report due date: colorado.public.law, accessed August 2026.
  5. Primary text behind Colo: sos.state.co.us, accessed August 2026.
  6. Primary text behind Colorado formation fee: Filing fee, official source: coloradosos.gov, accessed October 2026.
  7. Primary text behind Colorado Secretary of State, foreign entity FAQ: coloradosos.gov, accessed October 2026.
  8. Primary text behind Sample Statement of Foreign Entity Authority: coloradosos.gov, accessed October 2026.
  9. Primary text behind Colorado Revised Statutes 2024, Title 7: content.leg.colorado.gov, accessed October 2026.
  10. Primary text behind Registered agent requirements effective July 1, 2025: coloradosos.gov, accessed October 2026.
  11. pricing page (Colorado Registered Agent.co), as it stood on November 13, 2026
  12. pricing page (CO Registered Agent.org), as it stood on November 13, 2026
  13. Colorado service page (Mainstay Filing), as it stood on November 13, 2026