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Biz Formation Academy

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

Chapter 1 · Colorado

Colorado LLC Formation Chapter (2026): 7 Sections and the 3 Best LLC Services

The recommended reading for forming an LLC in Colorado in 2026 is Mainstay Filing ($199), Colorado Registered Agent.co ($199) and CO Registered Agent.org ($199), in that order. Formation in Colorado comes to 7 sections and a $50 state fee, plus $25 for the periodic report.
Written by the Biz Formation Academy editorial board

Key points

Fee paid to the state to file $50 coloradosos.gov, as published October 2026
Periodic report $25 a year Due date as the state words it: last day of the entity's anniversary month
Three-year state cost $100 Filing plus the recurring state fees
Sections in this chapter 7 Each one explained

After this chapter you will understand

  • The Colorado formation document, its fee and its recipient
  • What the registered agent rule requires
  • The state filing that repeats
  • The recommendations and their reasons

Colorado: the ranked services

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

1. Mainstay Filing: best for a first year with little paperwork

Read this one first
$199 per year; checkout collects $249, which includes the state fee

This chapter recommends Mainstay Filing above the others, because the textbook price of $199 a year includes filing, a registered agent and the periodic report, with no change at renewal.

Three years cost $200 more than Colorado Registered Agent.co, yet this service completes more of the paperwork, and the ranking weighs that.

The owner never prepares the periodic report; the $25 state fee is passed through unchanged.

Price covers

  • Formation filing
  • Registered agent for the full year
  • Periodic report prepared and filed
  • The EIN application is part of the price
  • State fee billed at cost

Advantages

  • The EIN application is filed for you
  • $199 on renewal
  • $199 annually, all inclusive

Limitations

  • $100 a year more than Colorado Registered Agent.co at renewal
Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

2. Colorado Registered Agent.co: best for an economical Colorado start

Local option
$199 and fees, then $99 each year

Entry number 2 is Colorado Registered Agent.co, where the filing price is $199, and later years of agent service are $99 each.

Preparing the periodic report every year is still left to you.

Price covers

  • The filing is made for you
  • One year of agent service is built into the price

Advantages

  • $99 yearly from year two
  • $199 to form
  • The first agent year is free

Limitations

  • The periodic report remains the owner's responsibility
  • It charges $99 for the EIN section
Visit Colorado Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3. CO Registered Agent.org: best for owners who prepare their own reports

Local option
$199 and fees, then $99 each year

Entry number 3 is CO Registered Agent.org, where the filing price is $199, and later years of agent service are $99 each.

Preparing the periodic report every year is still left to you.

It charges exactly what Colorado Registered Agent.co charges.

Price covers

  • The filing is made for you
  • One year of agent service is built into the price

Advantages

  • $99 yearly from year two
  • The first agent year is free
  • $199 to form

Limitations

  • The periodic report remains the owner's responsibility
  • It charges $99 for the EIN section
Visit CO Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

All prices in one table

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1 Mainstay Filing $199$199/yr$597 Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Colorado Registered Agent.co $199$99/yr$397 Visit Colorado Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 CO Registered Agent.org $199$99/yr$397 Visit CO Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Company prices as listed on November 13, 2026. Every row also owes the $50 state fee.

Forming a Colorado LLC, section by section

  1. Section 1

    Settle on the legal name

    Check the name against the Colorado register kept by the Colorado Secretary of State; this avoids a rejected filing.

    Consider whether a matching web address is available too.

  2. Section 2

    Arrange the registered agent

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. A person 18 or older whose home or usual place of business is in Colorado (since July 1, 2025 the person has to hold a Colorado driver's license or ID or otherwise verify residency), or a business entity in good standing with a usual place of business in Colorado. The agent has to consent.

    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.

    You may use any recommended service for this section.

    Reference: sos.state.co.us, as published October 2026

  3. Section 3

    Self-filing compared with hiring help

    An owner who files alone pays only the $50 state fee. A service adds $199 and prepares the forms; the recommended list ranks them.

  4. Section 4

    The filing to prepare is the Articles of Organization

    Required: the Articles of Organization, the $50 fee, and delivery to the Colorado Secretary of State.

    Reference: coloradosos.gov, as published October 2026

  5. Section 5

    Get the EIN

    The IRS, not Colorado, issues EINs. Apply after the state approves the LLC and give the number to your bank. This section is inside the Mainstay Filing package.

  6. Section 6

    Draft the members' agreement

    Ownership and management rules belong in the operating agreement, an internal record that is separate from the Colorado filing.

  7. Section 7

    Keep the LLC in good standing

    Colorado asks for the periodic report every year, due last day of the entity's anniversary month, and the fee is $25. A late filing adds $50.

    Reference: coloradosos.gov, as published October 2026

The cost of this chapter

ItemPaid toPrice
Creating the LLC The state$50
Periodic report The state$25 every year
Late filing The state$50
Service, if hired The service company$199 for year one
Three-year state total The state$100

The filing fee, two later reports and any minimum tax make up the state's three-year total; the bibliography shows where each figure came from.

Why the list is in this order

The deciding criterion was chapters the price completes, which carries 30% of the ranking.

The periodic report is due in Colorado every year; a bundle that files it beat a lower price that leaves the filing with the reader.

Short answers

What does Colorado charge to form an LLC?

The official schedule lists $50. Service charges among the ranked companies fall between $199.

Which form creates the LLC?

The document to look for is the Articles of Organization; the Colorado Secretary of State receives it.

Is a registered agent required?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

What does Colorado require each year?

Enter the periodic report in the calendar: $25, every year, last day of the entity's anniversary month.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

A service is optional. Owners may file by paying $50 as long as they appoint a registered agent.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

Mainstay Filing, Colorado Registered Agent.co and CO Registered Agent.org, from the highest ranking to the lowest.

Related chapters

Bibliography and primary texts

  1. Cited for Colorado Secretary of State: sos.state.co.us, edition of August 2026.
  2. Cited for Colorado Secretary of State: sos.state.co.us, edition of August 2026.
  3. Cited for Colorado yearly filing: Periodic report, official source: coloradosos.gov, edition of October 2026.
  4. Cited for Colorado report due date: colorado.public.law, edition of August 2026.
  5. Cited for Colo: sos.state.co.us, edition of August 2026.
  6. Cited for Colorado formation fee: Filing fee, official source: coloradosos.gov, edition of October 2026.
  7. Prices quoted from the Colorado service page at Mainstay Filing on November 13, 2026
  8. Prices quoted from the pricing page at Colorado Registered Agent.co on November 13, 2026
  9. Prices quoted from the pricing page at CO Registered Agent.org on November 13, 2026