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How to start a business in Colorado

The fees, filing links and deadlines for forming and registering a business in Colorado, with the official page for each step.

Last verified October 24, 2026 General information, not legal, tax or insurance advice. Each fee shows the date we checked it on the official page. Fees change, so confirm on the official page before you pay.

LLC filing fee: $50
LLC, first year (state fees): $50
$25 periodic report due around your one-year mark
Corporation filing fee: $50
Annual report: $25
DBA filed with: State
General state license: No
Newspaper notice: No

How much does it cost to form an LLC or corporation in Colorado?

To form an LLC, file Articles of Organization with the Colorado Secretary of State, Business & Licensing (Business Organizations) for $50 (checked Oct 24, 2026). You can file online. A corporation files Articles of Incorporation (profit corporation) for $50 (checked Oct 24, 2026). That filing fee is not the whole bill: see what it costs in the first year.

What does an LLC really cost in its first year in Colorado?

Filing fees are only part of the cost. Here is every state fee and minimum tax we found that a new LLC must pay to form and stay in good standing for its first year. Example: Single-member LLC filed online at standard speed, operating from day one with no employees; licenses every business must hold are counted, sales tax permits are listed separately.

State fee	Cost	When	Checked
Articles of Organization (Secretary of State)	$50	at filing	Oct 24, 2026

First-year total: $50 in state fees.
$25 periodic report due around your one-year mark Formation $50. The first $25 periodic report, filed around the first anniversary of formation, is shown below the total, not counted in it. Excludes local city or county licenses, a home-rule city sales tax license, and registered agent services.

After the first year: A $25 periodic report every year in the LLC's formation month ($50 penalty if late). If you sell taxable goods, the state sales tax license renews at the end of each odd-numbered year.

Fees that apply only in some cases

State fee	Cost	When	Checked
Statement of Trade Name If the LLC does business under a name other than its legal name	$20	before using the name	Oct 24, 2026
State sales tax license If you sell taxable goods or services from a Colorado location ($12 for July to December 2026, $8 for January to June 2027)	$12	before your first taxable sale	Oct 24, 2026
Sales tax account deposit (refundable) With a new sales tax account; refunded after you have collected and paid $50 in state sales tax	$50	with the sales tax application	Oct 24, 2026

Not included: city or county licenses, a registered agent service if you hire one, and optional extras such as expedited filing. Fees can change after the date shown; confirm on the official page before you pay.

Do I need to register a DBA in Colorado?

If you do business under a name that isn’t your legal name, register it as an assumed name (DBA) with the state for $20 (checked Oct 24, 2026).

How to file a DBA

Does Colorado require an annual report?

Yes. The fee is $25 (checked Oct 24, 2026). Every year in the entity's periodic report month, which is the month its formation filing took effect (shown on its Secretary of State record). It can be filed from two months before to two months after that month without penalty. The first one comes around the first anniversary of formation.

Does Colorado have a franchise or privilege tax?

None. Colorado taxes LLC income the way the federal return does; no franchise, minimum or annual entity tax appears on the Department of Revenue's business-structure page.

How do I register for state taxes in Colorado?

Register with the state revenue agency for sales tax and withholding, and open an unemployment insurance account once you hire your first employee.

Does Colorado require a general business license?

No. Colorado doesn’t issue one general business license; what you need depends on your activity and where you operate.

Colorado has no general state business license. The Secretary of State's checklist says to register with the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) only if your business needs a state license, and to contact your city hall or county clerk for local licenses. MyBizColorado is the state's online start point for a sales tax license, a wage withholding license and unemployment insurance registration. A state sales tax license costs $4 to $16 depending on when in the two-year cycle you apply ($12 for July to December 2026, $8 for January to June 2027) plus a $50 deposit for a new account. The deposit is refunded automatically after you have collected and paid $50 in state sales tax. Most licenses expire at the end of each odd-numbered year. The state license covers only state and state-collected taxes; home-rule cities can run their own sales tax licensing, and the Department of Revenue's DR 1002 publication lists them. No statewide local lookup found.

What local licenses will I need in Colorado?

Cities and counties set their own licenses, zoning and permits. Call your city or county clerk with your business type and address before you open.

Denver (city)
Denver issues more than 100 business and liquor licenses by business type, and some need zoning use approval first. The city does not list one general license for every business; it says a business license and a special industry license may be required, so call Excise and Licenses (720-865-2740) or 311. Businesses in Denver that make retail sales need a separate Denver sales tax license from the city's Treasury Division. It is issued for two years and Denver no longer charges a fee for it.

When do I need workers’ comp in Colorado?

1 or more employees (including part-time workers and family members).

Corporate officers and LLC members who own at least 10% may reject coverage for themselves by filing a rejection form (WC43) or rejecting online. Construction businesses face stricter rules: even sole proprietors and partners must carry coverage or reject it, and contractors must insure or verify coverage of their subcontractors. Casual farm and ranch workers paid $2,000 or less a year, and some domestic workers such as nannies working under 40 hours and fewer than five days a week, are exempt. Uninsured employers can be fined up to $500 per day, may be shut down, and must pay an injured worker's claim plus a 25% penalty.

What else should I know about starting a business in Colorado?

New LLCs, profit corporations, trade names and periodic reports are filed online and paid by card or prepaid account; the Secretary of State does not take checks or cash for online filings. A Statement of Trade Name costs $20 and is required when a sole proprietor uses anything other than their own first and last name, or an entity uses a name other than its legal name. For an LLC or corporation, the trade name lasts as long as the entity stays in good standing. For sole proprietors and general partnerships it expires after one year unless renewed for $5. The periodic report costs $25, a late report adds a $50 penalty, and an entity that never files becomes delinquent. Name reservation is optional and costs $25. The fee schedule was last revised July 1, 2024; the $1 fee period for new LLCs and trade names ran from July 1, 2022 to about June 30, 2023 and has ended. Since July 1, 2025, individual registered agents must verify Colorado residency and entity agents must be in good standing. Doctors, lawyers, accountants and some other licensed professionals may form professional service companies that may need a professional term in the name. The Secretary of State's LLC checklist has no newspaper publication step.

What to double-check for Colorado?

A few details below aren't spelled out on the state's own pages. Confirm them on the official page before you file.

Note Confirm this on the official page before you rely on it.
Note Confirm this on the official page before you rely on it.
Note Workers' compensation for a sole proprietor or partner with no employees outside construction — official pages do not say whether coverage or a rejection form is needed.
Note No newspaper publication — the Secretary of State's LLC checklist has no publication step, but no official page says outright that none is required.
Note No franchise tax — no official page says Colorado has none; the Department of Revenue's business-structure page lists no such tax.
Note Denver general business license — Denver says a business license may be required but does not say which businesses need one or what it costs.

What to do next

Want help setting up in Colorado? Contact us

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Sources

Official pages checked on October 24, 2026.