Colorado LLC

What is a Colorado LLC?

A Colorado LLC is formed by filing Articles of Organization with the Secretary of State and paying the appropriate filing fee. A Colorado LLC is governed by its Operating Agreement, which is written and agreed upon by its members, and which lays out the management structure of the company. Each member offers a capital contribution in return for an ownership percentage.

Learn more below about the structure of a Colorado LLC and how one is formed.

Colorado LLC Requirements

1. Colorado Articles of Organization (Limited Liability Company).
2. State Filing Fee of $1.
3. A Registered Agent located in Colorado. See our service here.
4. Beneficial Ownership Information Report filing. Report due after LLC formation starting January 1, 2024.

Colorado LLC Structure

CO Limited Liability Companies are structured legally with the Colorado Articles of Organization for a Limited Liability Company. Like many states, the document for an LLC is short and simple.

The required information to be listed:

• Name
• Addresses
• Registered Agent
• Filer Information
• Management

Name

An LLC name in Colorado must contain the term or the abbreviation “limited Liability company”, “ltd. Liability company”, “limited liability co.”, “ltd. Liability co.”, “limited”, “l.l.c.”, “llc” or “ltd”. This is a strict requirement by the Colorado Secretary of State.

Addresses

The addresses to be provided for the formation of a Colorado Limited Liability Company are the Principal Office street address and an optional Principal Office mailing address. The first address must not be a PO Box, but they can both be an address in or outside of Colorado.

Registered Agent

A name of the Registered Agent, address of the Registered Agent and optional mailing address will be listed by law for LLC formation in Colorado. The Registered Agent is the individual or business responsible for forwarding a service of process to the LLCs owner or contact.

Filer Information

All names and addresses of the person(s) forming the legal Colorado LLC will be provided to the Colorado Secretary of State.

Management

The LLC formed in Colorado will be managed by Managers or Members. A manager that manages the LLC will be a hired or chosen person, chosen by the Members. A Member that manages the Colorado LLC will have ownership stake in the LLC.

How to File a Colorado LLC

Steps in forming a Colorado LLC:

1. Check for Name Availability
   The first step is seeing if your company’s name is already registered with the Secretary of State. Name availability can be checked either before you file, by doing a Colorado business name search, or when you file (the SOS filing system automatically checks availability).
2. File Articles of Organization
   To form an LLC in Colorado, you must file Articles of Organization with the Secretary of State. This document can only be filed online at the SOS website. There is a $1 filing fee.
3. Appoint a Registered Agent
   A Colorado registered agent must be appointed on your Articles of Organization in order to form an LLC. A registered agent can be either a business entity or an individual, but the agent must have a physical street address in the state where certified mail can be accepted during regular business hours.
4. Write an Operating Agreement
   An operating agreement is an internal document that designates the ownership of your company (the initial members and their ownership shares), as well as the management of the business (member roles, rights, responsibilities; meeting times and procedures; member withdrawal, dissolution; etc.). Every operating agreement is unique to the individual LLC.
5. Open a Business Bank Account
   Once you form an LLC in Colorado, you will need a business account for your company. Using your personal account for business transactions can violate the limited liability protection your LLC offers you. Most banks will need to see a copy of your Articles of Organization and your operating agreement in order to open an account.
6. File the Periodic Report
   Every Colorado LLC is required to file a Periodic Report each year and pay the $10 filing fee. Periodic reports are filed online at the Secretary of State website. Your periodic reporting period begins on the first day of the anniversary month of your LLC’s formation and extends for three months. Reports must be filed in that time period.
7. Submit Beneficial Ownership Information Report
   You must a file a BOI report with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network after formation, starting January 1, 2024. The BOI report is free to file and must be submitted online.

Additional Resources:

How to Start a Colorado LLC
How to Form a Colorado LLC (paper filing)

Colorado LLC Periodic Report

After you form a Colorado LLC, you must file a Periodic Report each year. The reporting period begins in the month of your business’s formation and extends for three months. If your company was formed on January 15, your reporting period would begin on January 1 and extend through March 31. The periodic report must be filed and the $10 fee paid during that time frame.

Federal Beneficial Ownership Information Report Filing

As a newly-formed LLC, you’ll probably need to submit a Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) Report to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). The BOI report provides the federal government with basic information about your LLC and the people with the most power over your business decisions and profits. Starting January 1, 2024, this report is due following company formation. This report is a little complicated, but we can make filing painless with our $25 BOI report filing service.

Why Hire Corporate Filing Solutions to Form Your Colorado LLC?

Starting your LLC in Colorado shouldn’t be a hassle or a time consumer. That’s why we offer Filings Made Easy™ to make starting an LLC in Colorado super easy.

Hire us and relax while our filing experts form your new Colorado LLC. Our staff will process orders the same business day as they are received. To make things even easier, we bundle the first year of Statutory Agent service and ensure your Colorado LLC comes fully equipped and ready to do its job.

Start your LLC in Colorado and get Statutory Agent service for as low as $55 a year.