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LLC 101 Guide

Course unit 3 · Colorado

Foreign LLC Registration in Colorado (2026): 4 Tasks and the 3 Best Services

Short answer for 2026: if you want help registering an out-of-state LLC in Colorado, go with Colorado Registered Agent.co ($199), CO Registered Agent.org ($199) and Mainstay Filing ($199), ranked best first. Plan on 4 tasks and a $100 filing fee.

Prepared by the LLC 101 Guide instructors

The quick version

Cost to register
$100
Look it up at coloradosos.gov; our reading dates from October 2026
Report fee
$25
Periodic report
What the state collects in three years
$150
Registration, reports and any minimum tax
Unit tasks
4
In order

Unit goals

  • Which LLCs must register
  • The official form and fee
  • What comes after registration
  • The services at the top of the class

If you want someone else to file

Five published criteria decide the order; read them on how we grade.

Top of the class

1. Colorado Registered Agent.co: best for a budget registration

Start with this one$199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year

Start the list with Colorado Registered Agent.co, because a $199 service fee and $99 a year for the Colorado agent after that.

Three years cost less here than at Mainstay Filing, and three-year cost is 34% of the grade.

What the price covers

  • The registration filing
  • One year of agent service is part of the price

What works

  • A free first agent year
  • $199 plus the state fee
  • Then $99 per year

What to weigh

  • Colorado only; your home state needs its own agent
Visit Colorado Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

2. CO Registered Agent.org: best for registering only in Colorado

One-state plan$199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year

CO Registered Agent.org takes second place: a $199 service fee and $99 a year for the Colorado agent after that.

It lists the same prices as Colorado Registered Agent.co.

What the price covers

  • The registration filing
  • One year of agent service is part of the price

What works

  • $199 plus the state fee
  • Then $99 per year
  • A free first agent year

What to weigh

  • Colorado only; your home state needs its own agent
Visit CO Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

3. Mainstay Filing: best for LLCs on the move

Does most of the work$199 plus the state fee, then $149 a year

Third goes to Mainstay Filing, since $199 on top of the state fee, a free first year of registered agent service and $149 a year after that.

Colorado Registered Agent.co comes in $100 lower across three years, which holds this one back from first.

After the free first year, the agent costs $149 a year in any state.

What the price covers

  • The registration filing
  • The registered agent costs nothing in year one
  • Any state, one price

What works

  • The same fee in every state
  • Year-one agent is covered
  • $199 above the state fee

What to weigh

  • A pricier agent renewal ($149)
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

A comparison of the services

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Colorado Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit Colorado Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2CO Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit CO Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Mainstay Filing$199$149/yr$497Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Each company's posted price on November 13, 2026. Add the $100 state fee to every row.

The unit, task by task

  1. Task 1

    Does the rule apply to you?

    Vocabulary: a foreign LLC is one formed in a different state. It registers before it does business in Colorado. Skipping registration has a price: and may climb to $5,000.

    Source: Look it up at coloradosos.gov; our reading dates from October 2026

  2. Task 2

    Name 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.

    Any of the recommended services can fill this seat.

    Source: Look it up at sos.state.co.us; our reading dates from October 2026

  3. Task 3

    Fill out and send in the Statement of Foreign Entity Authority

    That filing is the registration, and the state bills $100 for it.

    Source: Look it up at coloradosos.gov; our reading dates from October 2026

  4. Task 4

    Look ahead to the recurring filing

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

The bill

ItemWho gets paidSum
Registration feeState office$100
Periodic reportState office$25
Service fees (optional)The service$199 to start
State total across three yearsState office$150
Three years of state cost equals the filing fee, plus the reports in years two and three, plus any minimum tax. The sources are listed below.

The reasoning behind the order

Course fee across three years makes up 34% of the grade, and that is where got ahead in Colorado.

Colorado Registered Agent.co wins the cost criterion with $397 over three years, against $100 more at Mainstay Filing.

Check your Colorado answers

What does an LLC from another state pay Colorado to register?

$100 at the state office. A service adds $199.

Which form do I file to register?

Registering here means sending the Statement of Foreign Entity Authority to the Colorado Secretary of State, Business Program.

What if the LLC does business there without registering?

and may climb to $5,000.

What is due after registering?

Get ready for the periodic report, which costs $25.

Which services are in this lesson?

We graded Colorado Registered Agent.co, CO Registered Agent.org and Mainstay Filing.

Which service should handle the registration?

Colorado Registered Agent.co, because $199 over the state fee to register, then $99 yearly. After it come CO Registered Agent.org and Mainstay Filing.

Reading list and sources

  1. Reading list entry for Colorado Secretary of State: sos.state.co.us, reread August 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  2. Reading list entry for Colorado Secretary of State: sos.state.co.us, reread August 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  3. Reading list entry for Colorado yearly filing: Periodic report, official source: coloradosos.gov, reread October 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  4. Reading list entry for Colorado report due date: colorado.public.law, reread August 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  5. Reading list entry for Colo: sos.state.co.us, reread August 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  6. Reading list entry for Colorado formation fee: Filing fee, official source: coloradosos.gov, reread October 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  7. Reading list entry for Colorado Secretary of State, foreign entity FAQ: coloradosos.gov, reread October 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  8. Reading list entry for Sample Statement of Foreign Entity Authority: coloradosos.gov, reread October 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  9. Reading list entry for Colorado Revised Statutes 2024, Title 7: content.leg.colorado.gov, reread October 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  10. Reading list entry for Registered agent requirements effective July 1, 2025: coloradosos.gov, reread October 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  11. We opened the pricing page at Colorado Registered Agent.co on November 13, 2026
  12. We opened the pricing page at CO Registered Agent.org on November 13, 2026
  13. We opened the Colorado service page at Mainstay Filing on November 13, 2026