There are several benefits to registering your business in Colorado. Whether you’re registering for the first time, or registering a foreign LLC or corporation, you will be required by the secretary of state to name a registered agent in Colorado. If we form your Colorado LLC or corporation, then you receive your first year of Colorado registered agent service for free. We will also send you reminders on when to file your periodic report, or even file it for you.
You may act as your own registered agent, but we don't think it is a good idea. If you act as your own registered agent, your home address and other information will be available online. This will likely lead to not only spam calls, but junk mail too. Consider us an inexpensive spam filter!
What is a registered agent?
The concept of a registered agent is simple. Their job is to be the public face of the company and to serve as the point of contact if someone needs to reach the company. Your registered agent is responsible for receiving and relaying official documents to the company. This responsibility is one you won't think much about it until something goes wrong, then it will be too late. That is why we recommend a professional Colorado registered agent service. This is a seemingly straightforward task, but a poor provider can wreak havoc. This is why we advise against choosing the cheapest registered agent you can find.
Registered Agent Requirement
You can act as your own registered agent if you have an address in Colorado that can accept legal documents, known as service of process, during regular business hours. You can even use your home address if it meets this requirement, but if you value your privacy you will not want to do this because the registered agent's name, address, phone, and email are published to the Secretary of State's website and are searchable by Google.
3 Things Every Registered Agent MUST Do
- Have a physical address in Colorado
- Be open during normal business hours
- Accept and relay important documents to the company
The registered agent accepts official documents, is informed of the need to file reports with the Secretary of State, and provides a public face to the company since it is their information that is published by the Colorado Secretary of State.
Your agent must have a physical address and cannot be a PO Box, Personal Mail Box (PMB) or virtual office. It also should NOT be a personal residence.
Can you be your own registered agent?
Some people try to save money, and think acting as their own registered agent will provide them the cheapest registered agent in Colorado. Unfortunately, if you act as your own registered agent you will not be able to keep your ownership of your company anonymous because you will have to list your home address, phone number, email, and name in the Secretary of State records for the entire world to see. There is no good reason to share your personal information publicly. Learn more about mail forwarding and virtual offices here.
4 Reasons NOT to be Your Own Agent:
- Your name, address, and phone will be posted and searchable online.
- You may not be around to receive important documents.
- Everyone will know who the owner of the company is: You!
- Being served with a lawsuit at your home is embarrassing!
National vs Local Colorado Registered Agent Providers
When selecting a registered agent for your Colorado LLC, you'll encounter both national multi-state providers and Colorado-focused local services. Each offers distinct advantages depending on your business structure.
Local Colorado Providers
Colorado-specific registered agents like Colorado Registered Agent and Rocky Mountain Registered Agent focus exclusively on in-state services. They primarily serve Colorado-only businesses seeking standalone registered agent services. While local providers are typically lower cost at $29 to $35 annually for registered agent services alone, they offer limited support beyond basic compliance services and cannot assist with multi-state operations.
National Providers
National registered agent services like LLC Attorney, LegalZoom, and Northwest Registered Agent operate across all 50 states. These providers offer standardized processes across states, centralized compliance management, and have business experts available for questions about your business. Annual pricing for registered agent services typically range from $100 to $250; however, most bundle registered agent services with additional business formation support.
Decision Guide
Choose a local provider if:
- Your business is Colorado-only and will never expand to other states
- Cost is the primary factor and you want the lowest annual fee
- You don't need bundled services, just basic registered agent functionality
Choose a national provider if:
- You want bundled services like annual report filing, mail forwarding, and document storage managed in one place
- You need scalability: one provider relationship and one dashboard for multiple or evolving businesses
- You prefer established support infrastructure with dedicated account representatives
- You value having legal or professional guidance available (business success advisors or access to attorneys)
- You anticipate business growth beyond Colorado, adding additional businesses, or may want to evolve your business into more complex business entity (such as transitioning from an LLC to a corporation)
National Registered Agent Cost Comparison
It is important to know that registered agent service is legally required in all states. You must have one to maintain your LLC. Providers advertising "$0" formation charge separately for this mandatory service.
Using a registered agent keeps your home address off public records and ensures you receive legal documents properly, a requirement under state business formation laws.
Ongoing Annual Costs
| Provider | First Year RA Cost | Renewal Cost (Annual) | Included in Base? |
|---|---|---|---|
| LLC Attorney | Included in monthly compliance subscription ($14.99/mo on Starter) | Included in monthly compliance subscription ($14.99/mo on Starter) | Via subscription |
| ZenBusiness | $99 (add-on to Starter) | $199/year | Not included in Starter or Pro; Premium only |
| Bizee | Free first year with business formation package | $119/year | Free first year, then paid |
| LegalZoom | $249/year | $249/year | Not included (always paid) |
| Northwest Registered Agent | Free first year (with formation) | $125/year | Free first year |
Cost Reality
"Free" plans aren't cheaper once you add required services; the advertised $0 becomes $300-700+ in year one alone. Over time, these costs add up significantly. That's why it's important to factor registered agent fees into your total cost calculation from day one. LLC Attorney bundles RA with compliance subscriptions that also include annual report filing, EIN formation and tax election changes, services you'll need anyway as your business grows.
Why use our Colorado Agent service?
- We Do Everything
- Remove Your Address From The Public Record
- Remove Your Name From The Public Record
- Periodic Report Filing
- Free Mail Forwarding
The Secretary of State requires you to maintain a registered agent in Colorado. You may be your own, though there are good reasons to choose a professional service.
The first reason applies to online companies, home businesses, consultants and similar industries. If you have no office, then your home address goes into the public record. This also means every time you move there's form and a fee.
Being your own agent also means possibly missing important mail because you're not around, or you may be forced to accept embarrassing lawsuits in front of employees or friends.
Our service saves you the above worries. Plus, when important reminders come due, or the State changes laws, we let you know.
Colorado Registered Agent FAQ
Your agent is in charge of forwarding important mail, including lawsuits. An agent who doesn't pay attention doesn’t care, or charges too little to have proper staffing will be unlikely to properly forward your urgent mail. Our order form even contains a line for your attorney's email. This way in the event of a lawsuit both you and your attorney will find out immediately. Little things like this can make a big difference between cheap agents and professional registered agent services.
We make changing agents simple because we do everything. Just complete our order form. You will be automatically logged into the portal where we upload any documents we receive from you. We file your agent change the same day and it is effective immediately. After that, we won't bug you again until we have mail or your periodic report is due.
If forming yourself, then you need to buy our service prior to filing. Read our guide to incorporating in Colorado here. Forming the company yourself places your information into the public record. To preserve your privacy consider having us form your Colorado LLC or Corporation. New company formations receive their first year of agent service free. We handle everything and your company will be running within the day.
There are many ways to refer to registered agents. Each designates the address or person in charge of receiving official correspondence from the state. These interchangeable terms include registered office address, resident agent, statutory agent, and agent for service of process. Our Secretary of State formally refers to them as registered agents in Colorado.
Then your address and name will be made public. You may also have to accept embarrassing documents in front of others, or may not be around to accept important documents when they arrive.
The Colorado Secretary of State requires you to have an agent. They provide a grace period if you lose your agent for any reason. They will act as your agent in CO during this time. After this grace period, your company will be administratively dissolved and there is a fee to bring it back.
AUTHOR
Jonathan Feniak, Esq., MBA
Jonathan is admitted to practice law in Colorado and Wyoming. In this position, he helps business owners at nearly every level and in nearly every industry with asset protection, estate planning, and business formation. Beyond business owners, Jonathan also helps activists of all political persuasions to legally protect themselves.
