Colorado Registered Agent Primer (2026): 6 Moves and the 3 Best Agents
Short answer for Colorado, 2026: use Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), Colorado Registered Agent.co ($99 a year) and CO Registered Agent.org ($99 a year), ranked best to worst, if you want help appointing a registered agent. Move 1 is the Colorado rule on a registered agent. By move 6 the appointment is on record.
From the Founder Primer desk
Key facts
Mandatory?
Yes
Check it yourself at sos.state.co.us; we read it in October 2026
Service prices
$99 to $149 a year
Published rates
Periodic report
$25 a year
Check it yourself at coloradosos.gov; we read it in October 2026
Moves in this primer
6
One at a time
After this primer
The Colorado agent rule
Who can act as agent
How to name or change the agent
Which agents we pick and why
Our picks for Colorado
Five weighted criteria set the order (see how we score); three-year cost and to-dos cleared count most.
Top mark$149 yearly, then $149
1. Mainstay Filing: best for a nationwide agent at one price
Mainstay Filing gets the top mark in Colorado: the agent is $149 a year in every state.
Colorado Registered Agent.co is $150 cheaper over three years; this one still places higher because it does more of the work.
Inside the price
A physical address in the state
Served papers scanned free, the same business day
Three government letters a year scanned at no charge
Also serves nonprofits, corporations, LPs and LLPs
In its favor
Covers all fifty states
A flat $149 per year
Against it
Pricier by $50 a year
It does not file your reports
One-state plan$99 yearly, then $99
2. Colorado Registered Agent.co: best for founders based in the state
Colorado Registered Agent.co lands second: an in-state street address for the registered office, $99 a year.
Inside the price
A real Colorado address
Served documents posted online
In its favor
Under Mainstay Filing on price
$99 a year, no increase
Against it
Serves only Colorado
No help with the periodic report
One-state plan$99 yearly, then $99
3. CO Registered Agent.org: best for an in-state office address
CO Registered Agent.org lands third: an in-state street address for the registered office, $99 a year.
On price it ties with Colorado Registered Agent.co.
Posted prices, read November 13, 2026. Switching agents leaves state fees unchanged.
The Colorado agent, in order
Move 1
Rule first
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Where this comes from: Check it yourself at sos.state.co.us; we read it in October 2026
Move 2
Who qualifies
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. Statute: C.R.S. § 7-90-701.
Move 3
Pick a compliant 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.
With a service, the public record shows its address, not yours.
Move 4
Who will it be
Pass the tests above and you can name yourself. One of our picks costs $99 to $149 a year.
Move 5
Record the appointment
For a new Colorado LLC the agent goes on the Articles of Organization. A change later is its own filing with the Colorado Secretary of State.
Where this comes from: Check it yourself at coloradosos.gov; we read it in October 2026
Move 6
Update when things change
Your agent's details are confirmed annually on the periodic report, which costs $25, due last day of the entity's anniversary month. Late costs $50.
Where this comes from: Check it yourself at coloradosos.gov; we read it in October 2026
What you will pay
What
Pay to
Amount
Hiring an agent
The service
$99 to $149 a year
Renewing the agent
The service
$99 to $149 a year
Periodic report
State office
$25 every year
State amounts are Colorado's official fees (sources below); service prices come from each company's site. Three years of state cost is the filing, the reports in years two and three and any minimum tax.
How the marks came out
edged out on to-dos the price takes off you, worth 38%.
Covering all fifty states outweighed Colorado Registered Agent.co in our scoring.
Short answers
Is a registered agent a legal must in Colorado?
Yes. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Can I be my own registered agent?
Yes, if you pass the eligibility and address tests in moves 2 and 3.
Can I change my registered agent later?
Yes; the Colorado Secretary of State takes change filings, and move 5 says what to send.
What does a registered agent cost in Colorado?
Our picks charge $99 to $149 a year.
What does the LLC pay the state each year?
$25 every year for the periodic report.
Which registered agent would you choose?
Mainstay Filing, Colorado Registered Agent.co and CO Registered Agent.org, best mark first.