Independent comparison of registered agent services for Colorado LLCs and corporations.
Reviewed against Colorado Secretary of State guidance · Updated 2026-04-30
The Colorado registered agent decision matters more than most LLC owners expect — the agent’s address is the public-record contact for the entity, and C.R.S. §7-90-701 ties continued good standing to the agent’s continuous availability. We ranked four services on price, privacy, and reliability for Colorado businesses. The four providers we evaluated for Colorado in 2026 are ranked below by overall value.
In Colorado, the registered agent’s job is heavier than the statutory floor implies. Colorado calls its annual report a ‘Periodic Report’ and gives a three-month grace window: the report is due within three months on either side of the formation anniversary. The fee is $25, one of the lowest annual maintenance costs in the country. The practical reason this matters when picking a provider: filing the Periodic Report within its three-month anniversary window — Colorado does not send paper reminders, so the registered agent has to track the cycle.
For Colorado businesses, the three traits that separate good providers from passable ones are (1) reliable same-day handling of service of process from Colorado state and federal courts, (2) accurate, deadline-aware reminders calibrated to Colorado’s specific annual cycle (annually within three months of formation anniversary), and (3) an online dashboard that shows scanned mail within hours, not days. All four services we ranked clear the C.R.S. §7-90-701 eligibility bar; the meaningful differences are in execution. Northwest leans privacy-first, Mainstay Filing leans value-first, ZenBusiness leans formation-bundle-first, and LegalZoom leans brand-and-phone-support-first.
The Colorado-specific filings that hinge on having a reliable registered agent:
Across all of these dates, the registered agent is the routing point for Colorado Secretary of State mail, state tax notices, and service of process. A reliable provider turns the Colorado compliance calendar into a passive maintenance task; an unreliable one turns it into a recurring fire drill.
Physical-address-only operations; mail forwarding; same-day filing.
Best balance of price and features for most businesses. Includes mail forwarding, online dashboard, and same-day filing at half the cost of premium providers.
Pairs RA with LLC formation packages; useful if forming a new entity from scratch.
Largest brand; phone-based support; bundled legal services beyond RA.
Colorado-specific option: Colorado Registered Agent.co operates exclusively in Colorado and specializes in same-state filings. Best for businesses that want a state-focused provider with local-only operations.
| Filing | Cost | Renewal |
|---|---|---|
| LLC formation | $50 | annually within three months of formation anniversary (Periodic Report) |
| Annual Report | $25 | annually within three months of formation anniversary (Periodic Report) |
| DBA / Fictitious Name | $20 | Every 1 years |
| Change of Registered Agent | $10 | — |
Source: Colorado Secretary of State · Statute reference C.R.S. §7-90-701
For most Colorado LLCs, Northwest Registered Agent ranks first on privacy and reliability. Mainstay Filing earns the Editor's Choice for value at $99/year with the same core features. State-specific options like Colorado Registered Agent.co specialize in same-state filings.
Commercial services range $50–$250 per year. Mainstay Filing is $99/yr; Northwest is $125/yr; ZenBusiness is $199/yr; LegalZoom is $249/yr.
Yes. File a Statement of Change of Registered Agent with the Colorado Secretary of State for $10. Most commercial services handle the change paperwork for you.
National services like Mainstay Filing and Northwest operate across all 50 states with consistent pricing and online dashboards. State-specific providers (like Colorado Registered Agent.co) focus exclusively on one state and often handle same-state-only filings faster.
Yes — under C.R.S. §7-90-701, every Colorado LLC must designate and maintain a registered agent with a physical street address in Colorado.
Yes — if you are a Colorado resident with a physical street address in Colorado and are available during normal business hours to accept service of process. Most commercial services exist because keeping a personal address on the public record is a privacy concern.
Same-day with every service in the table above. The provider issues a confirmation letter you include with the Articles of Organization filed with the Colorado Secretary of State.
RA Ratings independently reviews registered agent services. We may earn a commission from sponsored links; this does not affect rankings or editorial selection. Verify all filing fees with the Colorado Secretary of State before submitting paperwork.