[0:00] The short answer Dan: The 5 best registered agents in Colorado in 2026 are Mainstay Filing, Northwest Registered Agent, CO Registered Agent.org, Bizee, and Colorado Registered Agent.co. Maya: Welcome to The Business Formation Podcast. I keep hearing Colorado is picky about who can be an agent. Is that right? Dan: A little. An individual needs a Colorado ID or has to verify residency, and the address has to be open in business hours. Changing agents is a Statement of Change, ten dollars online. [0:35] Who can be the agent Maya: Start with the basics. Who qualifies? Dan: An individual over 18 with a primary residence or a usual place of business in Colorado, or an entity in good standing with the Secretary of State that has a usual place of business here. Maya: You mentioned an ID. Dan: Since a change in Colorado law in 2024, an individual agent needs a valid Colorado driver's license or ID card, or has to verify their residency status. A filing naming an individual without a Colorado ID can go to review. Maya: Can my own LLC be the agent? Dan: Yes, after it's registered, but it takes two steps. You name another agent first, then file a change putting the company in that seat. And there's only ever one agent, who has to consent. Maya: What about the address? Dan: A physical street address in Colorado where the place is normally open during business hours. The state's FAQ says commercial or P.O. box addresses can't be the agent's street address. A separate mailing address can be a box, but it has to be in Colorado. Maya: By the way, I'm Maya, here with Dan. Dan: And that's the setup. On to the five. [1:46] Mainstay Filing Maya: Where do we start? Dan: Mainstay Filing: $149 a year, and $149 when it renews. Maya: What does that buy? Dan: Its Colorado address replaces yours on the public record, and the state says the public can see what you file. Court papers are scanned and uploaded the same business day, at no charge. The first three government mailings each year are scanned free as well. Maya: Is switching a chore? Dan: Mainstay files the Statement of Change for you. The ten-dollar state fee is passed along at cost. Maya: The downside? Dan: It's not the lowest flat price on the list. If you want that, look at numbers three and five. [2:29] Northwest Registered Agent Maya: Second. Dan: Northwest Registered Agent, $125 a year. It says it hasn't raised that price in two decades, and it scans up to ten pieces of ordinary business mail a year for free. Maya: The catch? Dan: A default enrollment in its annual report service, which is $100 plus state fees for every filing. You can cancel it whenever you like, according to its page. Maya: And Colorado's periodic report is $25? Dan: So with the service on, you'd pay $100 plus that $25, or $125, in the year it files. On its own, the agent is the $125 flat. [3:09] CO Registered Agent.org Maya: Three. Dan: CO Registered Agent.org: $99 a year, the same at renewal. A registered address on file, same-day scanning of legal documents, and compliance reminders before state deadlines. Maya: What would a switch cost me? Dan: The ten-dollar state fee, and nothing from them. The thing to remember is that periodic report filing is its own service. Maya: Against Mainstay? Dan: $99 and $149 differ by $50 a year, so $150 over three years. [3:44] Bizee Maya: Four. Dan: Bizee, formerly Incfile. You get the agent free for the first year when you buy a formation package. Year two onward, it's $149 a year. Maya: Automatic? Dan: Yes, it renews on its own. So over three years that's zero, plus $149, plus $149, or $298. Maya: But only if I form with them. Dan: Right. For an LLC that's already formed, there's no free year. [4:13] Colorado Registered Agent.co Maya: And five? Dan: Colorado Registered Agent.co: a flat $99 a year. The registered office, same-day scanning of court papers, reminders ahead of state deadlines. Maya: Is that different from number three? Dan: On paper, no. Same price, same catch about report filing. Pick whichever site you like better. [4:35] The periodic report Maya: You've mentioned the periodic report a couple of times. What is it? Dan: Colorado's yearly filing, $25 online. It's due in the entity's periodic report month, and the state lets you file up to two months early or two months late without a penalty. Maya: And after that? Dan: A $50 late penalty. The report is also a chance to update or confirm the registered agent. Maya: So there are two ways to change the agent? Dan: Two or three. The standalone Statement of Change, the periodic report, or a Statement of Correction at $10 if something was filed wrong. Maya: What does year one cost with a $99 agent? Dan: The Articles of Organization are $50, filed online only. So that's $50 plus $99. Then each year is the $25 report plus $99, or $124. Maya: And Mainstay? Dan: $25 plus $149 is $174 a year after the first. [5:35] Naming the agent at formation Maya: Where does the agent first show up? Dan: In the Articles of Organization, which are filed online only. The form asks for the agent's name, the Colorado street address, the mailing address, and a statement of the agent's consent. Maya: Does it matter that it's all public? Dan: It does. The filing page says the public will be able to see any information or documents you provide. If you name yourself, your street address goes in that record. Maya: So being your own agent has a privacy cost. Dan: And a scheduling cost. The place has to be open during normal business hours, so somebody needs to be there when a process server comes by. [6:15] Changing the agent Maya: Show me the actual change. Dan: It's the Statement of Change Changing the Registered Agent Information. It costs $10 and you file online. Online documents are processed in real time. Maya: Is there a consent step? Dan: There is. You check a box to affirm that the registered agent has consented to the appointment. The street address cannot be a post office box. Maya: Can I schedule it? Dan: Yes. It can be effective immediately, or on a delayed date up to 90 days out. [6:44] If the agent resigns Maya: What if my agent quits? Dan: They file a Statement of Change Regarding Resignation, $10, and have to deliver notice of it to your company. It takes effect on the 31st day after filing, or earlier if a new agent is appointed. A delayed date up to the 90th day is possible too. Maya: And if I never name someone new? Dan: The Secretary of State can find the entity out of compliance and give you 60 days to correct it. If you don't, it becomes delinquent. Maya: Delinquent, not dissolved. Dan: That's Colorado's word. Even a delinquent domestic entity must keep a registered agent. To cure it you file a Statement Curing Delinquency for $100, and the name is held for 400 days. Maya: And lawsuits in the gap? Dan: With no agent, or one who can't be served, the company can be served by registered or certified mail at its principal address. [7:39] Picking one Maya: How would you choose, if you're in Denver or Colorado Springs? Dan: Look at three things. A price that doesn't jump, a street address that's open in business hours, and a service that files the Statement of Change for you. Maya: Which is? Dan: Mainstay Filing. Our pick for Colorado, at $149 a year. [8:00] The five in a row Maya: Say them all once more. Dan: One, Mainstay Filing: $149 a year, same at renewal. Two, Northwest: $125, and cancel the report service if you won't use it. Three, CO Registered Agent.org: $99 flat. Four, Bizee: free the first year with a formation order, then $149. Five, Colorado Registered Agent.co: $99 flat. Maya: The links are in the show notes. Thanks for listening to The Business Formation Podcast.