Colorado Registered Agent Service
Your Colorado registered agent is your company’s official legal contact with the state. Appointing a registered agent might not seem like a big deal, but making the right choice is important if you don’t want to receive legal and state documents late (or have your documents go missing).
If you serve as your own agent, you may be putting your privacy at risk by listing your home address on your formation documents, which become public record.
- What is a Colorado Registered Agent?
- Choosing Your Registered Agent
- Reasons to Use a Registered Agent Service
- How Our Registered Agent Service Works
- More Ways We Can Support Your Business
- Colorado Registered Agent FAQs
The best way to preserve your privacy and never miss a document is to hire a registered agent service. And the best way to save money on registered agent service is to hire us for only $25/year.
Just $25/year, now and always!
Registered Agent Service
- $25/year
What’s Included:
- Secure online account, accessible from anywhere
- Real-time legal document scans and immediate uploads
- 3 free regular mail scans
- Free use of our Colorado business address to boost your privacy
- Free library of business documents & resources
- Lifetime customer service from local Colorado filing experts
- Enrollment in Compliance Service to safeguard your business
- Access to additional filings (EIN, DBA) and services (company formation, virtual office)
What is a Colorado Registered Agent?
For many business owners, the first time they encounter the term “registered agent” is on their company formation paperwork. If that’s you, you’ve probably been wondering what exactly a registered agent is and why you need to have one.
What does a Registered Agent do?
A registered agent is essentially a go-between who receives legal and state documents from the state of Colorado on behalf of your business and then makes sure those documents get to the owners of your company. This includes service of process such as lawsuits and summons, tax notices, and reminders to file your company’s Periodic Report.
Why do I need a registered agent?
Designating a registered agent during company formation and maintaining an agent for the life of your company is legally required in Colorado (CO CRS 7-90-701). Colorado LLCs and Colorado corporations as well as out-of-state business registered to do business in CO need a Colorado registered agent.
On a practical level, having a registered agent makes sure that the state is always able to deliver critical legal and state documents to your company and that you receive those documents in a timely manner.
What Happens if My Company
Doesn’t Have a Registered Agent?
Because listing a registered agent is a required part of your formation paperwork, you will not be able to form your company without an agent. The Secretary of State will reject your filing.
If you fail to maintain a registered agent over the course of the life of your company, you may face a range of negative consequences:
- You could miss or receive important notices late. If you’re sued and miss or receive a court summons too late to respond, you could end up losing that case because the judge rules in favor of the plaintiff by default.
- You could lose your good standing with the state. This might prevent you from bringing lawsuits against the state, registering to do business in other states, and procuring necessary funds through grants or loans.
- Your company may be subject to fines and additional penalties for noncompliance. Depending on how long you’ve been noncompliant, the consequences will vary.
- Your company may be marked Delinquent. If you’re Delinquent 400 days or more, you could lose your company name, you’ll have to restore your company by filing a Statement to Cure Delinquency ($100), and anyone who looks up your company in the state database will be able to see that your business was once Delinquent.
NOTE: There is a common misconception that when you hire a registered agent, the registered agent will automatically file your formation paperwork and create your company for you. This is not the case. If you would like us to file your Articles of Organization or Articles of Incorporation, get Company Formation Service for fast, accurate, stress-free filing.
Choosing Your Registered Agent
When it comes to deciding who your registered agent will be, you have several options. For the most part, business owners either choose to serve as their own registered agent or to hire a registered agent service.
What are the Registered Agent Requirements in Colorado?
You are allowed to appoint an individual or a business entity (company) that provides registered agent service as your registered agent. All registered agents must have a physical street address in Colorado where they are available to receive document deliveries during regular business hours.
Individuals must:
- Be 18 years old or older
- Have their primary residence or usual place of business in Colorado
- Possess a valid CO driver’s license or ID card
Business entities must:
- Be in good standing with the CO Secretary of State
- Have a usual place of business in CO
- Have authority to operate in CO if the company was formed in a different state
Your registered agent must also consent to serving as a registered agent (this is noted on your formation paperwork).
Serving as Your Own Registered Agent
Many business owners want to know if serving as your own agent is possible (and advisable).
Can I be my own registered agent?
Acting as your own registered agent is permitted in Colorado. When you file your formation paperwork, you’ll need to list your own name and the address where you will be available to accept documents during normal business hours.
How Should I Be My Own Registered Agent?
Whether or not you should be your own agent really depends on you. However, we can tell you that there are some major drawbacks to being your registered agent.
- Reduced privacy: You’re required to list your address on your formation paperwork. That address, along with all the other information you provide, goes on the public record. If you work from a home office, you’ll have to put down your home address. Anyone who views your business record through the Colorado Business Database will have access to this information.
- Reduced professionalism: If your company is sued, service of process will be delivered to your registered agent address. And if you’ve listed your home or work address, you may be served in the presence of your neighbors or clients, which can damage your credibility (and be embarrassing!).
- Reduced flexibility: Registered agents are supposed to be available during normal business hours—in other words, 9-5, M-F, every week of the year. This means that if you travel for work, take a snow day and head up to the mountain, or even simply go out for lunch, you’re putting yourself at risk of missing a document delivery.
Common Registered Agent Options
Some businesses appoint an employee or hire a lawyer to serve as registered agent. You can also hire a company that offers registered agent service (like us, for example).
Hiring a Registered Agent Service
Hiring a service is one of the most common alternatives to serving as your own registered agent. When you’re shopping for a service, you want to look for a company with the following:
- Trained and responsive staff
- Year-round availability during normal business hours
- A reliable and quick document delivery system
- Fair pricing
Reasons to Use a Registered Agent Service
(And specifically, Rocky Mountain Registered Agent Service.)
Privacy
Serving as your own registered agent can decrease your personal privacy. If you list your home address on your formation documents, it will go on the public record and become available to anyone who looks up your business in the Colorado business database. Yikes!
Protect yourself from scammers and prying eyes and keep your home address private by using a registered agent service.
Convenience
A registered agent is required to be available to accept documents during normal business hours all year long. If you act as your own agent or designate one of your employees, you’re putting yourself at risk of missing or receiving important documents late if you go on business trips, decide to hit the slopes on a slow day, or even just run out for an errand.
With a registered agent service, someone is always on hand and ready to receive documents, so you never have to worry about missing a delivery. And with our service, you can view your documents from anywhere using your secure online account, so you have the freedom to work where you want.
Professionalism
If your home or place of business is listed as your registered agent address, that’s where service of process agents will deliver lawsuits. However, this might not be an ideal situation for you. Being served in front of your neighbors or clients can negatively impact your professional image and be highly embarrassing.
Avoid being served in public by using a registered agent service. If you hire us, your state and legal documents are discreetly delivered to us and securely stored in your online account for maximum privacy.
Compliance
Appointing an individual to act as your registered agent can be dicey—what if that person is incredibly unreliable or you designate an employee who quits suddenly? You’d be left in non-compliance. With a service, you can trust that your registered agent is always there for you and fulfilling their legal obligations.
Additionally, some services—like us—help you stay on top of your annual Periodic Report filings so that you don’t miss the deadline and fall into delinquency. We include enrollment in Compliance Service with our Registered Agent Service.
How Our Registered Agent Service Works
Don’t just get a registered agent—get the best registered agent you possibly can! Our pricing and value are unmatched.
1
You hire us as your registered agent
You’ll want to hire us before forming your company because you’ll have to list our information on your formation paperwork.
Once you sign up, you have instant service and can visit your online account immediately.
2
Form your company
File your formation documents—or hire us to file them for you—with us listed as your registered agent.
You can also list our Colorado business address in place of yours if you work from a home office or don’t have a fixed office space.
3
We keep you in compliance
With Registered Agent Service, we include Compliance Service.
We’ll send you a reminder as the deadline for your Periodic Report is approaching and then file on your behalf ($100 + state fee) so you never miss it.
If you prefer to file on your own, cancel the service in your online account.
4
Renew your RA Service
We serve as your registered agent for a full year, accepting state and legal documents on behalf of your business.
When it’s time to renew your registered agent service for the year, we’ll send you a reminder so that you can avoid lapses in service.
More Ways We Can Support Your Business
We offer more than just registered agent service. Why? Because we can. And because it makes your life easier to have Company Formation Service or our Virtual Office Package at your disposal.
Check out all of our additional high-quality (and affordable) services:
$125 + state fees
Company Formation Service
Get accepted fast and on the first try
- A year of registered agent service
- Fast formation filing with the CO SOS
- Free attorney-drafted LLC operating agreement & corporate bylaws
- Enrollment in Compliance Service
Deluxe for $49/year or Premium for $99/year
Mail Forwarding
All your mail in one place, no clutter
- 10 (Deluxe) to 25 (Premium) additional mail scans per year
- Junk mail filtering
- Unique suite number
- 90-day free trial of virtual phone service with CO area code
$19/month
Virtual Office
Get credibility without an expensive office rental
- Unlimited regular mail scans per year
- Unique suite number and month-to-month office lease
- Virtual phone service with CO area code
- Ability to rent conference rooms at our location
$125 + state fees
Foreign Registration Service
Expand your business across state lines
- A year of registered agent service
- Statement of Foreign Entity Authority filing with the SOS (or another state if you’re going outside of CO)
- Free library of business documents
- Enrollment in Compliance Service
Colorado Registered Agent Service FAQs
Get answers to common questions about registered agent service.
Is having a registered agent required in Colorado?
Any business entity that is formed by filing paperwork with the state (LLC, Corporation, Non-Profit) is required by law to list a registered agent on its formation documents and to maintain a registered agent as long as the business is operating. All foreign business entities (formed out-of-state), such as Colorado foreign LLCs and Colorado foreign corporation who register to do business in Colorado also need to appoint a Colorado registered agent.
What’s better—being my own agent or using a service?
If you don’t care about having your address on the public record, being served lawsuits at home or in front of customers, or possibly missing document deliveries while you’re on vacation or traveling for work, serving as your own registered agent can save you a few bucks.
But if you want to keep your address private, discreet delivery of lawsuits, and zero risk of missing a document delivery, go with a registered agent service. At only $25/year, that’s only about $2/month for convenience and security.
When do I sign up?
Sign up for registered agent service before forming your company because you will need to list your registered agent’s name and address on your formation documents (otherwise the state won’t accept them).
Will my registered agent file my formation documents?
Your registered agent won’t automatically file your formation documents. If you hire us, you can take advantage of our Company Formation Service.
How do I access the documents that are delivered to Rocky Mountain Registered Agent?
We scan and upload any and all state and legal documents we accept on your behalf the same day they are received. Once they’re uploaded, we immediately send you a notification so that you can log in to your secure online account and view them wherever you are.
How does Compliance Service work?
To protect your company from being marked Delinquent for filing your Periodic Report late (or not filing at all), we include enrollment in Compliance Service with Registered Agent Service. We saw too many clients suffering the negative consequences of forgetting to file (you can lose your business name, your good standing with the state, or face fines and other penalties for noncompliance).
We’ll send you a reminder about the report as the deadline approaches and then file on your behalf, well ahead of time ($100 + the state fee, charged only at filing). You’ll stay in compliance without having to think about it. But if you prefer to file on your own, you can easily cancel inside your online account.