Colorado Foreign Registration Registered agent
Choosing a Colorado registered agent for a foreign entity
A foreign entity registering in Colorado needs one registered agent, an individual or a company with a Colorado street address, and changing the agent later costs $10. The rules tightened on July 1, 2025, when individual agents began to prove Colorado residency under House Bill 24-1137.
Who can serve
| Individual | Company | |
|---|---|---|
| Age or status | 18 or older | Registered with the Colorado Secretary of State and in good standing |
| Location | Primary residence in Colorado or a staffed street address in Colorado | A usual place of business in Colorado |
| Proof | Colorado driver license or ID card number, or a mailed passcode | Foreign companies must hold Colorado authority themselves |
| Consent | Required | Required |
What counts as a usual place of business
Colorado defines it as a physical street address in the state, open during ordinary business hours, where someone can accept documents in person. A commercial mailbox or P.O. box is not acceptable as the physical street address. If the agent has a different mailing address, enter it in the mailing field instead, where it can be a box so long as it is also in Colorado. The Secretary of State cannot be named, and an entity appoints only one agent at a time.
The ID check for an individual agent
For an individual agent, the filer enters the agent's name and ID number exactly as they appear on a Colorado driver license or ID card. The Division says it does not keep the license information long term. An agent without a Colorado license can use the alternative route: request a passcode by supplying the agent's name and physical address along with a document such as a utility bill, bank statement, mortgage statement or government letter, dated within the last 90 days, showing a specific issue date, the agent's full name and complete street address, and the issuing organization. The Division reviews the request, and if it approves, a passcode is sent. It expires 45 days after issue, and the filing cannot be completed until it is entered. The Division warns that choosing this route delays the filing.
A company as agent
A company can serve if it keeps a street address in Colorado that is staffed in business hours and is in good standing with the Secretary of State. A company formed elsewhere must also have its own authority to transact business here. A company can be its own agent after it registers, but this is a two-step process: register first with an eligible individual or another company as the agent, then file a change to select itself. For a foreign entity that is registering for the first time, it follows that a company in Colorado, or a professional agent, is the starting point.
What the agent actually does
The agent receives service of process, the papers that start a lawsuit, along with garnishment notices, court motions, legal notices and government letters such as report reminders. The agent has to forward them. An entity with no working agent can still be sued, but if it is unaware and does not respond, a court can enter a default judgment against it. That is the reason the Division insists on a real person at a real address. If the agent cannot be found at the address on record, the statute allows service by registered or certified mail to the entity's principal address, which is no substitute for a reliable agent.
Changing or losing the agent
Update the agent on the periodic report, or file a statement of change at $10 any time. A resignation is a separate statement at $10. If an agent resigns and no new one is appointed within 30 days, the entity becomes noncompliant, and after that delinquent. The new agent has to meet the same tests, including the ID check. Keep the date of any change in your file.
Our Colorado agent service
We can act as your Colorado registered agent, and the statement carries our name and address when you choose it. Either way, an agent of your own works as long as the person or company meets the tests above and agrees to serve.
Registered agent questions
Can I use my home-state registered agent in Colorado?
Only if it keeps a staffed street address in Colorado and, as a company, is registered and in good standing here.
Do I need a Colorado driver license to be the agent?
No. You can use the alternative verification, which takes longer because a passcode must be requested and returned.
Can the Secretary of State be my agent?
No. The Division says it cannot be appointed.
Can I list two agents?
No. An entity names one individual or one company.
What does it cost to change the agent?
A statement of change is $10.
Our charge and the Colorado fee
- The Statement of Foreign Entity Authority, prepared from your answers
- A name check, so the filing carries a name Colorado will accept
- A Colorado registered agent with a usual place of business: ours, or the one you already use
- The filing, then the approved record and your periodic report month
- Renewal: after the first year, the agent service renews at $149 a year
Our charge and the Colorado fee show as two lines at checkout. $199 plus the state fee, including your first year of registered agent service; after that the agent service renews at $149 a year.
Where this comes from
- Colorado Secretary of State, business organizations fee schedule
- Colorado Secretary of State, sample Statement of Foreign Entity Authority (PDF)
- Colorado Secretary of State, business forms list
- Colorado Secretary of State, foreign entity FAQ
- Colorado Secretary of State, registered agent requirements
- Colorado Secretary of State, registered agent FAQ
- Colorado Secretary of State, noncompliance (status) FAQ
Work reaching Colorado?
Tell us the entity and where it was formed. We prepare the statement, check the name and line up the agent.