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Plain CharterLLC questions, short answers.

Plain answers · Colorado

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Colorado (2026), Plainly Answered

For foreign registration services in Colorado, our 2026 order is Colorado Registered Agent.co ($199), CO Registered Agent.org ($199) and Mainstay Filing ($199). Every option pays Colorado's $100; three years of service run $397 to $497.

By the Plain Charter editorial team ·

Quick answer

Cost to file
$100
Home-state document?
Not asked for
Each year after
$25, periodic report
Our order
Colorado Registered Agent.co, CO Registered Agent.org then Mainstay Filing

Our Colorado list

Our order, explained on how we choose.
1Best overall

1. Colorado Registered Agent.co: best for adding just this state

$199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year

Colorado Registered Agent.co leads our list: it charges $199 plus the state fee, agent included for year one, then $99 a year.

It is the lower three-year cost of the two, which is what we weigh first.

The price covers

  • Your foreign filing
  • Agent service for year one

Upsides

  • $199 plus the state fee
  • Then $99 yearly
  • No agent fee in year one

What to weigh

  • No coverage outside the state
Visit Colorado Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2In-state

2. CO Registered Agent.org: best for one extra state

$199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year

CO Registered Agent.org is next: it charges $199 plus the state fee, agent included for year one, then $99 a year.

Colorado Registered Agent.co charges the same, so this one is a close second.

The price covers

  • Your foreign filing
  • Agent service for year one

Upsides

  • No agent fee in year one
  • $199 plus the state fee
  • Then $99 yearly

What to weigh

  • No coverage outside the state
Visit CO Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3All fifty states

3. Mainstay Filing: best for registering in several states

$199 plus the state fee, then $149 a year

Pick number 3, Mainstay Filing, makes the list because its $199 fee is the same in any state, with year one of registered agent service included.

It costs $100 more than Colorado Registered Agent.co over three years, and cost carries the most weight with us.

From year two the registered agent costs $149 a year, in any state.

The price covers

  • Registration, filed
  • Registered agent, first year free
  • The same fee in every state

Upsides

  • Registered agent free in year one
  • $199 over the state fee
  • Ready for the next state

What to weigh

  • $50 a year more for the agent
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The picks side by side

#ServiceFirst yearYear two onThree-year totalIn the price
1Colorado Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397your foreign filing; agent service for year oneVisit Colorado Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2CO Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397your foreign filing; agent service for year oneVisit CO Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Mainstay Filing$199$149/yr$497Registration, filed; registered agent, first year free; the same fee in every stateVisit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Each company's published prices, November 12, 2026. State fees come on top and do not change by pick.

Questions, answered plainly

When does an out-of-state LLC have to register here?

If an LLC formed in another state does business in Colorado, it registers first.

Unregistered, the LLC faces fines as high as $5,000.

from coloradosos.gov · October 2026

How much is foreign registration?

Budget $100 for the state and $199 for a service.

Over three years the state's fees reach $150, counting any recurring report. from coloradosos.gov · October 2026

What is the application called?

It takes one filing, the Statement of Foreign Entity Authority, which goes to the Colorado Secretary of State, Business Program.

No home-state certificate is asked for.

What does staying registered cost?

Periodic report: $25.

When: once a year, by the end of the second month after your report month.

Why these three?

Because of three-year cost: Colorado Registered Agent.co does best there, and it counts for 35%.

Most of our weighting sits on three-year cost and what the price takes off your plate.

On cost, Colorado Registered Agent.co wins at $397 for three years, a $100 saving against Mainstay Filing.

Read our criteria

The official requirements

RequirementAnswerSource
Registration filing$100from coloradosos.gov · October 2026
Home-state certificateNot asked forfrom coloradosos.gov · October 2026
Periodic report$25from coloradosos.gov · October 2026
State total, years 1 to 3$150Our sum of the fees above
Every amount links to its official source. The three-year line is our own sum of filing, reports and any minimum tax.

More answers

Do I still need an agent in my home state?

Usually, yes. One national provider can serve both; a local one cannot.

What is the three-year cost of each?

Colorado Registered Agent.co $397, CO Registered Agent.org $397 and Mainstay Filing $497, state fees extra.

Where do you get the fees?

State fees from Colorado's official sources, cited next to each figure; service prices from each company's own pricing.

Must I hire anyone?

No law requires one. A service is a convenience.

Can a service file the registration for me?

Yes, every pick files it, and the state fee does not change.

Who is your first choice in Colorado?

First Colorado Registered Agent.co, then CO Registered Agent.org and Mainstay Filing.

Cited sources

  1. Colorado Secretary of State, August 2026 (sos.state.co.us)
  2. Colorado Secretary of State, August 2026 (sos.state.co.us)
  3. Colorado yearly filing: Periodic report, October 2026 (coloradosos.gov)
  4. Colorado report due date, August 2026 (colorado.public.law)
  5. Colo, August 2026 (sos.state.co.us)
  6. Colorado formation fee: Filing fee, October 2026 (coloradosos.gov)
  7. Colorado Secretary of State, foreign, October 2026 (coloradosos.gov)
  8. Sample Statement of Foreign Entity, October 2026 (coloradosos.gov)
  9. Colorado Revised Statutes 2024, Title, October 2026 (content.leg.colorado.gov)
  10. Registered agent requirements effective July, October 2026 (coloradosos.gov)
  11. Colorado Registered Agent.co pricing page, prices as of November 12, 2026
  12. CO Registered Agent.org pricing page, prices as of November 12, 2026
  13. Mainstay Filing Colorado service page, prices as of November 12, 2026