Starting a business in Denver, Colorado: a practical checklist
Updated
Requirements, fees and rules change, and Denver is both a city and a county, so more of the paperwork runs through one set of city offices than in most places. Confirm everything with the linked offices before you act. This is a checklist, not legal or tax advice.
Start with the two tax accounts
In Denver, taxes are the step people most often miss, because there are two separate systems.
- Colorado. The Department of Revenue's sales tax guide says a retailer required to collect Colorado sales tax must obtain and maintain a Colorado sales tax license. It also says the Department does not collect sales taxes imposed by certain home-rule cities that administer their own. Start at the state's sales tax accounts and licenses page, or read our Colorado sales tax license guide.
- Denver. The city's business tax FAQ says Denver requires its own sales tax license when a business located in Denver makes retail sales, leases or rentals of tangible personal property or taxable services. It is issued for a two-year period, and the FAQ says there is no fee. The FAQ says you register online through the city's eBiz Tax Center.
The same FAQ describes other Denver business taxes, including use tax, an occupational privilege tax tied to employees, and a lodger's tax. Read the FAQ for the current amounts and who owes what, and ask the Treasury Division if your case is unclear. If you only provide services and sell no taxable goods, still check the FAQ before assuming you are exempt.
Register the business with Colorado
If you want an LLC, you file Articles of Organization with the Colorado Secretary of State. The fee schedule lists $50 online, and an annual Periodic Report at $25 online, with a $50 late penalty. The schedule was revised July 1, 2024 and says it is subject to change without notice. See the Secretary of State's site for the filing system.
Business address and mail
Decide early which address you will put on public filings. The Secretary of State's business search help says the public record shows a business's principal office address and the name and address of its registered agent, so assume whatever you enter there can be seen. If you run the business from home, that may mean your home address unless you use a different one.
The registered agent FAQ says the agent can be an individual or an entity in good standing with a usual place of business in Colorado. It must have a physical street address in Colorado where documents can be accepted in person, and a commercial or P.O. Box address cannot be that physical address. A separate mailing address may be a commercial or P.O. Box address, as long as it is in Colorado. Using an entity as agent is one way to keep your own address off that line, but ask the Secretary of State or a lawyer what fits your case.
For day to day mail, pick one place that you actually check, and use it consistently on your tax accounts, bank and licenses so notices do not go astray.
Find out which Denver licenses apply to you
Denver licenses many kinds of business separately, so check before you assume one license covers you. The city publishes is a license directory from the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, covering types such as security services, burglar alarms, liquor and marijuana. Applications go through Denver's Permitting and Licensing Center. Search the directory for your trade, and if you cannot tell, ask the department through the Business Licensing page.
Working from home
If you run a business from your house and use that address as the business address, Denver's home business page says you need a Zoning Permit for Home Occupation. It says home occupations may be limited in size, employees, signage and hours, that most are allowed in all zone districts except S-SU-Fx and S-SU-Lx, and that the permit ends when the resident operator named on it no longer runs the business there. Some home businesses, childcare for example, also need city and state licensing. The page directs zone-specific questions to the city's Zoning Team.
Renting out your home short term
This is a real Denver specific. The city's short-term rental page says a license is required for rentals of fewer than 29 nights, the property must be your primary residence, and a person can have only one primary residence. If you do not own the property you need the owner's permission. The city says initial reviews can take up to 30 days, and some can take longer, so apply before you list anything.
Free local help
- City. Denver Economic Development & Opportunity lists free advising, workshops, webinars and coworking space.
- SBDC. The Colorado SBDC Denver center, hosted by Red Rocks Community College, offers confidential one-on-one advising at no cost and low-cost training. You request a session through that page.
- Chamber. The Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce describes trainings, networking events and help understanding rules from zoning to licensing. Check what membership includes and what it costs before you join.
Set up a business email address
Use one address for the state, the city, your bank and your customers. You have two sensible routes. You can register your own domain and add Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, which suits a brand with staff because you own the domain. Or you can take a short local address such as [email protected] from us. A personal name is $19 a month, trade names like plumber@ cost more, there is no domain or DNS to handle, and setup takes about five minutes. The tradeoff is that you rent the address and do not own the domain. See the real cost of a business email or check a name on the home page.