Starting a business in Littleton, Colorado: a practical checklist

Updated

Requirements, fees and rules change, so confirm each step with the linked offices before you act. This is a checklist for opening a small business in Littleton, Colorado, built from the City's own pages and the state's.

First, check that your address is really in Littleton

Many addresses with a "Littleton" mailing address are not inside the city, and the answer decides which licenses and tax rules apply. The City tells applicants to check the location with its Address Wizard before applying. If the address is outside city limits, check with the city and with the county that covers it, since Littleton reaches into Arapahoe, Jefferson and Douglas counties.

Register the business with the state

An LLC is formed by filing Articles of Organization with the Colorado Secretary of State. The fee schedule (revised July 1, 2024) lists $50 online for Articles of Organization and $25 online for the annual Periodic Report. Check that page for the current amounts.

Get the City of Littleton Business & Sales/Use Tax License

Littleton requires one. According to the City's Business & Sales/Use Tax License page, it applies to any business operating in the city, home-based or commercial, including service businesses with nothing taxable to sell. Details from that page:

  • You apply through the City's eTRAKiT portal: create an account, then choose "Apply for New Licenses."
  • There is no charge for the application.
  • Each location needs its own license, and licenses are not transferable. If you move or buy an existing business, plan on a new one.
  • Businesses outside the city that deliver products into Littleton also need to register.

The City's licenses and permits page also points to other offices depending on what you do: zoning, building and sign review through Community Development, liquor licenses through the City Clerk, and county health department approval for restaurants, grocers, childcare and body art.

Sales tax: two separate accounts

Littleton administers its own sales and use tax, so it is not enough to hold a state license. You need both:

  1. The City license above. City returns are filed through the City's online tax site, and the City's license page lists due dates and the current rate.
  2. The state license for state-collected taxes, applied for as described on the Department of Revenue's sales tax license page. The Department says its license covers only state and state-collected jurisdictions, and that home-rule cities that collect their own tax have their own requirements.

The Department's Sales & Use Tax page is the place to look up special district taxes that apply to your address.

Zoning and working from home

Littleton's zoning rules sit in Title 10, the Land Use Code. Per the City's Land Use Code and Zoning Portal, home occupations are allowed as an accessory use, with the specific limits in Section 10-1-6.A(C)D.10. Read that section against your zone district. The same page explains how to look up your zoning and book time with a Development Review Planner. A lease for a storefront or office is worth running past that planner too.

Local help

Setting up a business email address

Once the paperwork is filed, you will want one address for state notices, the bank and customers. One route is your own domain with Google Workspace or Microsoft 365: you own the domain and can add staff, but it takes more setup and costs more. The other is a short local address like [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. You rent the address and do not own the domain, so for a brand with staff your own domain is the better choice. Prices are compared in the cost guide, and the home page lets you check a name.

Check a name or try the email address ideas tool.