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Change Registered Agent in Colorado

When Is a Change of Registered Agent Required in Colorado?

A Colorado entity must file a Statement of Change with the Secretary of State whenever it needs to change its registered agent, the registered agent’s address, or the registered agent’s name. Under the Colorado Revised Statutes (C.R.S.) § 7-90-702, an entity that maintains a registered agent may change that agent, the agent’s address, or the agent’s name by filing a statement of change, by updating the information through its periodic report, or through any other form prescribed by the Secretary of State for that purpose.

Every domestic entity with a constituent filed document on record, and every foreign entity authorized to transact business in Colorado must continuously maintain a registered agent in the state. C.R.S. § 7-90-701 imposes this ongoing obligation, and failure to comply can result in the entity being declared delinquent — a status that carries immediate practical consequences including the inability to maintain lawsuits in Colorado courts.

The specific circumstances that trigger a change filing include:

  • The current registered agent resigns or otherwise ceases to serve
  • The current registered agent moves out of Colorado or no longer maintains a usual place of business in the state
  • The registered agent’s street address changes due to physical relocation, postal renaming, or other cause
  • The registered agent is no longer available at the registered agent address during normal business hours
  • The entity voluntarily selects a new registered agent
  • The registered agent no longer consents to serve
  • An individual serving as registered agent no longer holds a current, valid Colorado driver’s license or identification card, as required by the residency verification rules effective July 1, 2025

Colorado does not distinguish between a voluntary and an involuntary change of registered agent — the filing requirement and the form are the same regardless of the reason for the change.

Grounds for Changing Your Registered Agent in Colorado

The most common reasons a Colorado entity files a change of registered agent fall into a handful of categories, each of which requires the same filing with the Secretary of State. The table below summarizes these grounds and the corresponding filing requirement.

Ground Filing Required
Registered agent resigns Statement of Change Changing the Registered Agent Information (filed by the entity to appoint a replacement); Statement of Change Regarding Resignation or Other Termination of Registered Agent (filed by the departing agent)
Registered agent moves out of Colorado Statement of Change Changing the Registered Agent Information
Registered agent’s street address changes Statement of Change Changing the Registered Agent Information (if filed by the entity) or the agent may update its own address by filing a statement of change under C.R.S. § 7-90-702(2)
Entity switches to a professional registered agent service Statement of Change Changing the Registered Agent Information
Registered agent no longer available during business hours Statement of Change Changing the Registered Agent Information
Registered agent no longer consents to serve Statement of Change Changing the Registered Agent Information
Entity changes its own registered office address Statement of Change Changing the Registered Agent Information
Individual agent fails residency verification requirements Statement of Change Changing the Registered Agent Information

The entity’s registered agent information is part of the public record maintained by the Colorado Secretary of State and is searchable through the Secretary of State’s business entity search. Any inaccurate or outdated information should be corrected promptly by filing the appropriate statement of change to avoid triggering delinquency proceedings.

Colorado Registered Agent Change Requirements

Several eligibility and procedural requirements must be satisfied before an entity files a change of registered agent in Colorado. These requirements are organized below.

Eligibility of the new registered agent:

  • Option A – Entity: A domestic entity or a foreign entity authorized to transact business in Colorado, provided the entity is in good standing with the Colorado Secretary of State and has a usual place of business in the state. Unlike many other states, Colorado permits an entity to serve as its own registered agent under C.R.S. § 7-90-701(2), so long as the entity is in good standing and has a usual place of business in Colorado. However, self-appointment is a two-step process — the entity must first register with a different eligible agent and then file a subsequent change to designate itself.
  • Option B – Individual: An individual who is eighteen years of age or older, whose primary residence or usual place of business is in Colorado. Effective July 1, 2025, an individual designated as a registered agent must also hold a current, valid Colorado driver’s license or identification card, or complete the Secretary of State’s alternative address verification process. During the online filing, the filer must enter the agent’s name and ID number exactly as they appear on the license or identification card.

Registered agent address:

The registered agent must have a physical street address in Colorado where process can be personally delivered during normal business hours. As the Secretary of State’s office explains, a “usual place of business located in Colorado” means “the registered agent has a physical street address located in Colorado and that the place is customarily open during normal business hours.” A P.O. Box or commercial mailbox address cannot serve as the registered agent’s physical street address. If the agent’s mailing address differs from the physical street address, the mailing address may be entered separately in the filing, and it may be a P.O. Box located in Colorado.

Consent of the new registered agent:

Any document that appoints a person as a registered agent must contain a statement that the person has consented to being so appointed, as required by C.R.S. § 7-90-701(3). When filing the Statement of Change Changing the Registered Agent Information, the filer must check a box affirming that the named registered agent has consented. This affirmation is built into the online form and is a mandatory field — the filing will not be accepted without it.

Note: Colorado does not use a separate consent form that is filed with or retained independently from the statement of change. The consent affirmation is integrated directly into the filing itself.

Execution:

Colorado does not require a traditional signature from an officer or director in the manner used by many other states. Instead, the filing identifies one or more “individuals causing the document to be delivered for filing” under C.R.S. § 7-90-301.5. Each such individual affirms, under penalty of perjury, that the information in the document is true. No notarization is required.

How to File a Statement of Change of Registered Office/Agent

The change is made by filing a Statement of Change Changing the Registered Agent Information with the Colorado Secretary of State, pursuant to C.R.S. § 7-90-305.5 and § 7-90-702. The form is completed entirely online — the Secretary of State’s office does not accept a paper version of this filing. Detailed instructions are available through the online filing instructions page.

To complete the filing, follow these steps:

  1. Navigate to the Secretary of State’s business filing page and select “File a form for an existing record.” Search for the entity by name or ID number and confirm the correct record.
  2. Select “Statement of Change Changing the Registered Agent Information” from the list of available forms. The entity’s ID number, name, and jurisdiction will be pre-filled and cannot be changed through this form.
  3. Indicate whether the registered agent’s name is being changed. If yes, enter the new registered agent’s name — either an individual name or an entity name, but not both. If an individual is selected, the filing system will require verification of the individual’s Colorado driver’s license or ID card number, or the entry of an alternative address verification passcode.
  4. Check the consent affirmation box confirming that the new registered agent has consented to the appointment.
  5. Indicate whether the registered agent’s street address is being changed. If yes, enter the new physical street address in Colorado. A mailing address may be entered separately if it differs from the street address. If a mailing address is already on file and is not re-entered, the system will update it to match the street address.
  6. Check the delivery-of-notice affirmation box confirming that the registered agent has delivered notice of the change to the entity. This is a mandatory field.
  7. Select whether a delayed effective date applies. If the document should take effect immediately, leave the default setting. If a delayed date is desired, enter the date (and optionally the time). The effectiveness can be delayed up to 90 days.
  8. Provide the name and mailing address of at least one individual causing the document to be delivered for filing.
  9. Review the form on the Transaction Preview page. If corrections are needed, click “Return to Form.” Otherwise, click “Accept” to proceed to payment.
  10. Enter a credit or debit card number or prepaid account information, and click “Pay Now.”

The filing is effective immediately upon successful payment processing, unless a delayed effective date was selected. After payment, a confirmation page appears, and the filed document is viewable in the entity’s filing history.

Filing Method: Online vs. Mail

The Statement of Change Changing the Registered Agent Information must be filed online through the Colorado Secretary of State’s website. Colorado has transitioned the vast majority of its business filings to an online-only format, and the change-of-registered-agent form is not available as a paper filing.

Method Details
Online Filed through the Colorado Secretary of State’s business filing system. Available at all times except during scheduled maintenance windows (typically 11:50 PM to 2:00 AM Mountain Standard Time). The filing is processed in real time upon payment.
Mail Not available for the Statement of Change Changing the Registered Agent Information.
In-Person Not available for the Statement of Change Changing the Registered Agent Information.

Because the filing is processed in real time when submitted online, there is no separate processing queue or wait time. The document is immediately effective (or effective on the delayed effective date if one was selected). The Secretary of State’s office does not send back paper confirmation copies — the filed document can be viewed and printed from the entity’s summary page under “Filing history and documents.”

Note: The Mass Change Registered Agent form, which is available for commercial registered agents who need to update agent information across 550 or more entity records simultaneously, is a separate paper-based process handled directly by the Secretary of State’s office. That form and its associated fees are distinct from the standard online filing described here.

Registered Agent Change Filing Fees by Entity Type

The filing fee for a Statement of Change Changing the Registered Agent Information is $10.00, as set by the Colorado Secretary of State’s business organizations fee schedule. Colorado charges a uniform fee for this filing regardless of entity type — profit corporations, nonprofit corporations, LLCs, limited partnerships, LLPs, cooperative associations, and foreign entities all pay the same amount.

Entity Type Filing Fee
Profit Corporation $10.00
Nonprofit Corporation $10.00
Limited Liability Company (LLC) $10.00
Limited Partnership (LP) $10.00
Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) $10.00
Limited Liability Limited Partnership (LLLP) $10.00
Limited Cooperative Association $10.00
Article 55 Cooperative Association $10.00
Article 56 Cooperative $10.00
Limited Partnership Association $10.00
Foreign Entity (all types) $10.00

The filing fee for the Statement of Change Regarding Resignation or Other Termination of Registered Agent is also $10.00.

Payment may be made by Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover credit or debit cards issued in the United States, by prepaid or gift credit cards from those same networks, or through a prepaid account maintained with the Secretary of State’s office. The Secretary of State does not publish a credit-card surcharge for online filings.

Effective Date of a Registered Agent Change in Colorado

A statement of change filed with the Colorado Secretary of State becomes effective based on the option selected by the filer at the time of filing. C.R.S. § 7-90-304 governs the effective date of filed documents.

Immediate effect: The default option. When the filer leaves the delayed effective date field blank (or selects “Yes” to immediate effectiveness), the document takes effect upon successful filing and payment processing. Because the online filing system processes documents in real time, the change is effective immediately.

Delayed effective date: The filer may delay the effectiveness of the filing by entering a specific date and, optionally, a time. If only a date is entered, the document becomes effective at 11:59 PM Mountain Standard Time on that date. The effective date may be delayed for a maximum of 90 days from the date the document is filed, as confirmed by the Secretary of State’s delayed effective date FAQ.

Colorado does not offer a “future event or condition” effectiveness option for the standard statement of change — the delayed effective date must be a specific calendar date. If the filer enters an incorrect delayed effective date, a Statement of Correction Correcting a Delayed Effective Date (a separate paper-only form) may be filed to correct or remove it.

Changing the Registered Agent Address Without Changing the Agent

When a registered agent’s address or name changes — but the same individual or entity continues to serve as the agent — the agent itself may notify the Secretary of State by filing a statement of change under C.R.S. § 7-90-702(2), rather than requiring the entity to file individually. Under that provision, if the registered agent address or registered agent name of a registered agent changes, “the registered agent shall deliver to the secretary of state, for filing … a statement of change” that includes a statement that the agent “has delivered notice of the change to the entity.”

The following table compares the entity-filed change and the agent-initiated change.

Feature Statement of Change (Filed by Entity) Statement of Change (Filed by Agent Under § 7-90-702(2))
Filed by The entity (or an individual causing delivery on behalf of the entity) The registered agent (or an individual causing delivery on behalf of the agent)
Purpose Change the registered agent, the agent’s name, the agent’s address, or any combination Update the agent’s own name or address while continuing to serve
Can appoint a new agent Yes No — the same agent continues to serve
Covers multiple entities No — one filing per entity No — one filing per entity, though the mass change process is available for 550+ records
Prior notice to entity required The agent must deliver notice of the change to the entity The agent must deliver notice of the change to the entity
Signed by Individual causing delivery on behalf of the entity Individual causing delivery on behalf of the registered agent

For commercial registered agents who represent a large number of entities and need to update their name or address across many records at once, the Secretary of State’s office provides a separate Mass Change Registered Agent process. This paper-based service is available only when the total number of records to be changed is 550 or greater. The processing fee is $50.00 at the time of application, plus approximately $1.80 per record before the change is applied. The entire mass change process can take two to three months.

For fewer than 550 records, the agent or the entity must file individual statements of change online at $10.00 per filing. There is no separate per-entity fee cap for the standard online process.

What Happens After the Change Is Filed

Once the Statement of Change Changing the Registered Agent Information is successfully filed and payment is processed, several effects follow:

  • The entity’s registered agent information in the Secretary of State’s records is updated immediately (or on the delayed effective date, if one was selected).
  • The filed document appears in the entity’s filing history, which is viewable and printable from the entity’s summary page on the Secretary of State’s website.
  • The new agent’s name and address become part of the entity’s public record and are searchable through the Secretary of State’s business entity search.
  • The former registered agent’s authority to receive service of process on behalf of the entity terminates as of the effective date of the filing.
  • The Secretary of State’s office does not mail paper confirmation copies — the confirmation page displayed after payment and the filed document in the entity’s history serve as the record of the filing.

If the entity also updates its registered agent information through its annual periodic report (which separately requires reporting the current registered agent), the periodic report filing can serve the same function as a standalone statement of change for purposes of updating the agent on record.

Changing a Registered Agent for a Foreign Entity Registered in Colorado

A foreign entity that has obtained authority to transact business in Colorado by filing a Statement of Foreign Entity Authority is subject to the same registered agent requirements as a domestic filing entity. C.R.S. § 7-90-701 requires every foreign entity authorized to transact business in the state to continuously maintain a registered agent in Colorado, and the same eligibility rules apply — the agent must be an individual with Colorado residency (including the driver’s license or ID verification requirement) or an entity in good standing with a usual place of business in the state.

A foreign entity changes its registered agent by filing the same Statement of Change Changing the Registered Agent Information used by domestic entities. The consent requirement, the physical street address requirement, the execution requirements, and the filing method are identical. The filing fee is $10.00, the same as for every other entity type in Colorado.

Failure by a foreign entity to maintain a registered agent or to comply with Part 7 of Article 90 can result in delinquency proceedings under C.R.S. § 7-90-901(2)(c). A delinquent foreign entity faces the same consequences as a delinquent domestic entity, including the inability to maintain a proceeding in Colorado courts until the delinquency is cured.

Frequently Asked Questions About Changing a Registered Agent in Colorado

How long does it take to change a registered agent in Colorado?

The Statement of Change Changing the Registered Agent Information is filed online and processed in real time. Once the filer completes the form and payment is successfully processed, the filing is immediate — there is no processing queue or waiting period for online submissions. If the filer selects an individual registered agent who does not have a Colorado driver’s license and must use the alternative address verification process, there will be a delay of several business days while the passcode request is reviewed. For general questions about filing, the Secretary of State’s office can be reached at 303-894-2200 or toll-free at 1-855-428-3555.

Do I need to notify my current registered agent before changing?

Colorado law does not impose a statutory obligation on the entity to notify the outgoing registered agent before filing the change. The Statement of Change Changing the Registered Agent Information does require the filer to affirm that the registered agent has delivered notice of the change to the entity, but there is no reciprocal requirement that the entity notify the departing agent in advance. Many entities choose to notify the outgoing agent as a professional courtesy. If the outgoing agent wishes to formally end the relationship independently, the agent may file a separate resignation under C.R.S. § 7-90-702(4).

Can I change my registered office address without changing the registered agent?

Yes. The Statement of Change Changing the Registered Agent Information permits the filer to change the agent’s name, the agent’s address, or both. To update only the address, the filer selects “No” for the agent name change and “Yes” for the address change, then enters the new physical street address. The registered agent remains the same, and only one filing fee of $10.00 applies. Alternatively, the registered agent may file the change itself under C.R.S. § 7-90-702(2) if the agent’s own address has changed while the agent continues to serve.

What is the agent-initiated address change form and when is it used?

When a registered agent’s own address or name changes — but the same individual or entity continues to serve — the agent may file a statement of change under C.R.S. § 7-90-702(2) rather than requiring the entity to file. This form cannot be used to appoint a different agent; it updates only the current agent’s information. The agent must deliver notice of the change to the entity before filing. The filing is made online through the Secretary of State’s business filing system and costs $10.00 per entity. For commercial agents representing 550 or more entities, the Secretary of State’s office offers a mass change process with a separate fee structure.

Is there a penalty for not filing a change of registered agent?

Colorado requires every reporting entity to continuously maintain a registered agent. Failure to comply with Part 7 of Article 90 is a ground for delinquency under C.R.S. § 7-90-901. A delinquent entity may not maintain a proceeding in any court in Colorado until it cures the delinquency under C.R.S. § 7-90-903. Additionally, a domestic entity that has been delinquent for three years or more may be dissolved. Without a current registered agent to receive service of process, the entity also risks default judgment if it is sued and a court obtains jurisdiction through an alternative service method.

Can I change my registered agent and the registered office address in the same filing?

Yes. The Statement of Change Changing the Registered Agent Information allows the filer to change the agent’s name, the agent’s address, or both in a single filing. The filer selects “Yes” for each field that is being changed and enters the new information. A single $10.00 filing fee applies regardless of whether one or both fields are updated.

What happens if my registered agent resigns?

A registered agent who has resigned or otherwise ceased to serve may file a Statement of Change Regarding Resignation or Other Termination of Registered Agent with the Secretary of State. The agent must deliver notice of the resignation to the entity. Under C.R.S. § 7-90-702(5), the resignation becomes effective on the thirty-first day after the statement of change is filed in the Secretary of State’s records, or on the effective date of a subsequent statement of change appointing a different registered agent, whichever occurs first. The delayed effective date stated in the resignation form may not be earlier than the thirty-first day or later than the ninetieth day after filing. The entity should promptly file its own Statement of Change to appoint a replacement agent to avoid falling into delinquent status.

Does the new registered agent need to sign the change form?

No. The Statement of Change Changing the Registered Agent Information is filed by the individual causing the document to be delivered for filing — typically a person authorized to act on behalf of the entity. The new registered agent does not sign the form. However, the filer must check the consent affirmation box confirming that the named agent has consented to the appointment, as required by C.R.S. § 7-90-701(3). The consent is affirmed through the filing itself rather than through a separate consent document filed with the state.

Can I use a P.O. Box for the new registered office address?

No. The registered agent’s street address must be a physical address in Colorado where the agent can personally accept documents during normal business hours. The Secretary of State’s registered agent FAQ confirms that “commercial or P.O. Box addresses cannot be used as a registered agent’s physical street address.” If the registered agent has a mailing address that differs from the physical street address, the mailing address may be entered separately in the filing and may be a P.O. Box or commercial address, but the primary street address field must contain a physical location.

Is the filing fee the same whether I file online or by mail?

The Statement of Change Changing the Registered Agent Information is available only as an online filing — there is no paper or mail-in option for this form. The online filing fee is $10.00 for all entity types, as listed on the Secretary of State’s fee schedule. There is no separate surcharge for online payment. Payment may be made by credit card, debit card, or prepaid account.