What it takes to legally operate in Colorado. Add your city for local permits.
1 item below — add your city to check local permits, and we're still verifying. We show what we've confirmed and flag what we haven't rather than guess.
Formation & federal100% verified
Form an LLC (or operate as a sole proprietor)Depends on your situation
Colorado LLC Articles of Organization filing fee is about $50; formation takes immediate (online only).
$25 · annualFrom our reference data — confirm on the official siteOfficial source ↗
Colorado taxes100% verified
Sales / use tax registrationDepends on your situation
Colorado has a sales tax
From our reference data — confirm on the official siteOfficial source ↗
State income taxRequired
Colorado has a personal income tax
From our reference data — confirm on the official siteOfficial source ↗
Licenses100% verified
Junk Removal occupational licenseRequired
Usually just a local business license and liability insurance. Landfills require a commercial account, and hauling certain materials (tires, appliances with refrigerant, hazardous waste) has extra rules and fees.
Verified against the official source · Sep 2026
Local permits0% verified
Local permitsNot yet verified
Local permits (zoning, home occupation, signage, health) are set by your city/county — tell us your city for specifics.
Not yet verified — check the official source
Insurance0% verified
General liability insuranceRecommended
General liability insurance is recommended for most service businesses.
Not yet verified — check the official source
Save this to your FirstBearing roadmap
Keep these requirements, track what you've done, get the filled-in paperwork and one next step every day. Free for 30 days — no card.