Colorado LLC Operating Agreement
Set out who owns your Colorado LLC, who manages it, and how profits are split — and download a print-ready PDF. Single-member or multi-member. Free, no signup. The preview updates as you type.
Maintained by Rapi Stack · Every state-specific figure on this page is cited to its statute or official agency page · Dataset last verified 2026 · Not legal advice.
Colorado LLC act rules · as of 2026
- Required by law?
- No — but strongly recommended
- Recognized form
- written or oral — 'Except as otherwise provided in this article or as otherwise required by a written operating agreement, the operating agreement need not be in writing'
- Governing act
- Colorado Limited Liability Company Act
Without an agreement: Profits and losses are allocated among members 'on the basis of the value, as stated in the limited liability company records..., of the contributions made by each member' — pro rata by contribution, not per capita (C.R.S. § 7-80-503). Source: Colo. Rev. Stat. § 7-80-102(11)(a) · verify ↗.
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Why your Colorado LLC needs this — even single-member
- It overrides the default rules. Without an agreement, the Colorado Limited Liability Company Act decides how profits are split and who can act for the company — not you.
- It protects limited liability. A written agreement is core evidence that the LLC is a real, separate entity.
- Banks and lenders ask for it. Opening a business account or getting a loan routinely requires it.
Colorado law
No — Colorado does not require an operating agreement (as of 2026): Not required. The act defines the operating agreement as 'any agreement of all of the members as to the affairs of a limited liability company'; if none exists, the article's default rules govern.. But without one, the default rules of the Colorado Limited Liability Company Act decide ownership, management, and profit questions for you — which is why one is strongly recommended even for single-member LLCs. Source: Colo. Rev. Stat. § 7-80-102(11)(a). Check the current Colorado LLC rules before relying on any default.
Frequently asked questions
Is an operating agreement required in Colorado?
No — Colorado does not require an operating agreement (as of 2026): Not required. The act defines the operating agreement as 'any agreement of all of the members as to the affairs of a limited liability company'; if none exists, the article's default rules govern.. But without one, the default rules of the Colorado Limited Liability Company Act decide ownership, management, and profit questions for you — which is why one is strongly recommended even for single-member LLCs. Source: Colo. Rev. Stat. § 7-80-102(11)(a).
Does the operating agreement get filed with the state?
No. Unlike the formation certificate (articles of organization), the operating agreement is an internal document — you sign it, keep it with your records, and give each member a copy. Banks, lenders, and courts may ask to see it, but no Colorado agency records it.
Can the agreement be oral in Colorado?
Colorado's statute recognizes: written or oral — 'Except as otherwise provided in this article or as otherwise required by a written operating agreement, the operating agreement need not be in writing' (Colo. Rev. Stat. § 7-80-102(11)(a)). Even where oral or implied agreements count, put yours in writing — proving an oral term in a dispute between members is exactly the fight the document exists to prevent.
How does Colorado compare? See which states actually require an operating agreement, every claim cited to the state LLC act.
How Colorado compares
Computed from our 51-jurisdiction dataset (as of 2026). Source for Colorado: Colo. Rev. Stat. § 7-80-102(11)(a) ↗.
- Colorado is one of 47 of 51 jurisdictions that leave the operating agreement optional (statutory default rules apply without one) (4 require an LLC to have an operating agreement).
The rest of what Colorado requires
The figures below are Colorado's, not national averages — each one is the value we verified for this state, with the statute it comes from. Follow a row to the full Colorado page for that document.
- Security deposit cap · as of 2026
- 2 months' rent C.R.S. §38-12-102.5 ↗
- Deposit return deadline · as of 2026
- 30 days after move-out C.R.S. §38-12-102.5 ↗
- Notice to end a month-to-month tenancy · as of 2026
- 21 days C.R.S. §38-12-102.5 ↗
- Notice for unpaid rent · as of 2026
- 10 days to pay or quit Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-40-104; § 13-40-107 ↗
- Notice to cure a lease violation · as of 2026
- 10 days Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-40-104; § 13-40-107 ↗
- Small claims limit · as of 2026
- $7,500 Colo. Rev. Stat. §13-6-403 (limit); §13-6-407 (attorneys) ↗
- Where you file · as of 2026
- Small Claims Court (a division of County Court) · filing fee $31 (claims up to $500) / $55 ($500.01-$7,500) per the Colorado Judicial Branch fee schedule (JDF 1) Colo. Rev. Stat. §13-6-403 (limit); §13-6-407 (attorneys) ↗
- Rental application fee · as of July 2026
- Limited to the actual cost of screening Colorado General Assembly (HB19-1106) ↗
- Bill of sale notarization · as of 2026
- Not required Colorado DMV (Form DR 2173) ↗
- Power of attorney signing · as of 2026
- Notarization recommended Colo. Rev. Stat. §15-14-705 (form §15-14-741) ↗
- Recording a deed · as of 2026
- County Clerk and Recorder · no witnesses C.R.S. § 38-30-113 ↗
LLC operating agreement in other states
More Colorado legal forms
Different state? See LLC operating agreements by state →