Colorado Charitable Solicitation License and Renewal
Colorado at a glance
- Registration
- Required, unless an exemption applies. Secretary of State, Charities and Fundraisers handles it. Source
- Filing
- Annual Renewal. Source
- Renewal
- Your renewal is due the 15th day of the 5th month after your fiscal year end. Source
- Renewal fee
- $10. Source
- Late filing
- A late fee applies, in the words of the source. Source
- Extension
- Extension available with IRS Form 8868. Source
- Exemptions
- 5 listed, each quoted. Source
Every deadline, fee and exemption quotes its source and links to it.
Overview
- Regulatory Agency
- Secretary of State, Charities and Fundraisers
- Registration Required
- Yes
Track your Colorado deadlines automatically
Your Colorado renewal is due the 15th day of the 5th month after your fiscal year end. CharityFile emails reminders before that date. Reminders need a paid plan or a live trial. Initial registration is due before engaging in any solicitation campaigns or charitable sales promotions in Colorado.
Track My Colorado Filings →Fee Schedule
| Applies to | Fee |
|---|---|
| All organizations | $10 |
Source: sos.state.co.us · verified August 11, 2026 (2 mo ago) · send source
“Annual registration renewal $10.00”
Late filing fee
- Late fee source: “Charities - failure to file renewal Fee Fine $60.00” — sos.state.co.us
- Late fee source: “If you allow your registration to expire, you can no longer solicit contributions in Colorado. We will send two notifications (by both email and first-class mail) alerting the organization that its registration expired. If you act before the 17 th day after the expiration date, you can renew without penalty. After that, you will need to reinstate your registration.” — coloradosos.gov
Annual filing
Your renewal is due the 15th day of the 5th month after your fiscal year end
Extension available with IRS Form 8868. Colorado honors a timely IRS Form 8868 for this filing. The final deadline is 3 months after the original due date if Form 8868 is timely filed. Form 990-N cannot be extended with Form 8868.
- Extension source: “If a charitable organization files a deadline extension with the IRS, the charitable organization must file its registration renewal and financial report by the 15th day of the eighth calendar month after the close of each fiscal year in which the charitable organization solicited in Colorado.” — sos.state.co.us
Source: sos.state.co.us · verified September 15, 2026 (1 mo ago) · send source
“due at the same time that the Form 990 is due to the IRS”
Required Documents
Annual Renewal. Forms and instructions: Agency page
- Articles of Incorporation
For the initial registration
Source: sos.state.co.us · verified September 15, 2026 (1 mo ago) · send source
“Ensure the organization first registers in business with your Articles of Incorporation (if incorporated) or a Statement of Foreign Entity Authority (SOFEA), if you are an out of state charity.”
- IRS Determination Letter
For the initial registration
Source: sos.state.co.us · verified September 15, 2026 (1 mo ago) · send source
“Date of tax-exempt determination or application: If you received a determination letter from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), enter the date of the letter in mm/dd/yyyy format.”
- IRS Form 990
For the initial registration and the renewal
When: Only on request: the Secretary of State may ask for a copy of Form 990 and Schedule M when noncash contributions exceed $25,000
Source: sos.state.co.us · verified September 15, 2026 (1 mo ago) · send source
“If this amount exceeds $25,000, we may request a copy of the organization's Form 990 and Schedule M to verify correct reporting of noncash contributions.”
Exemptions
- Federal 990 exempt
Persons that are exempt from filing a federal annual information return…
Source: sos.state.co.us · verified September 23, 2026 (23 days ago) · send source
“Persons that are exempt from filing a federal annual information return pursuant to 26 U.S.C.”
- Individual relief
Persons exclusively making appeals for funds on behalf of a specific individual…
Source: sos.state.co.us · verified September 23, 2026 (23 days ago) · send source
“Persons exclusively making appeals for funds on behalf of a specific individual named in the solicitation, but only if all of the proceeds of the solicitation are given to or expended for the direct benefit of the specified individual.”
- Political
Source: sos.state.co.us · verified September 23, 2026 (23 days ago) · send source
“Political parties, candidates for federal or state office, and political action committees required to file financial information with federal or state elections commissions”
- Small organization
Charitable organizations that do not intend to and do not actually raise or…
Threshold: $25,000 (revenue)
Source: sos.state.co.us · verified September 23, 2026 (23 days ago) · send source
“Charitable organizations that do not intend to and do not actually raise or receive gross revenue, excluding grants from governmental entities or from organizations exempt from federal taxation under section 501(c)(3) of the federal”
- Small organization
Threshold: 10 donors
Source: sos.state.co.us · verified September 23, 2026 (23 days ago) · send source
“or do not receive contributions from more than ten persons during a fiscal year.”
How to File in Colorado
Colorado uses an online portal for charitable registration. Follow these steps to complete your filing:
- 1Go to the Colorado Secretary of State Charities and Fundraisers page
- 2Log in to eFile, or create an account
- 3File the charitable organization registration or renewal
- 4Complete the form with your organization details
- 5Upload all required documents
- 6Pay the applicable filing fee
Enforcement in Colorado
Penalties
Any person who commits charitable fraud in violation of paragraph (b), (c), (d), (f), or (g) of subsection (1) of this section is guilty of a class 5 felony, and upon conviction thereof, shall be punished in accordance with section 18-1.3-401, C.R.S.
Source: Colo. Rev. Stat. §6-16-111 · verified September 23, 2026 (23 days ago) · send source
“Any person who commits charitable fraud in violation of paragraph (b), (c), (d), (f), or (g) of subsection (1) of this section is guilty of a class 5 felony, and upon conviction thereof, shall be punished in accordance with section 18-1.3-401, C.R.S.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Colorado require charitable solicitation registration?
Yes. Colorado requires charitable organizations, as its statute defines them, to register. The Secretary of State, Charities and Fundraisers handles registration.
Source: sos.state.co.us · verified September 15, 2026 (1 mo ago) · send source
“Every charitable organization, except those exempted under subsection (6) of this section, that intends to solicit contributions in this state by any means or to have contributions solicited in this state on its behalf by any other person or entity or that participates in a charitable sales promotion shall, prior to engaging in any of these activities, file a registration statement with the secretary of state upon a form prescribed by the secretary of state.”
How much does Colorado charitable registration cost?
The initial registration fee is $10. The annual filing fee in Colorado is $10.
Source: sos.state.co.us · verified August 11, 2026 (2 mo ago) · send source
“Application for new registration number $10.00”
When is the Colorado charitable registration filing deadline?
In Colorado, your renewal is due the 15th day of the 5th month after your fiscal year end. Initial registration is due before engaging in any solicitation campaigns or charitable sales promotions in Colorado. Extension available with IRS Form 8868. Colorado honors a timely IRS Form 8868 for this filing. The final deadline is 3 months after the original due date if Form 8868 is timely filed. Form 990-N cannot be extended with Form 8868.
Source: sos.state.co.us · send source
“If a charitable organization files a deadline extension with the IRS, the charitable organization must file its registration renewal and financial report by the 15th day of the eighth calendar month after the close of each fiscal year in which the charitable organization solicited in Colorado.”
What documents are required for Colorado charitable registration renewal?
The primary form is Annual Renewal. Forms and instructions: https://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/charities/charitableHome.html
Are there any exemptions from Colorado charitable registration?
Yes. This guide cites these Colorado exemptions:
- Federal 990 exempt
- Individual relief
- Political
- Small organization
- Small organization
- Whether an exemption applies depends on your facts. Read the quoted source above.
Where do I file Colorado charitable registration?
Colorado charitable registration filings can be submitted through the Secretary of State, Charities and Fundraisers's online portal. The official registration portal provides access to required forms and online filing capabilities.
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