Colorado Secretary of State

Helpful Filing Tips and Troubleshooting Information

Here are some filing tips from the Business Division of the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office that will help make business filing simpler. For more helpful information about online filing, or specifically filing an annual report online, please read the relevant sections of our FAQs, which can be found on the Business Division home page under "General Information".

Contents

Hints for Filing an Annual Report
Attach a File to an Online Transaction
Attachments Information
Convert a Word document (.doc) to text format (.txt)
Online Filing of Business Documents
Search Business Database
Delayed Effective Dates
Online Filing of UCC Financing and EFS Statements
View PDF Files and Certificates of Good Standing
Prepaid Accounts/Facsimile (Fax) Filing
Compatible Browsers
Multiple Browser Issue

Hints for Filing an Annual Report

Have you received a notice that your annual report is due? If so, you may have noticed that the filing fee has not been printed on the postcard. Below you will find step-by-step instructions for finding the fee and filing annual reports online.

Finding entity status:

From the Business Division home page, select “Search business database”.
Type in either the name of the entity or the entity ID number in the appropriate box. The entity ID number is located on the front of the notice.
* Searching by number will display the record’s Summary page. Searching by business name will result in a list of names similar to the name searched.
Select the record from the list.
When the entity Summary page displays, the current status for the entity is listed near the middle of the page. The filing fee varies according to the status of the entity.

Finding filing fee:

From the Business Division home page, select “Fee schedule” under the "General Information" column.
Select “Business Transactions” under "Business Division - Business Organizations".

To file the report online:

Filing the annual report online updates the entity information immediately. If the report is filed on paper, it can take up to 10 business days to be processed. The completed report must be received in our office on or before the due date (postmark dates are not accepted). Paper filings that are not filled out correctly, received late, or do not have the correct fee will be rejected.

From the Summary page, select “File a Document”.
Select “File Annual Report”. If an annual report is due, it will be the first option in the list of available transactions.
Complete the report. All fields with a red asterisk (*) must be completed.
Select “Submit” after all required fields have been entered.

If the report is not acceptable for filing, reasons will be listed at the top of the page in red. If the report is acceptable, a PDF version of the form will display. Review the form for accuracy. At this point, the form/cover sheet may be printed for paper filing and must be submitted with the paper filing fee stated at the top of the document. To e-file for the reduced e-filing fee:

Select “Accept” after viewing the PDF form. This will bring up the payment screen. Type in either the credit card information or scroll down to enter the prepaid account information.

A confirmation page will display once the transaction is complete. Other proof of filing can be obtained by returning to the entity’s Summary page and printing the filed copy of the report from the history and documents page or selecting “Obtain certificate of good standing”.

Troubleshooting:

If after submitting the payment online you receive a message saying the page has expired or you have been timed out, return to the Business Division home page and search the business database for the entity. On the Summary page, select “History and documents”. If the annual report was filed, it will appear in the entity’s History and Documents page.

Do not use the Internet browser’s “Back” button while navigating the Secretary of State website. Using the Back button will cause errors to occur.

Attach a File to an Online Transaction

When you submit a completed form and have either chosen to attach a document or are required to attach a document, you will be taken to the Manage Attachments page.

Some form/coversheets, such as a Statement of Trademark Registration, automatically require an attachment.
In other cases, an option for adding an attachment will be available. These options are followed by “Yes” and “No” radio buttons. To attach additional information, select "Yes" to the appropriate option.

For example, “This document contains additional information as required by law.”
Yes No
Next, select "Submit". Selecting “Submit” will cause the Manage Attachments page to be displayed.
From the Manage Attachments page, select “Browse” next to the location field. You then are able to search your computer for the document you wish to attach. Text files with or without line breaks (.txt) or PDF (.pdf) files can be attached. Rich text format (.rtf) should not be used. A JPEG (.jpg) file can be attached only to a trademark filing. Only one file may be selected at a time. Once you have found the document you want to attach, select the document name and then select “Open”. This will insert the selected file into the Location field.
Enter a description of the attached document. This description will appear on the last page of the filed document with a link to the attachment. Next select "Add Attachment". The manage attachments page should then indicate that 1 attachment is associated with the filing. Up to 5 attachments may be added. When all attachments have been added select "Continue".
The Transaction Preview page will be displayed. The preview page will provide an image of the Secretary of State form you completed. To verify that the correct file has been attached, select the hyperlink located on the last page of the PDF image.
If the file displayed is not the file to be attached, select “Return to Form” to return to the Manage Attachments page.
To delete the file, mark the box associated with the file located in the Delete column and select “Delete Attachments”. Follow the instructions outlined above to add an attachment.
When all attachments have been added select "Continue".
The Transaction Preview page will be displayed.

Attachments Information

The maximum file size for attachments is 400 kb.

It is best to attach .pdf files when possible. A PDF file looks the same on the screen and in print for all users, regardless of what kind of computer or printer is being used or the type of software that was originally used to create it.

PDF files contain the complete formatting of the original document, including fonts and images. PDF files are highly compressed resulting in a smaller file size. These files allow complex information to be downloaded efficiently.

Software products, such as those provided by Adobe®, are needed for creating PDF documents. Adobe software products may be purchased on their website at http://www.adobe.com/. This site also offers alternative methods for creating PDF documents.

Convert a Word document (.doc) to text format (.txt)

Note: Saving the document as Text Only will cause all document formatting to be lost. Text Only format does not support the word wrap feature that is available in Word documents (.doc or .rtf). The Text file may need to be edited by using the ENTER key at the end of each line to force a line break. Otherwise the text will display as a continuous string horizontally across the screen, which will cause problems when printing the attachment. Saving the document using the Save As Type: Text Only with Line Breaks (*.txt), should help with this problem.

If this option is not available, select Save as Type: Text Only or Plain Text.

For WordPerfect

Save the document to the desktop.
Right click on the document icon on the desktop.
Select Open with...
Choose to open with Word or word pad. Select “Choose Program” if the application is not listed.
Once the document is open, select “File”.
Select “Save As”.
At the bottom of the box choose Save As Type: - select Text Only with Line Breaks (*.txt).
Select “Save”.

For Microsoft Word

Open the document.
Select “File”.
Select “Save As”.
At the bottom of the box choose Save As Type: - select Text Only with Line Breaks (*.txt).
Select “Save“.

Online Filing of Business Documents

Annual Reports
Annual Reports can be filed online at our website up to two months in advance of the date they are due. For example, an entity with an Annual Report Month of December may file its annual report as early as October 1. From the Business Division home page, select “File an annual report" or see the instructions below for filing a document affecting an existing Secretary of State record.

As an additional hint, it is better to file annual reports prior to the last day of the month in order to avoid increased internet filing traffic. Heavy traffic to the website may prevent the online filing of some reports. Annual Reports that are not filed by the due date will be subject to late fees.

For more information read Annual Report Filing Information.

Other Business Documents
Additional business documents may be filed online from the “File a document..." options in the Business Division. Documents may be filed “affecting an existing record” or “creating a new record”.

Filing instructions can be found here.

Search Business Database
(This does not apply to the "Name availability" search)

It is best to search by the entity's ID number, when known.
Less is more! Do not enter the full name that is being searched. Instead focus on one or two key words.
Do not use punctuation.
Do not use Boolean logic.
If the entity name begins with initials, group the initials to form one word.

Once the search results list is provided, click on the entity ID number of the entity to select the record.

The names have been corrected to show the words A, An or The at the beginning of the name. Search results are displayed in alphabetical order by name. To find a name that starts with "The", navigate toward the end of the list.

Delayed Effective Dates

Delayed effective dates are designed to allow customers to submit for filing articles of incorporation or organization, amendments thereto, and certain other business documents up to ninety (90) days in advance of the effective filing date of the document. Delayed effective dates may be indicated for documents submitted online, as well as for paper filed documents. For example, if a customer needs the effective date of formation for a corporation to be January 1, the customer must submit the articles of incorporation for filing prior to January 1st and specify in the document that the articles are to become effective on January 1, since the Secretary of State’s Office will not be open on that date.

However, keep in mind that including a delayed effective date in articles of incorporation (or other originating documents) will limit the available options for other forms that would be available affecting that record and may have significant legal consequences.

Online Filing of UCC Financing and EFS Statements

Uniform Commercial Code and Effective Financing Statement records can be filed online at our website.

If a user account has already been created,

Select "File a UCC or EFS Record" on the Business Division home page.
Log in.
Follow all steps to complete your filing.

To create a user account,

Select “Create / manage a user account" under GENERAL INFORMATION on the Business Division home page.
Select “Create a User Account”.
Select "Create an Account" located under the state seal.
After completing and saving the information entered, go to the Business Division home page.
Proceed to the "E-File a UCC or EFS Record".

For further information concerning user accounts visit the UCC FAQs which can be found on the Business Division home page under GENERAL INFORMATION.

A search for UCC information and document images may be performed for free once a user account has been created.

View PDF Files and Certificates of Good Standing
(Follow these steps only when experiencing problems)

Download the newest version of Adobe Reader®.
Open the Adobe Reader application from the start menu.
Right click on the document number.
Select “Save Target As…”.
Select “Desktop’ in the Save in box.
Open the file from the desktop.

Note: Filers using Nitro PDF Professional or Nuance (ScanSoft) PDF software may be unable to complete online transactions and may encounter problems when attempting to view documents.

Prepaid Accounts/Facsimile (Fax) Filing

For customers that do a lot of business with our office, creating a prepaid account may be a helpful option for submitting payment. Prepaid accounts are not effective for someone who seldom uses our services.

Prepaid account holders may submit documents online or via fax and pay the filing fees using a prepaid account form. The form is available in the “Forms list” under the "General Information" column under the Business Division. To create a prepaid account online, select "Create / Manage a User Account" from the Business Division home page or submit a Prepaid Account Application Form to our office. A minimum initial deposit is required to open a prepaid account. Answers to questions about creating a user account or a prepaid account online can be found on the Prepaid Account FAQs.

To add more funds to an existing prepaid account online, select “Create and Manage a User Account” from the Business Division home page. Next, select “Manage your User Account” and then log in. Once logged in, select “Account Summary” from the left side of the screen. Scroll down to the Prepaid Account Information and select “Click here to add funds to your prepaid account”.

Compatible Browsers

Y – Currently supported
T – In testing. May be supported in the future.
N – Will not be supported

Browser	Platform
	Windows XP, 2000, 98	MAC OS9 , OS10
IE 6.0 & later	Y	Y
Netscape 7.0 & later	N	N
AOL 8.0 and earlier	N	N
AOL 9.0	Y	Y
Safari	N/A	T
Mozilla Firefox	N	N

If a browser is "unsupported", this does not necessarily indicate that a filing will automatically fail when using that browser. Some users have had success using unsupported browsers on our site, while others encounter difficulties that prevent them from electronically filing Business Division forms or that cause undesirable results. For best results, we recommend that you use the most current version of Internet Explorer.

Multiple Browser Issue

There appears to be a problem with online filing if the filer has more than one browser window open to the same location during the same session. Having multiple browsers open to the same location during the same sessions causes documents to be filed with blank fields. Do not open a second browser and attempt to file multiple documents at the same time. It is important to close the session before moving on to another filing. Always review the document on the Transaction Preview page and make certain that the document is complete and correct. If a document is filed with blank fields, please contact our office.

Revised August 24, 2009 at 5:00 PM