Photography Business Permit Requirements in Denver, CO

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

   Required if you have employees or operate as an LLC/corporation. Free from the IRS, obtained instantly online.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online application)

   Free

   Immediate (online application)

1. Colorado Sales Tax License

   Colorado requires a sales tax license to make retail sales of tangible personal property. For a photographer that means prints, albums, USB drives and other physical goods; the Department of Revenue states that in Colorado services are not subject to sales tax (C.R.S. 39-26-102(15)(a)(I)), so shooting time itself is not taxable. Confirm the treatment of digital products with the Department. Register through MyBizColorado or the Sales Tax / Wage Withholding Account Application (CR 0100). Most license types are valid for a two-year period ending at the end of each odd-numbered year. The state license covers state and state-collected local taxes only — Denver is a home-rule city and issues its own separate (free) sales tax license.

   Official government source

   $16 for the two-year license period when applying January-June of an even year, prorated to $12, $8 or $4 later in the cycle, plus a one-time refundable $50 deposit for a new account ($66 total for a first location). The deposit is returned automatically once you have remitted $50 in state sales tax.·Immediate when filed online through MyBizColorado or Revenue Online

   $16 for the two-year license period when applying January-June of an even year, prorated to $12, $8 or $4 later in the cycle, plus a one-time refundable $50 deposit for a new account ($66 total for a first location). The deposit is returned automatically once you have remitted $50 in state sales tax.

   Immediate when filed online through MyBizColorado or Revenue Online

2. Colorado Secretary of State Business Registration

   Required to register a photography business as a formal legal entity. Most photographers form an LLC for liability protection and tax flexibility; filings are made online with the Colorado Secretary of State. A photographer trading under a name other than their own legal name files a Statutory Trade Name statement instead of, or in addition to, entity registration. Registered entities file a Periodic Report each year.

   Official government source

   $50 Articles of Organization (LLC); $20 Trade Name Statement; $25 annual Periodic Report·Filed online and processed immediately

   $50 Articles of Organization (LLC); $20 Trade Name Statement; $25 annual Periodic Report

   Filed online and processed immediately

1. Denver — No General Business License Required

   Denver does not issue a general or blanket business license. Its Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (formerly the Department of Excise and Licenses) publishes a License Directory of exactly 68 category-specific licenses (body art establishment, massage business, retail food, kennel, short-term rental, alarm business and similar). Commercial photography is not among them, so no Denver business license applies. Photographers selling prints or other tangible goods must register for Denver's Retailer's Sales, Use and Lodger's Tax License, which Denver issues at no charge.

   Official government source

   $0 — no Denver business license exists for photographers·Not applicable

   $0 — no Denver business license exists for photographers

   Not applicable

2. Denver Film Operational Permit (public locations)

   A Denver Film Operational Permit (FOP) from Public Event & Film Permitting, a division of Denver Arts & Venues, is required for commercial photography or filming on public property (parks, streets, sidewalks, alleys) when the production exceeds 25 people in a park or 10 people on a sidewalk, uses equipment beyond handheld gear or a single tripod, impacts pedestrian or vehicle access, or needs an exemption from city rules. No permit is generally needed for casual group photography, shoots entirely on private property, or same-day news coverage. Filming hours are 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

   Official government source

   No application or permit fee — PEFP does not charge for a Film Operational Permit. Productions may still owe permit fees to other city agencies and staffing costs for police support.·Apply at least 5 business days before filming for non-complex projects, or 10 business days for complex projects (street closures, drones, generators over 5 kW, pyrotechnics). Late applications cannot be accepted.

   No application or permit fee — PEFP does not charge for a Film Operational Permit. Productions may still owe permit fees to other city agencies and staffing costs for police support.

   Apply at least 5 business days before filming for non-complex projects, or 10 business days for complex projects (street closures, drones, generators over 5 kW, pyrotechnics). Late applications cannot be accepted.

Official Sources

• Denver Excise & Licenses
• Denver Arts & Venues (Film Office)
• Colorado Dept of Revenue: Sales Tax

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