Colorado SecureSavings: does your business have to register, and by when?

If your Colorado business employed five or more people at any time last year, has been in business at least two years, and offers no qualified retirement plan, the state requires you to register with Colorado SecureSavings or offer your own plan.

Every deadline the state has listed has passed; the most recent was May 15, 2026, for new businesses (2026 wave).

Newly eligible businesses get a notice with their registration date. If you already offer a 401(k), you certify an exemption instead.

In forceColorado SecureSavings

Who has to do this?

Under the Colorado Secure Savings Program Act (C.R.S. §§ 24-54.3-101 to -111)3, a Colorado employer is covered when all of these are true:

  • You employed five or more employees at any time during the previous calendar year. 3
  • You have been in business for at least two years. 3
  • You haven't offered a qualified retirement plan to any employees. 3

What a covered employer does: Register with Colorado SecureSavings and facilitate payroll deductions, or certify an exemption, by the date in your notice. 1

When?

Every deadline the state has listed has passed. The rule is in force.

Colorado SecureSavings deadlines
WhoDeadlineWhat is due
Employers in the three 2023 launch wavesMay 15 and June 30, 2023Register or certify an exemption 5
Employers notified in the 2024 waveDecember 31, 2024PassedOffer a retirement plan or register 6
New businesses (2026 wave)May 15, 2026PassedRegister or certify an exemption 1

There is no fixed yearly date. The program notifies each business when it's time to register, and the notice gives the date. 1

What is Colorado SecureSavings?

  • Employees are enrolled automatically in a Roth IRA. 2
  • Contributions are withheld from pay and sent to the program; employees can change the amount or opt out. 3
  • Employers are not permitted to contribute. 1

What if we already have a 401(k)?

  • Employers that offer a qualified retirement plan, such as a 401(k), 403(b), SEP, SIMPLE IRA or 457(b), are exempt. 3
  • Certify your exemption on the Colorado SecureSavings website with your EIN and the access code from your notice. 1

Your two options

Either one meets the requirement. The state program column is as the state describes it; which suits you depends on your business and your people.

Join Colorado SecureSavingsOffer your own plan
What you doRegister with Colorado SecureSavings and facilitate payroll deductions, or certify an exemption, by the date in your notice. 1Certify an exemption online with your EIN and the access code from your notice. 1
Where the money goesA Roth IRA for each employee 2Accounts in the plan you choose, such as a 401(k)
Employer contributionsNot permitted 1Up to you, within the plan's design
Fee to the employerNo cost to the employer, according to the program. 1Set by the provider you choose

What does it cost?

The state program: No cost to the employer, according to the program. 1

Your own plan: the provider sets the fees, and federal tax credits can cover part of the cost of starting one. See 401(k) tax credits for small businesses and our pricing.

What happens if we don't?

  • Fines of up to $100 per eligible employee a year, capped at $5,000 a calendar year. No fine comes until three months after a notice of noncompliance. 3
  • The board's rule says the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment issues the fines. The state has not announced that fines have started. 4

General information, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the state program or your counsel.

Sources & Methodology
  1. Colorado Department of the Treasury, Colorado SecureSavings, Program details (employers). Read October 13, 2026.
  2. Colorado Department of the Treasury, Colorado SecureSavings, About us. Read October 13, 2026.
  3. Colorado General Assembly, Colorado Revised Statutes 2024, Title 24, Article 54.3, page dated 2024 edition. Read October 13, 2026.
  4. Colorado Secretary of State, 8 CCR 1508-3, Rules governing the Colorado Secure Savings Program, page dated effective December 15, 2022. Read October 13, 2026.
  5. Colorado Secure Savings Program Board, Board meeting, September 26, 2023 (slides), page dated September 26, 2023. Read October 13, 2026.
  6. Colorado Department of the Treasury, Colorado Department of the Treasury encourages employers to enroll in Colorado SecureSavings, page dated November 2024. Read October 13, 2026.

Each statement is paraphrased or quoted from the source it cites. A link to a state agency does not mean the agency endorses alooola. Last verified October 13, 2026.

Get help with Colorado SecureSavings in three steps

  1. Tell us about your business: your state, how many people work for you, and any plan you have now.
  2. An advisor talks it through with you and sends a written proposal with the fees, so you can weigh it against the state program.
  3. If you choose your own plan, we coordinate the setup with you and your payroll provider. You then certify your exemption with the state.
Request a proposal

Prefer to talk? Call (484) 275-5525, Monday–Friday, 9am–5pm ET.