- Home
- Government
- Departments
- Town Clerk
- Licenses & Permits
- Business Licenses
Business Licenses
Licensing Requirements
We welcome your business to Telluride. To assist you in business planning, we offer the following information.
Telluride has a business license law that mandates the licensing of persons doing business within Telluride town limits (Telluride Municipal Code Section 6-1-10 through 6-1-100) and Lawson Hill. Non-profits are exempt from this requirement.
Business license proceeds are distributed to the visitors bureau
- Marketing Telluride, Inc., for regional marketing (74%)
- 15% Reserve Capital Improvement Fund
- Open Space Fund (5%)
- Town administration (6%)
MUNIRevs
The Town of Telluride uses a 3rd party program, MUNIRevs to:
- Process business license applications
- Renewal of business licenses
- Sales and excise tax licenses and remittance
Visit the Telluride MUNIRevs website to start an application or renewal of a business license.
For assistance creating your MUNIRevs account or connecting to your existing business account, please contact the MUNIRevs Support Department at (888) 751-1911.
Short-Term Rentals
A short-term rental is a rental for less than thirty days (1-29 days). A business license and tax remittance is required on all short-term rentals.
The cap on short-term rental licenses expired on November 2, 2023. New short-term rental business license applications will be processed beginning November 3, 2023. 2023 licenses will be processed under the 2023 licensing and pricing structure and will expire 12/31/2023.
The Town will implement new short-term rental licensing software in January/February 2024 with new licensing categories, pricing, and compliance requirements. Please see Town Ordinance 1578 for additional information. 2024 renewals will be available as soon as possible in 2024, but not prior to 12/31/2023.
Note: For information regarding Telluride sales taxes, please contact the Finance Director at (970) 728-2163, or visit the Finance Department.
-
Ashley Berard
Business License AdministratorPhone: (970) 728-2159
- How much does a business license cost?
-
The cost is determined by how many employees work in the Town of Telluride. For out of town businesses, please indicate on your application how many employees will be physically present in the Town of Telluride, not the total employees in the business. For a short-term rental licenses, the cost is determined by the license category and how many sleeping rooms (including lofts/nooks) are in the property. See Telluride Municipal Code Section 6-1-20.
- When does my business license expire?
-
All business licenses expire December 31st and must be renewed January 1st. Payment for business licenses is due no later than January 31st for the 2024 licensing year. STR business licenses that are active on December 31st 2023 will be granted a grace period until the new STR software is ready in mid January - early February. STR license fees will be due April 1st due to the timeline of the software launch.
- What if I only do business at the end of the year? Will my license be prorated?
-
Licenses are only prorated in the final quarter of the year (October 1). The fee is half off the regular fee.
- My office is not located in town. Do I need a license?
-
If you have any physical presence in town, i.e. meeting clients, advertising, delivering goods in exchange for money, a business license is required.
- What if I ship goods to Telluride through a common carrier, I don’t advertise my business in town, and I don’t have any kind of physical presence? Do I need a business license?
-
No. If you do not have a physical presence in the Town of Telluride, you do not need a business license, however, a sales tax license may be required. To apply for a sales tax license, follow these instructions. The process is the same as obtaining a business license., but during the application process, indicate in the description that you need a sales tax license only. The business license administrator will approve you for a zero-fee business license with an attached, non-expiring, sales tax license.
- I’m registered with the State of Colorado. Isn’t that all I need?
-
No. Telluride is a Home Rule Municipality and requires all business license owners doing business within the Town of Telluride to have a local business license, as well as being registered with the state. We also self-collect sales tax, so you will pay tax to the state and to the Town of Telluride separately.
- I’m no longer doing business in Telluride, and/or I sold my house/condo. Is there anything I need to do?
-
Yes. Please contact the Telluride business license administrator at (970) 728-2159 to inform them of the sale date so they may close your account. You will continue to receive email notifications until your account is closed. An account cannot be closed until all taxes owed the Town have been remitted. Upon the sale of a property, a STR license must be closed, and the new owner must apply for a new STR license.
- I’m selling my business/home/condo. Can the new owner take over my MUNIRevs account?
-
If the tax identification information will remain the same, then yes. If a new business entity will be formed with a new tax identification number, then your account must be closed, and the new owner must apply for a new account. Business licenses are non-transferable.
- My house/condo is in the Residential Zone. I did my MUNIRevs paperwork and have been waiting for an approval so I can pay for my license. What’s the hold up?
-
Before your license can be approved, you must submit a notarized Residential Rental Affidavit (Affidavit) to the Town. There are rental restrictions in the Residential Zone and the Affidavit is required pursuant to Telluride Land Use Code Division 6. A new business license will not be approved until the Affidavit is submitted.
- What are the restrictions for short-term rentals in the Residential Zone?
-
You may rent your property for no more than three times in a year (Jan-Dec). These rentals may not accumulate to more than 29 days total. A rental that begins in one year and ends in the next shall count for the year it begins. For example, December 21 - January 5. However, taxes must be split and remitted for their corresponding month totals. If you rent over the amount, your account will be processed by the legal department and you could be fined up to $1,000 per day of violation.
- I don’t have a computer. Can I just fill out paperwork to apply for my business license?
-
No. The Town of Telluride utilizes a paperless business licensing system called MUNIRevs. Electronic applications are required to be submitted through telluride.munirevs.com. A computer kiosk is available in the lobby at Town Hall, and there are several computers available for use at the Wilkinson Public Library.