The State of Colorado has released two new mandatory posters that employers need to display in the workplace. The affected notices include a revised 2026 Colorado Minimum Wage poster and an updated Colorado Notice of Paydays. Specifically, the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment is the state agency responsible for updating and providing the Overtime & Minimum Pay Standards Order (COMPS Order) poster and the Notice of Paydays. According to the COMPS Order, effective January 1st, 2026, the Colorado state minimum wage increased from $14.81 to $15.16 per hour. The updated Notice of Paydays includes new information on accessing relevant laws and guidance. Affected employers must update their Colorado state & federal labor law posters to include the newly revised notices.
Why Did the Colorado Minimum Wage Increase?
Colorado's state minimum wage increases each year. The wage rate is adjusted for inflation annually. Each year, the Division of Labor and Statistics within the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment issues a PAY CALC order that provides employers with inflation-adjusted minimum wage rates, tip credit-adjusted information, and overtime exemption salary thresholds. The state’s minimum wage applies to Colorado employers if it’s higher than the employer’s local city or county wage rate.
What Is the Colorado Tip Credit Wage Rate in 2026?
The Colorado tip credit-adjusted wage rate for 2026 has increased to $12.14 per hour from $11.79 per hour in 2025. "Tipped employees" under Colorado law receive a certain amount in tips per hour, adjusted annually. Per the state's publication "Tips (Gratuities) and Tipped Employees Under Colorado’s Wage Law,” employers cannot pay tipped employees less than $3.02 below the established state minimum wage rate. The $3.02 rule also applies to city and county minimum wage rates that exceed Colorado’s $15.16 per hour.
What Are Some of the New City/County Minimum Wage Rates in Colorado?
As mentioned previously, the state minimum applies only to Colorado employers that are not subject to a higher city or county wage rate. In Colorado, various cities and counties enforce minimums that vary from the state’s published minimum wage:
- Denver City/County: The 2026 minimum wage in Denver will increase from $18.81 to $19.29 beginning January 1.
- City of Edgewater: The Edgewater minimum wage will increase from $16.52 to $18.17 per hour in 2026.
- Boulder County (Unincorporated areas only): The county’s minimum wage rate is rising by 25 cents in 2026, from $16.57 to $16.82 per hour.
- City of Boulder: Boulder's minimum wage in 2026 will be $16.82, increased from $15.57 per hour.
What Is the Colorado Notice of Paydays, and What Was Updated?
Under Colorado Revised Statutes (C.R.S.) §§ 8-4-107, employers are required to post their regular paydays and the time and place where employees will be paid. The Colorado Notice of Paydays was created to help employers provide employees with that information.
The recently released updated Notice of Paydays includes three new QR codes that link to relevant laws and guidance in English and Spanish, as well as to other required labor law posters. This notice, or any equivalent document containing the required elements outlined in C.R.S. § 8-4-107, must be updated whenever there is a change in paydays or in the time or place of payment.
Employer Takeaways
Colorado employers must conspicuously display the revised 2026 COMPS Order poster and the updated Notice of Paydays in an area frequented by employees as soon as they are received. Colorado law also requires employers to include the COMPS Order in any employee handbook or employment policies manual. Additionally, if a city or county rate applies, the employer must comply with any related posting requirements imposed by the employer's municipal government. Failure to comply with Colorado and federal labor laws can result in citations, fines, penalties, and potential lawsuits. Covered employers must also increase the wage rates of employees whose current pay falls below the new 2026 minimums established by the COMPS Order.
Labor Law Posters Online's revised 2026 Colorado State & Federal Labor Law Poster now includes the updated COMPS Order poster and the revised Notice of Paydays. Our all-on-one state & federal compliance solution consists of all recent mandatory updates to any required state and federal notices. Existing Labor Law Posters Online customers who purchased an annual poster update service will receive the revised notice automatically as part of their subscription.