Colorado FAMLI 2026 Contribution Calculator

Colorado FAMLI (Family and Medical Leave Insurance) is the state's paid family leave program, funded by a payroll premium shared 50/50 between employee and employer for businesses with 10 or more employees. For 2026, the total FAMLI premium rate is 0.88% of gross wages, with employees paying 0.44% and employers with 10+ employees paying the other 0.44%. Last updated May 2026.

How Colorado FAMLI Premiums Work in 2026

Every Colorado employer must withhold 0.44% of each employee's gross wages and remit it to the Colorado FAMLI Division quarterly. Employers with 10 or more employees nationwide also pay the matching 0.44% employer share. Small employers (fewer than 10) are exempt from the employer portion but must still collect and remit the employee share. Premiums apply only to wages up to the federal Social Security wage base ($176,100 for 2025; the 2026 cap is updated annually by SSA).

How the FAMLI Weekly Benefit Is Calculated

FAMLI uses a progressive formula based on the employee's average weekly wage (AWW). Employees earning at or below 50% of the State Average Weekly Wage (SAWW) receive 90% of their wages. Wages above 50% of SAWW are replaced at 50%. The 2026 maximum weekly benefit is $1,448.02, equal to 90% of SAWW. Workers can take up to 12 weeks per application year (16 weeks for pregnancy or childbirth-related complications).

Who Qualifies and What Leaves Are Covered

Any Colorado worker who earned at least $2,500 in Colorado during the base year qualifies. Covered reasons include: family leave (bonding with a new child, caring for a family member with a serious health condition), medical leave (employee's own serious health condition), military exigency, and safe leave (survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking). Self-employed workers and local governments can opt in.

What Changed for 2026: A Rate Cut and a Mid-Year Benefit Rise

Two FAMLI numbers moved in 2026 and both go the employee's way. The premium rate fell from 0.9% to 0.88% of wages on 1 January 2026, so the employee share is now 0.44% rather than 0.45% — on $80,000 of wages that is $352 a year instead of $360. Premiums are still owed only up to the Social Security wage base, which rose to $184,500 for 2026, so high earners pay the 0.44% on more of their income than last year even at the lower rate. Separately, the maximum weekly benefit steps up every 1 July with the State Average Weekly Wage: claims beginning between 1 January and 30 June 2026 cap at $1,381.45, and claims beginning on or after 1 July 2026 cap at $1,448.02 — 90% of the $1,608.91 SAWW. The cap that applies is fixed by the date your claim starts, not the date you file, so a leave beginning in late June locks in the lower figure for its whole duration. The calculator above uses the current $1,448.02 cap. Source: Colorado FAMLI Division — Employers. Updated 2026-08-14.

Self-Employed, Contractors and Local Government Opt-In

FAMLI is automatic for most Colorado employees, but three groups have to choose in — and the premium arithmetic is different for them. Self-employed workers and independent contractors are not covered by default. They can elect coverage for a three-year commitment and then pay only the employee share of 0.44% on their income, with no employer half to match, which makes the cost roughly half what an employed worker's total premium comes to. To model this, run your net self-employment income through the calculator above and read the Employee Contribution figure while ignoring the employer line.

Local government employers — municipalities, counties and special districts — may decline participation by a vote of their governing body, and that decision is revisited on a defined cycle rather than being permanent. Even where the employer has declined, an individual employee of that entity can still opt in on their own and pay the employee share themselves. Federal employees are outside the programme entirely. If you work for a city or county and are unsure of its status, check before assuming deductions should be coming out of your pay, because a missing FAMLI line on a public-sector payslip is usually the employer's declination rather than a payroll error. Current premium rates, benefit maximums and opt-in forms are published by the Colorado FAMLI Division. Last reviewed 21 August 2026.

Common FAMLI Compliance Mistakes

(1) Missing quarterly wage reports — late or missing reports incur penalties. (2) Incorrect employer size — size is based on nationwide headcount averaged over the prior calendar year. (3) Withholding from exempt or capped wages — premiums stop at the SSA wage base. (4) Private plan errors — approved private plans must equal or exceed FAMLI benefits and require Division approval; mid-year switches need careful accounting.

Source: Colorado FAMLI Division (CDLE). Always verify rates and wage base before filing.