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LLC 101 Guide

Course unit 3 · Rhode Island

Foreign LLC Registration in Rhode Island (2026): 5 Tasks and the 3 Best Services

Our 2026 Rhode Island picks for registering an out-of-state LLC, strongest to weakest, are Mainstay Filing ($199), Rhode Island Registered Agent.co ($199) and RI Registered Agent.org ($199). 5 tasks cover the filing, the $150 fee and what you owe afterward.

Prepared by the LLC 101 Guide instructors

The quick version

What the state charges to register
$150
Taken from docs.sos.ri.gov in October 2026
Certificate you must attach
60 days
Age limit
Report fee
$50
Annual report
What the state collects in three years
$1,450
Registration, reports and any minimum tax
Unit tasks
5
Each one explained

You will leave able to

  • When an LLC from elsewhere must register in Rhode Island
  • How the filing gets made
  • The recurring filing
  • Who we would hire to file

Services we recommend in Rhode Island

What counts most: three-year cost and how many assignments the price finishes. How we grade lists all five criteria.

Top of the class

1. Mainstay Filing: best for LLCs on the move

Top of the classService $199, renewal $149 a year

Start the list with Mainstay Filing, because it files the Rhode Island registration for $199 plus the state's fee, and the first agent year costs nothing.

Rhode Island Registered Agent.co is $100 lower across three years; this service still ranks higher because it does more of the work.

Agent service after the first year is $149 a year.

What the price covers

  • Filing made with the state
  • The same price in each state

What works

  • $199 plus the state fee
  • All fifty states covered

What to weigh

  • Agent renews at $149, $50 above Rhode Island Registered Agent.co
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

2. Rhode Island Registered Agent.co: best for an inexpensive Rhode Island filing

In-state serviceService $199, renewal $99 a year

Pick number 2 is Rhode Island Registered Agent.co, where a $199 service fee and $99 a year for the Rhode Island agent after that.

What the price covers

  • The Rhode Island registration, prepared and sent
  • One year of agent service is part of the price

What works

  • First year of agent service costs nothing extra
  • A $199 service charge
  • Then $99 per year

What to weigh

  • Rhode Island only; your home state needs its own agent
Visit Rhode Island Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

3. RI Registered Agent.org: best for a small agent renewal

In-state serviceService $199, renewal $99 a year

Pick number 3 is RI Registered Agent.org, where a $199 service fee and $99 a year for the Rhode Island agent after that.

Its prices are the same as Rhode Island Registered Agent.co's, so either works.

What the price covers

  • The Rhode Island registration, prepared and sent
  • One year of agent service is part of the price

What works

  • First year of agent service costs nothing extra
  • Then $99 per year
  • A $199 service charge

What to weigh

  • Rhode Island only; your home state needs its own agent
Visit RI Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

A comparison of the services

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Mainstay Filing$199$149/yr$497Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Rhode Island Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit Rhode Island Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3RI Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit RI Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Listed prices, read November 13, 2026. Add the $150 state fee to every row.

The unit, task by task

  1. Task 1

    See if your LLC must register in Rhode Island

    Vocabulary: a foreign LLC is one formed in a different state. It registers before it does business in Rhode Island. If you skip it: An LLC that has not registered cannot be a plaintiff in Rhode Island (R.I. Gen. Laws 7-16-54(a)). Signed contracts keep their force (R.I. Gen. Laws 7-16-54(b)).

    Source: Taken from docs.sos.ri.gov in October 2026

  2. Task 2

    Get a certificate from your home state

    Rhode Island asks for certificate of Good Standing or Letter of Status, not older than 60 days.

    Request it close to your filing date.

  3. Task 3

    Appoint the Rhode Island resident agent

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. The address has to be a Rhode Island street address, not a P.O. box, where the agent is available during business hours.

    Each of the recommended services serves as the resident agent.

    Source: Taken from webserver.rilegislature.gov in October 2026

  4. Task 4

    Work through the Application for Registration for a Foreign Limited Liability Company

    the Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division receives the form and the $150 fee together.

    Source: Taken from docs.sos.ri.gov in October 2026

  5. Task 5

    What comes after

    You keep the registration going by filing the annual report at $50, between February 1 and May 1. Budget for this too: $400 a year minimum tax to the Division of Taxation (Form RI-1065), owed whether or not the LLC makes a profit.

What this unit costs

Line itemPaid toTotal
The registration taskPaid to the state$150
Annual reportPaid to the state$50
Yearly minimum taxPaid to the state$400 a year
Service, if you hire oneThe service company$199 at the start
State fees for the first three yearsPaid to the state$1,450
State fees were read from the official pages named in the sources. Three years means the filing, two years of reports and the minimum tax where there is one.

How the grades came out

Assignments the price completes settled first place in Rhode Island. It is worth 31% of the grade, and the other 69% comes from course fee across three years, second-year fee, match with the state syllabus and plain pricing.

Registering involves two states, and one provider for both moved ahead of Rhode Island Registered Agent.co.

Common questions

What does an LLC from another state pay Rhode Island to register?

$150 at the state office. Our recommended services add $199.

Which form do I file to register?

Fill in the form named in task 4 and send it to the Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division.

Do I need a certificate from my home state?

Yes: certificate of Good Standing or Letter of Status, issued within 60 days of filing.

What if the LLC does business there without registering?

An LLC that has not registered cannot be a plaintiff in Rhode Island (R.I. Gen. Laws 7-16-54(a)). Signed contracts keep their force (R.I. Gen. Laws 7-16-54(b)).

What is due after registering?

Task 5 covers it: the annual report for $50.

Which service should handle the registration?

Go with Mainstay Filing: $199 beyond the state fee in any state, with year one of the agent included. Then Rhode Island Registered Agent.co and RI Registered Agent.org.

Reading list and sources

  1. Further reading on Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division: our unit draws on docs.sos.ri.gov, which we reopened in August 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  2. Further reading on Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division: our unit draws on sos.ri.gov, which we reopened in August 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  3. Further reading on R.I: our unit draws on webserver.rilegislature.gov, which we reopened in August 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  4. Further reading on Rhode Island formation fee: Filing fee, official source: our unit draws on sos.ri.gov, which we reopened in October 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  5. Further reading on Rhode Island formation fee: Filing fee, official source: our unit draws on docs.sos.ri.gov, which we reopened in October 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  6. Further reading on Rhode Island registered agent statute: our unit draws on webserver.rilegislature.gov, which we reopened in October 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  7. Further reading on Form 450, Application for Registration: our unit draws on docs.sos.ri.gov, which we reopened in October 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  8. Further reading on R.I: our unit draws on webserver.rilegislature.gov, which we reopened in October 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  9. Further reading on R.I: our unit draws on webserver.rilegislature.gov, which we reopened in October 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  10. Further reading on Form 452, Certificate of Cancellation: our unit draws on docs.sos.ri.gov, which we reopened in October 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  11. Further reading on Rhode Island other cost: our unit draws on tax.ri.gov, which we reopened in October 2026 so you can compare it with the original.
  12. We opened the Rhode Island service page at Mainstay Filing on November 13, 2026
  13. We opened the pricing page at Rhode Island Registered Agent.co on November 13, 2026
  14. We opened the pricing page at RI Registered Agent.org on November 13, 2026