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LLC 101 Guide

Section 2 · Rhode Island

The Rhode Island Registered Agent Unit (2026): 6 Tasks and the 3 Best Agents

Short answer for 2026: if you want help naming a registered agent in Rhode Island, go with Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), RI Registered Agent.org ($99 a year) and Rhode Island Registered Agent.co ($99 a year), ranked best first. Task 1 states the Rhode Island rule on a resident agent; 6 tasks later your appointment is done correctly.

Prepared by the LLC 101 Guide instructors

Read this first

Legally required
Yes
Look it up at webserver.rilegislature.gov; our reading dates from October 2026
Cost of hiring an agent
$99 to $149 a year
Published rates
Recurring report
$50 a year
Look it up at sos.ri.gov; our reading dates from August 2026
Tax each year
$400
Look it up at tax.ri.gov; our reading dates from October 2026
Unit tasks
6
In order

By the end you will know

  • The Rhode Island agent rule
  • Who is eligible and the address test
  • Getting the agent listed
  • Who we would hire as agent

Who we would hire in Rhode Island

Graded on the grading page: three-year cost (34%), assignments completed (31%), renewal price, fit with Rhode Island's rules and plain pricing.

Top of the class

1. Mainstay Filing: best for LLCs that may grow into other states

Our first pickFirst year $149; renewal $149

Start the list with Mainstay Filing, because a $149 yearly agent fee that is identical across all fifty states.

Three years run $150 higher than with RI Registered Agent.org, but it completes more of the assignments, and the grade pays for that.

What the price covers

  • A real street address in the state
  • Free scans of legal papers served on the company, sent the business day they arrive
  • Up to three government letters a year are scanned free
  • Also works for nonprofits, corporations, LPs and LLPs

What works

  • $149 a year, same at renewal
  • One price in all fifty states

What to weigh

  • Costs $50 extra every year
  • An agent-only plan, so no report filing
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

2. RI Registered Agent.org: best for owners based in the state

In-state serviceFirst year $99; renewal $99

RI Registered Agent.org is a solid second-place option: for $99 a year you get a Rhode Island agent with an office inside the state.

What the price covers

  • A Rhode Island street address
  • Served papers are scanned into your account

What works

  • A flat $99 yearly
  • Costs less per year than Mainstay Filing

What to weigh

  • No help in other states
  • Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company stays your job
Visit RI Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

3. Rhode Island Registered Agent.co: best for another Rhode Island option

In-state serviceFirst year $99; renewal $99

Rhode Island Registered Agent.co is a solid third-place option: for $99 a year you get a Rhode Island agent with an office inside the state.

It lists the same prices as RI Registered Agent.org.

What the price covers

  • A Rhode Island street address
  • Served papers are scanned into your account

What works

  • A flat $99 yearly
  • Costs less per year than Mainstay Filing

What to weigh

  • No help in other states
  • Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company stays your job
Visit Rhode Island Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Grades and prices together

#ServiceAnnual priceRenewal priceThree-year total
1Mainstay Filing$149$149/yr$447Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2RI Registered Agent.org$99$99/yr$297Visit RI Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Rhode Island Registered Agent.co$99$99/yr$297Visit Rhode Island Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Company prices as listed on November 13, 2026. State fees do not change with your choice of agent.

The unit, task by task

  1. Task 1

    Read what Rhode Island requires

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

    Source: Look it up at webserver.rilegislature.gov; our reading dates from October 2026

  2. Task 2

    See who may act

    A Rhode Island resident, or a corporation, limited partnership or LLC formed in Rhode Island or authorized there. Legal source: R.I. Gen. Laws § 7-16-11.

  3. Task 3

    Pick an address that complies

    The address has to be a Rhode Island street address, not a P.O. box, where the agent is available during business hours.

    Each service we recommend supplies the in-state address.

  4. Task 4

    Choose between acting alone and hiring

    If you pass the tests above you can name yourself; hiring one of the recommended agents costs $99 to $149 a year.

  5. Task 5

    Report the agent's details

    You identify the agent in your filing with the Rhode Island Secretary of State, and any change is its own filing at that office.

    Source: Look it up at docs.sos.ri.gov; our reading dates from October 2026

  6. Task 6

    Update when things change

    The Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company costs $50 every year and is due May 1; any notice about it comes through the resident agent. $400 a year minimum tax to the Division of Taxation (Form RI-1065), owed whether or not the LLC makes a profit.

    Source: Look it up at sos.ri.gov; our reading dates from August 2026

What the agent costs in Rhode Island

TaskReceiverSum
Registered agent serviceYour service$99 to $149 a year
Agent renewalYour service$99 to $149 a year
Repeating reportPaid to the state$50 every year
Yearly minimum taxPaid to the state$400 a year
The state numbers are official Rhode Island fees, sourced below. The three-year line combines the filing fee, the reports in years two and three and any minimum tax.

Why the list runs this way

What decided it was assignments the price completes, which carries 31% of the grade.

Reach put it ahead of RI Registered Agent.org.

Check your Rhode Island answers

Is a resident agent a must for Rhode Island LLCs?

Yes. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

Can I be my own resident agent?

An owner can serve if qualified; tasks 2 and 3 hold the tests.

Can I change my resident agent later?

Yes; the Rhode Island Secretary of State accepts change filings, and task 5 says what to send.

What does a registered agent cost in Rhode Island?

$99 to $149 per year for the agents listed.

What does the LLC pay the state each year?

Mostly the Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company, $50 every year, plus the minimum tax.

Which registered agent would you choose?

The order is Mainstay Filing, RI Registered Agent.org and Rhode Island Registered Agent.co, and Mainstay Filing is first since $149 a year, $149 at renewal, and the same plan works in every other state.

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 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.
  8. Mainstay Filing Rhode Island service page, opened November 13, 2026
  9. RI Registered Agent.org pricing page, opened November 13, 2026
  10. Rhode Island Registered Agent.co pricing page, opened November 13, 2026