How to Form an LLC in Rhode Island
Our formation package runs $199 flat — we draft and file your Articles of Organization with the Rhode Island Secretary of State, on top of the state's $150 fee. Keeping the LLC compliant afterward calls for a Rhode Island registered agent, billed on its own at $99/year and never folded into the $199.
Forming a Rhode Island LLC comes down to one document: the Articles of Organization, Form 400, filed with the Rhode Island Secretary of State. The official filing fee is $150, the entity needs a registered agent on the public record from day one, and a couple of recurring obligations keep it in good standing afterward. Here is the full walkthrough.
Start Your Rhode Island LLC
For $199 we prepare and file the entire formation with the Secretary of State's Division of Business Services, then track it through approval.
The Rhode Island LLC Filing Fee: $150
The official Rhode Island filing fee for Articles of Organization is $150, set by R.I. Gen. Laws § 7-16-65(1). File online and the checkout total comes to about $156: RI.gov, the vendor that operates the state's e-filing portal, adds an enhanced access charge of roughly $6. That extra amount funds the online service itself; it is not a Secretary of State fee.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Our formation service | $199 one-time |
| State filing fee, Articles of Organization (Form 400) | $150 (about $156 online) |
| Registered agent, required continuously | $99/year |
| Annual report (Form 632) | $50/year |
| Minimum tax (Division of Taxation) | $400/year |
The $400 line deserves its own note. It is not a Secretary of State charge at all: the Rhode Island Division of Taxation collects a minimum annual tax of $400 from LLCs, even in years with no income. Between that and the $50 annual report, Rhode Island's recurring obligations are heavier than most new owners expect.
Articles of Organization (Form 400)
Rhode Island's formation document is the Articles of Organization for a Domestic Limited Liability Company, Form 400. The authority is R.I. Gen. Laws § 7-16-5, which reads: "One or more persons may form a limited liability company by delivering or causing to be delivered executed articles of organization for filing with the secretary of state."
You can download Form 400 and file on paper with the Division of Business Services, or file electronically through the state's Business Services Online Filing System. The state does not publish a guaranteed processing time; online submissions skip mail time in both directions.
Step-by-Step: Forming Your Rhode Island LLC
- Pick a compliant name. Include an LLC designator and make sure the name is distinguishable from every entity already on the Secretary of State's records. Run the state's database search before you order anything with the name printed on it. Terms suggesting banking, insurance, or a government tie need separate approval.
- Appoint your Rhode Island registered agent. R.I. Gen. Laws § 7-16-11 requires every LLC to maintain one (the statute says resident agent): an individual Rhode Island resident, or an entity authorized in the state, at a Rhode Island street address. The listing is public. Our $99/year service puts our address on the record instead of yours.
- File the Articles of Organization (Form 400) with the Secretary of State. $150 with the paper form, about $156 through the online portal once RI.gov's access charge is added. The Articles cover the LLC's name, principal address, the registered agent designation, management structure, and the organizer's signature.
- Adopt an operating agreement. Rhode Island never asks for it, but banks will, and so will your co-owners the first time a disagreement surfaces. Without one, Chapter 7-16's default rules decide questions you'd rather decide yourselves.
- Get the LLC's EIN from the IRS. Free, online, about ten minutes. Banking, payroll, and federal filings all hang off this number. Never pay a third party for it.
- Keep the entity compliant. File the annual report (Form 632, $50) between February 1 and May 1 each year starting the year after organization, keep the registered agent designation unbroken, satisfy the Division of Taxation's $400 minimum tax, and keep business and personal finances cleanly separated.
Fall behind on the report or the agent requirement and the Secretary of State can open revocation proceedings; the liability shield goes with the entity's standing.
The Registered Agent Requirement
Every Rhode Island LLC maintains a registered agent at all times, no exceptions. The agent must:
- Occupy a real Rhode Island street address (a PO box alone fails the requirement)
- Be reachable there during normal business hours for service of process
- Move legal papers and state mail to you fast enough that deadlines stay workable
List your home address and it becomes part of the public record, searchable by anyone. For $99 per year our address goes on the filing instead, and everything that arrives is scanned to your portal the same day.
Common Rhode Island LLC Questions
How much does it cost to form an LLC in Rhode Island?
The official state filing fee is $150 for the Articles of Organization. Filing online brings the total to about $156, the difference being RI.gov's portal access charge rather than a state fee. After formation, budget $50 a year for the annual report plus the Division of Taxation's $400 minimum tax.
How long does it take to form an LLC in Rhode Island?
The state does not publish a fixed turnaround. Online filings through the Business Services Online Filing System avoid mail delays on both ends, which makes them the quicker route in practice.
Does Rhode Island require an annual report?
Yes. LLCs file Form 632 between February 1 and May 1 each year with a $50 fee. The $400 minimum tax to the Division of Taxation is a separate obligation on its own track; it is not part of the Secretary of State filing.
Do I need a registered agent for my Rhode Island LLC?
Yes. R.I. Gen. Laws § 7-16-11 requires one continuously, from the day the Articles are filed. Rhode Island's statutes use the term resident agent for the same role.
Can I form an LLC in Rhode Island if I live in another state?
Yes. Rhode Island puts no residency requirement on LLC owners. The registered agent is the piece that must be in-state, and our $99/year service covers it.
Begin Your Rhode Island LLC
Filing directly with the Secretary of State works fine: Form 400, $150 (about $156 online), and a Rhode Island registered agent on the form. If you'd rather hand it off, our $199 formation service prepares and files everything.
Either way, we can be the registered agent on your filing. At $99 per year, the service lists our Rhode Island address, scans arrivals the same business day, and sends due-date reminders before every deadline.
Only need the Rhode Island registered agent? Our registered agent service runs $99/year.
Questions about Rhode Island LLC formation or our agent service? See the FAQ or contact us during business hours.
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