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Founder Primer

LLC paperwork, boiled down for founders.

Guide 2 · Rhode Island

Rhode Island Registered Agent Primer (2026): 6 Moves and the 3 Best Agents

Short answer for Rhode Island, 2026: use Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), RI Registered Agent.org ($99 a year) and Rhode Island Registered Agent.co ($99 a year), ranked best to worst, if you want help appointing a registered agent. 6 quick moves take you from the law to a correct agent filing.
From the Founder Primer desk

At a glance

Do you need one?
Yes
Source page webserver.rilegislature.gov, October 2026
What our picks charge
$99 to $149 a year
From each company's pricing page
Recurring report
$50 a year
Source page sos.ri.gov, August 2026
Tax each year
$400
Source page tax.ri.gov, October 2026
Moves
6
First to last

Primer goals

  • The Rhode Island agent rule
  • The eligibility and address rules
  • Recording the agent
  • Who we would hire as agent

Rhode Island: services we rank

Five weighted criteria set the order (see how we score); three-year cost and to-dos cleared count most.

First choice $149 a year, flat at renewal

1. Mainstay Filing: best for one agent for every state

First place goes to Mainstay Filing because $149 a year, $149 when it renews, same plan in all fifty states.

RI Registered Agent.org is $150 cheaper over three years; this one still places higher because it does more of the work.

Inside the price
  • A physical address in the state
  • Served papers scanned free, the same business day
  • Three government letters a year scanned at no charge
  • Also serves nonprofits, corporations, LPs and LLPs
In its favor
  • Follows you into any state
  • $149; renews at $149
Against it
  • $50 more per year than the local pick
  • Reports need the formation package
Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Rhode Island focus $99 a year, flat at renewal

2. RI Registered Agent.org: best for LLCs that stay in Rhode Island

Number 2 is RI Registered Agent.org, where $99 a year gets you a Rhode Island agent with an office in the state.

Inside the price
  • A registered office address
  • Served papers scanned into your account
In its favor
  • Under Mainstay Filing on price
  • $99 yearly
Against it
  • No help in other states
  • No help with the Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company
Visit RI Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Rhode Island focus $99 a year, flat at renewal

3. Rhode Island Registered Agent.co: best for staying in one state

Number 3 is Rhode Island Registered Agent.co, where $99 a year gets you a Rhode Island agent with an office in the state.

It costs the same as RI Registered Agent.org.

Inside the price
  • A registered office address
  • Served papers scanned into your account
In its favor
  • $99 yearly
  • Under Mainstay Filing on price
Against it
  • No help in other states
  • No help with the Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company
Visit Rhode Island Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The Rhode Island picks compared

# Service Annual price Renewal price Three-year total
1 Mainstay Filing $149 $149/yr $447 Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 RI Registered Agent.org $99 $99/yr $297 Visit RI Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 Rhode Island Registered Agent.co $99 $99/yr $297 Visit Rhode Island Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Pulled from each company's pricing page on November 13, 2026. State fees do not change with the agent.

The Rhode Island agent, in order

  1. Move 1

    The Rhode Island rule, short

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

    Where this comes from: Source page webserver.rilegislature.gov, October 2026

  2. Move 2

    Who is allowed to act

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

  3. Move 3

    The address test

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

    With a service, the public record shows its address, not yours.

  4. Move 4

    Who will it be

    An eligible owner may serve. Otherwise our recommended agents run $99 to $149 a year.

  5. Move 5

    File the agent's details

    A new LLC names its agent on the Articles of Organization (Form 400), filed with the Rhode Island Secretary of State. An LLC that changes agents files an amendment there.

    Where this comes from: Source page docs.sos.ri.gov, October 2026

  6. Move 6

    Keep the record current

    Anything the state sends about the Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company goes to your resident agent. The filing costs $50 every year, due May 1. $400 a year minimum tax to the Division of Taxation (Form RI-1065), owed whether or not the LLC makes a profit.

    Where this comes from: Source page sos.ri.gov, August 2026

The cost of this primer

What Recipient Amount
Agent service Service company $99 to $149 a year
Renewing the agent Service company $99 to $149 a year
Repeating state report The state $50 every year
Yearly minimum tax The state $400 a year

We get the three-year state number by adding the filing, the reports due in years two and three and any yearly minimum tax. Service fees stay separate.

How the marks came out

The deciding criterion: to-dos the price takes off you, at 38% of the mark.

An agent who follows you to any state beat RI Registered Agent.org's lower price.

Rhode Island quick answers

Can a Rhode Island LLC skip a resident agent?

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

Can I be my own resident agent?

Yes, when you meet the who-may-serve and address rules in moves 2 and 3.

Can I change my resident agent later?

Yes, any time. Move 5 shows how to file the change with the Rhode Island Secretary of State.

What does a registered agent cost in Rhode Island?

Our picks charge $99 to $149 a year.

What does the LLC pay the state each year?

Once a year there is the Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company at $50, plus the yearly minimum tax.

Which registered agent would you choose?

Mainstay Filing, RI Registered Agent.org and Rhode Island Registered Agent.co, best mark first.

Related primers

Sources, so you can check us

  1. Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division facts trace to docs.sos.ri.gov (read August 2026); that page is the authority, not us.
  2. Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division facts trace to sos.ri.gov (read August 2026); that page is the authority, not us.
  3. R.I facts trace to webserver.rilegislature.gov (read August 2026); that page is the authority, not us.
  4. Rhode Island formation fee: Filing fee, official source facts trace to sos.ri.gov (read October 2026); that page is the authority, not us.
  5. Rhode Island formation fee: Filing fee, official source facts trace to docs.sos.ri.gov (read October 2026); that page is the authority, not us.
  6. Rhode Island registered agent statute facts trace to webserver.rilegislature.gov (read October 2026); that page is the authority, not us.
  7. Rhode Island other cost facts trace to tax.ri.gov (read October 2026); that page is the authority, not us.
  8. Rhode Island service page at Mainstay Filing, pulled November 13, 2026
  9. pricing page at RI Registered Agent.org, pulled November 13, 2026
  10. pricing page at Rhode Island Registered Agent.co, pulled November 13, 2026