LLC Formation in Rhode Island (2026): 8 Moves and the 3 Best LLC Services
Short answer for Rhode Island, 2026: use Mainstay Filing ($199), RI Registered Agent.org ($199) and Rhode Island Registered Agent.co ($199), ranked best to worst, if you want help starting an LLC. 8 moves, $150 to the state, then the Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company every year.
Company prices as listed on November 13, 2026. Every row owes the $150 state fee as well.
How a Rhode Island LLC gets formed
Move 1
Make sure the name is yours to use
Start at the Rhode Island Secretary of State: its business records show whether a Rhode Island company already uses your name.
Keep a runner-up name in reserve.
Move 2
Choose a resident agent
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. A Rhode Island resident, or a corporation, limited partnership or LLC formed in Rhode Island or authorized there.
The address has to be a Rhode Island street address, not a P.O. box, where the agent is available during business hours.
File it yourself for $150, or add $199 and let a service do it. The picks are above.
Move 4
Finish and lodge the Articles of Organization
The Articles of Organization (Form 400) is the document that forms the company. Deliver it to the Rhode Island Secretary of State; the fee is $150 (R.I. Gen. Laws § 7-16-5).
$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:tax.ri.gov, read October 2026
Move 6
Order the LLC's federal tax ID
The IRS issues EINs, not Rhode Island. Apply after approval and hand the number to your bank. Mainstay Filing's yearly price covers this application.
Move 7
Draft the operating agreement
Who owns what, who decides what: that lives in the operating agreement, an internal paper outside the Rhode Island filing.
Move 8
Plan for year two
Rhode Island requires the Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company every year, due May 1, costing $50. Late means $25 extra. There is a yearly tax on top: $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:sos.ri.gov, read August 2026
Costs, move by move
Cost item
Recipient
Amount
Filing the LLC
To the state
$150
Repeating state report
To the state
$50 every year
Missing the deadline
To the state
$25
Minimum tax, annual
To the state
$400 a year
Filing service (optional)
Service company
$199 up front
State total, three years
To the state
$1,450
State fees come from the official pages in the sources. Three years means the filing, two years of reports and the minimum tax where one applies.
How we ordered the Rhode Island picks
To-dos the price takes off you decided first place in Rhode Island. It is 38% of the mark; the rest is founder outlay over three years, year-two price, fit with the state's rules and pricing you can read at once.
Taking the Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company off your plate beat the lower price under our weights.
Rhode Island questions
What does it cost to file an LLC in Rhode Island?
You pay $150 to file. Hire help and add $199.
Which form creates the LLC?
Once the Rhode Island Secretary of State accepts the Articles of Organization (Form 400), the LLC exists.
Is a resident agent required?
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
What does Rhode Island require each year?
The repeating item is the Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company ($50, every year, due May 1). There is also a yearly minimum tax.
Can I form the LLC without a service?
Yes. Pay the state $150 at filing; the LLC still needs a resident agent.
Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?
Pick Mainstay Filing: the founder pays $199 a year and skips three separate vendors for filing, resident agent and annual report. Behind it: RI Registered Agent.org and Rhode Island Registered Agent.co.