Rhode Island in brief
48th
on the 50-state list for foreign LLCs
Fee the state takes at registration
$150
Report you must file again
$50
Annual report
Paper from the home state
60 days
How old it can be
Tax owed every year
$400
What the state collects in 3 years
$1,450
Registration in year 1, reports in years 2 and 3, and the yearly minimum tax in all three years
Rhode Island ranking
You can read the weights on the
method page; three-year fees and coverage carry the most.
Ranked first
1. Mainstay Filing: best for one price in every added state
$199 plus the $150 state fee, then $149 a year
Our first choice is Mainstay Filing. It files your Rhode Island registration for $199 beyond the state fee and includes the first year of agent service.
Plan on spending $100 more than at Rhode Island Registered Agent.co over three years, in exchange for fewer filings left for you to do.
After year 1 the agent is $149 a year wherever you register.
What your money gets you
- Prepares your registration and files it
- One price wherever you file
What works
- $199 on top of Rhode Island's fee
- Your next state is covered too
What to weigh
- $50 more a year for the agent
Local option
2. Rhode Island Registered Agent.co: best for adding only Rhode Island
$199 plus the $150 state fee, then $99 a year
In second place we put Rhode Island Registered Agent.co. $199 above the state fee gets you registered; after that it is $99 a year.
What your money gets you
- Prepares your registration filing
- A year of agent service
What works
- $99 a year from year 2
- The first agent year is included
- $199 above the state fee
What to weigh
- No help beyond this state
Local option
3. RI Registered Agent.org: best for registering only in Rhode Island
$199 plus the $150 state fee, then $99 a year
In third place we put RI Registered Agent.org. $199 above the state fee gets you registered; after that it is $99 a year.
Its prices are identical to Rhode Island Registered Agent.co's, so the two are close.
What your money gets you
- Prepares your registration filing
- A year of agent service
What works
- The first agent year is included
- $199 above the state fee
- $99 a year from year 2
What to weigh
- No help beyond this state
The 3 picks compared
Every price here was taken from the company's website on November 13, 2026. The $150 state fee is not part of any row.
Foreign LLC cost calculator
The registration fee is $150, with a $50 report from year 2, and provider fees are added on top.
How Rhode Island compares with the states near it in the ranking
How to register an LLC from another state in Rhode Island
If your LLC was formed elsewhere, you file the Application for Registration for a Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form 450) with the Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division and pay $150. You will also need certificate of Good Standing or Letter of Status, no older than 60 days.
Each later cycle you file the annual report ($50), between February 1 and May 1. A state tax rule applies as well: $400 a year minimum tax to the Division of Taxation (Form RI-1065), owed whether or not the LLC makes a profit.
What to have ready
- Certificate of Good Standing or Letter of Status, dated within 60 days.
- The name and formation date as your home state lists them.
- A resident agent located in the state, an item included with each pick.
- Payment for the $150 official fee.
The consequences of staying unregistered
The state's courts will not hear a suit from an LLC that has not registered (R.I. Gen. Laws 7-16-54(a)). Your LLC's contracts continue to hold (R.I. Gen. Laws 7-16-54(b)).
Why the first pick is first
Mainstay Filing wins on upkeep the price covers, which counts 26%, and Rhode Island Registered Agent.co is next.
Your LLC already has a home state, so a provider that can serve both states earned the top score.
Quick answers
How much will it cost to register my out-of-state LLC with Rhode Island?
$150 in state fees. A provider adds $199.
Which form do I use to register an out-of-state LLC with Rhode Island?
Use the Application for Registration for a Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form 450) and send it to the Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division.
Does the state want a certificate from my home state?
Yes, you need certificate of Good Standing or Letter of Status, dated within 60 days of your filing.
Will my foreign LLC have to file anything every year?
Yes, you file the annual report and pay $50.
What happens if my LLC does business there without registering?
The state's courts will not hear a suit from an LLC that has not registered (R.I. Gen. Laws 7-16-54(a)). Your LLC's contracts continue to hold (R.I. Gen. Laws 7-16-54(b)).
Must I appoint a resident agent when registering in Rhode Island?
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Which service should I choose to register a foreign LLC?
Our ranking is Mainstay Filing, Rhode Island Registered Agent.co and RI Registered Agent.org.
Where this briefing comes from
- Want to double-check Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division? Go to docs.sos.ri.gov, where we confirmed the details in August 2026.
- Want to double-check Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division? Go to sos.ri.gov, where we confirmed the details in August 2026.
- Want to double-check R.I? Go to webserver.rilegislature.gov, where we confirmed the details in August 2026.
- Want to double-check Rhode Island formation fee: Filing fee, official source? Go to sos.ri.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Rhode Island formation fee: Filing fee, official source? Go to docs.sos.ri.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Rhode Island registered agent statute? Go to webserver.rilegislature.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Form 450, Application for Registration? Go to docs.sos.ri.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check R.I? Go to webserver.rilegislature.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check R.I? Go to webserver.rilegislature.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Form 452, Certificate of Cancellation? Go to docs.sos.ri.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Rhode Island other cost? Go to tax.ri.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Tennessee Secretary of State, business forms and fees? Go to sos.tn.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Form SS-4233, Certificate of Authority for a foreign? Go to sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Tennessee Secretary of State, business FAQs? Go to sos.tn.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Form SS-4241, withdrawal or cancellation? Go to sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Tennessee Revised LLC Act, Public Chapter 286? Go to publications.tnsosfiles.com, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Foreign LLC registration form? Go to corpfiles.delaware.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Delaware Code Title 6, chapter 18, subchapter IX? Go to delcode.delaware.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Delaware Code Title 6, chapter 18, subchapter XI? Go to delcode.delaware.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Division of Corporations fee schedule, August 2026? Go to corpfiles.delaware.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Alternative entity annual tax instructions? Go to corp.delaware.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Massachusetts Corporations Division, foreign LLC page? Go to sec.state.ma.us, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Corporations Division fee schedule? Go to sec.state.ma.us, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check G.L. c. 156C § 48, foreign LLC registration? Go to malegislature.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check G.L. c. 156C § 54, failure to register? Go to malegislature.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check G.L. c. 156D § 15.01, transacting business? Go to malegislature.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check 950 CMR 112.00, limited liability companies? Go to sec.state.ma.us, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check California Secretary of State, foreign LLC forms? Go to sos.ca.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Form LLC-5? Go to bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Corporations Code section 17708.03? Go to leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Revenue and Taxation Code section 19135? Go to leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Franchise Tax Board, LLC filing requirements? Go to ftb.ca.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check California other cost: Annual LLC tax: amount and? Go to ftb.ca.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Mainstay Filing states Rhode Island service page on its site, and we looked on November 13, 2026
- Rhode Island Registered Agent.co states pricing page on its site, and we looked on November 13, 2026
- RI Registered Agent.org states pricing page on its site, and we looked on November 13, 2026