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Biz Formation Academy

A plain textbook on LLC paperwork, one state per chapter.

Chapter 2 · Rhode Island

Rhode Island Registered Agent Chapter (2026): 6 Sections and the 3 Best Agents

Summary for 2026: to handle appointing a registered agent in Rhode Island with outside help, choose among RI Registered Agent.org ($99 a year), Mainstay Filing ($149 a year) and Rhode Island Registered Agent.co ($99 a year), in that order. Section 1 states the Rhode Island rule on a resident agent; the other sections apply it, 6 in all.
Written by the Biz Formation Academy editorial board

Essential facts

Required by law Yes Source text at webserver.rilegislature.gov, October 2026
Yearly cost of the recommended agents $99 to $149 a year From company pricing pages
Recurring report $50 a year Source text at sos.ri.gov, August 2026
State minimum tax $400 Source text at tax.ri.gov, October 2026
Number of sections 6 Taken one at a time

You will be able to explain

  • What Rhode Island requires of a resident agent
  • Who may serve and from which address
  • How to name or replace the agent
  • Who to consider as agent

If you want someone else to file

Ranked by the grading page: three-year cost (34%), paperwork completed (30%), second-year price, fit with Rhode Island rules and clarity of the price list.

1. RI Registered Agent.org: best for LLCs based only in Rhode Island

Top recommendation
Year one $99; renewal $99

First place goes to RI Registered Agent.org; an office address inside the state at $99 per year.

Over three years it costs less than Mainstay Filing, and three-year cost counts for 34% of the ranking.

Price covers

  • A physical address in Rhode Island
  • Served documents appear online

Advantages

  • A smaller yearly bill than Mainstay Filing
  • $99 each year with no increase

Limitations

  • Rhode Island only, so each additional state means one more agent
  • Filing the Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company is not part of its service
Visit RI Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

2. Mainstay Filing: best for one agent for all states

Any state
Year one $149; renewal $149

Mainstay Filing is ranked second: $149 a year, renewing at $149, and the same plan is available in every other state.

Three years cost $150 above RI Registered Agent.org, and cost counts for 34% of the ranking.

Price covers

  • A street address for the registered office
  • Any papers served on the company get scanned for you at no cost
  • Three government mailings a year are scanned at no cost to you
  • Also serves nonprofits, corporations, LPs and LLPs

Advantages

  • One price in all fifty states
  • Price $149; renews at $149

Limitations

  • Costs $50 more every year
  • Agent service and nothing else
Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3. Rhode Island Registered Agent.co: best for an in-state mailing address

Rhode Island specialist
Year one $99; renewal $99

Rhode Island Registered Agent.co is ranked third: an office address inside the state at $99 per year.

It charges exactly what RI Registered Agent.org charges.

Price covers

  • A physical address in Rhode Island
  • Served documents appear online

Advantages

  • A smaller yearly bill than Mainstay Filing
  • $99 each year with no increase

Limitations

  • Rhode Island only, so each additional state means one more agent
  • Filing the Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company is not part of its service
Visit Rhode Island Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Rankings and prices together

#ServiceAnnual priceRenewal priceThree-year total
1 RI Registered Agent.org $99$99/yr$297 Visit RI Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Mainstay Filing $149$149/yr$447 Visit Mainstay Filing 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.

Taken from each company's price page on November 13, 2026. Rhode Island charges the same either way.

The chapter, section by section

  1. Section 1

    Understand the requirement

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

    Reference: Source text at webserver.rilegislature.gov, October 2026

  2. Section 2

    Who qualifies as an agent

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

  3. Section 3

    The registered office requirement

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

    Each recommended service provides a Rhode Island office address.

  4. Section 4

    Decide who holds the role

    Eligible owners can name themselves, and the recommended agents charge $99 to $149 each year.

  5. Section 5

    Name the agent in the filing

    A new LLC names its agent on the Articles of Organization (Form 400), delivered to the Rhode Island Secretary of State. Replacing the agent later requires an amendment filed with the same office.

    Reference: Source text at docs.sos.ri.gov, October 2026

  6. Section 6

    Review the record each year

    Annually the Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company confirms the agent's details for $50, by May 1. A late filing costs $25. $400 a year minimum tax to the Division of Taxation (Form RI-1065), owed whether or not the LLC makes a profit.

    Reference: Source text at sos.ri.gov, August 2026

The cost of this chapter

Line itemPaid toTotal
Registered agent service Your chosen service$99 to $149 a year
Each later year Your chosen service$99 to $149 a year
State report Government$50 every year
Minimum tax each year Government$400 a year

State fees come from the official pages in the bibliography. Over three years they consist of the filing, two reports and, in a few states, a minimum tax.

The reasoning behind the ranking

The deciding criterion was tuition over three years, which carries 34% of the ranking.

Years one through three at RI Registered Agent.org come out at $297, which leaves $150 in the owner's pocket compared with Mainstay Filing.

Short answers

Does Rhode Island law call for 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, if the eligibility and address tests in sections 2 and 3 are met.

Can I change my resident agent later?

Change it whenever needed through the Rhode Island Secretary of State, as section 5 describes.

What does a registered agent cost in Rhode Island?

A year of agent service costs $99 to $149 with the services ranked here.

What does the LLC pay the state each year?

The yearly item is the Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company, priced at $50, together with the yearly minimum tax.

Which registered agent would you choose?

RI Registered Agent.org, Mainstay Filing and Rhode Island Registered Agent.co, from the highest ranking to the lowest.

Next chapter

Bibliography and primary texts

  1. Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division rests on docs.sos.ri.gov, a text consulted August 2026.
  2. Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division rests on sos.ri.gov, a text consulted August 2026.
  3. R.I rests on webserver.rilegislature.gov, a text consulted August 2026.
  4. Rhode Island formation fee: Filing fee, official source rests on sos.ri.gov, a text consulted October 2026.
  5. Rhode Island formation fee: Filing fee, official source rests on docs.sos.ri.gov, a text consulted October 2026.
  6. Rhode Island registered agent statute rests on webserver.rilegislature.gov, a text consulted October 2026.
  7. Rhode Island other cost rests on tax.ri.gov, a text consulted October 2026.
  8. Price reference: RI Registered Agent.org, pricing page, November 13, 2026
  9. Price reference: Mainstay Filing, Rhode Island service page, November 13, 2026
  10. Price reference: Rhode Island Registered Agent.co, pricing page, November 13, 2026