Start a Business by State › Rhode Island
How to start an LLC in Rhode Island: checklist (2026)
To start an LLC in Rhode Island, file the Articles of Organization (400) with the Rhode Island Secretary of State for $150, name a registered agent, get a free EIN and check your local licenses. Mainstay Filing, our best overall pick, does the filing, the agent, the EIN application and the report for $199 a year.
- Official sources, checked October 20, 2026
Rhode Island checklist
- File the formation document. Articles of Organization (400), Rhode Island Secretary of State, $150.
- Name a registered agent. Required. A Rhode Island resident, or a corporation, limited partnership or LLC formed in Rhode Island or authorized there.
- Get an EIN. Free from the IRS online.
- Check licenses. We could not confirm a general-license statement from Rhode Island’s own pages, so check with your city or county. The state’s starting-a-business page is a good place to begin.
- Keep it current. Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company, yearly: $50, due may 1. Also: $400 a year minimum tax to the Division of Taxation (Form RI-1065), owed whether or not the LLC makes a profit.
Mainstay Filing
$199 / year, same at renewal
- LLC formation, prepared and filed
- Registered agent, all year
- EIN application (with an SSN or ITIN)
- Annual report filed every year it is due where the state requires one
- Compliance reminders and stored documents
Price from the Mainstay Filing pricing and FAQ pages, checked October 21, 2026. State fees are passed through at cost and shown before you pay.
Questions
How much does it cost to start an LLC in Rhode Island?
The state filing fee is $150 for the Articles of Organization (400). The first Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company later costs $50.
Do I need a registered agent in Rhode Island?
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Do I need a business license in Rhode Island?
We could not confirm a general-license statement from Rhode Island’s own pages, so check with your city or county. The state’s starting-a-business page is a good place to begin.
Sources
- R.I. Gen. Laws § 7-16-5 (formation); fee set by § 7-16-65(1) (multira state research spine): webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE7/7-16/7-16-5.htm, checked August 12, 2026
- Rhode Island formation fee: Filing fee, official source read 2026-10-01: www.sos.ri.gov/divisions/business-services/business-basics/costs-and-fees, checked October 1, 2026
- Rhode Island formation fee: Filing fee, official source read 2026-10-01: docs.sos.ri.gov/documents/BusinessServices/business-forms-fee-schedule.pdf, checked October 1, 2026
- Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division (multira state research spine): docs.sos.ri.gov/documents/BusinessServices/632-limited-liability-company-annual-report.pdf, checked August 12, 2026
- Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division (multira state research spine): www.sos.ri.gov/divisions/business-services/ri-business/file-your-annual-report, checked August 12, 2026
- Rhode Island other cost: $400 minimum tax, official source read 2026-10-01: tax.ri.gov/tax-sections/corporate-tax/tax-filing-requirements, checked October 1, 2026
- Rhode Island registered agent statute (R.I. Gen. Laws § 7-16-11): webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE7/7-16/7-16-11.htm, checked October 20, 2026
- Rhode Island Secretary of State: www.sos.ri.gov/, checked October 20, 2026
- IRS: Get an employer identification number: www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/get-an-employer-identification-number, checked October 21, 2026
- Rhode Island Secretary of State (starting a business): www.ri.gov/SOS/businessassistant/help/, checked October 21, 2026