Provenance - Rhode Island fee schedule○Pending review
64 of 71 fee datums on this page are verified against the agency's own published schedule or statute (2026-09-04); the rest are marked pending review in the Status column - portal-surcharge components no official page states, values the official source contradicts (held for a correction package), or sources that could not be reached.
Values were first corroborated across independent internal records; verified cells now also carry the agency's own published schedule or statute as their authority, which is what promotion to verified requires.
Cost position
Ranked 35 of 54 on first-year state
filing cost, at $208.50 against a national median
of $185.00.
Recurring annual cost $452.50.
See the full ranking.
Where Rhode Island sits among its neighbours in the first-year cost ranking (USD)Show all 54 jurisdictionsThe full ranking with Rhode Island highlighted (USD)
Registered-agent statutes, quoted verbatim
The one section on this page that clears the publication gate in full. 9 citations, verified, quoted from the official code with every elision marked.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 7-1.2-501
◎Verified
Rhode Island Business Corporation Act · applies to
corporations
Registered office and registered agent - Designation of registered agent without authority.(a) Each corporation shall have and continuously maintain in this state: (1) A registered office, which may be, but need not be, the same as its place of business. (2) A registered agent, who may be: (i) An individual resident in this state; (ii) A domestic corporation, a domestic limited partnership, a domestic limited liability partnership, a domestic limited liability company; or (iii) A foreign corporation, a foreign limited partnership, a foreign limited liability partnership or a foreign limited liability company authorized to transact business in this state, in each case, having a business office identical with the office of such registered agent which generally is open during normal business hours to accept service of process and otherwise perform the functions of a registered agent [...]
Rhode Island Limited Liability Company Act · applies to
LLCs
Resident agent.(a) Each domestic or foreign registered limited liability company shall have a resident agent for service of process on the limited liability company who shall be either: (1) An individual resident of this state; or (2) A corporation, limited partnership, or limited liability company, and in each case either domestic or one authorized to transact business in this state.
Rhode Island Business Corporation Act · applies to
corporations
Definitions."Signature" or "Signed" or "Executed" means an original signature, facsimile, or an electronically transmitted signature submitted through a medium provided and authorized by the secretary of state.
Rhode Island Business Corporation Act · applies to
corporations
Articles of incorporation.(a) The articles of incorporation must state: (1) A corporate name that satisfies the requirements of § 7-1.2-401. (2) The total number of shares which the corporation has authority to issue, and if the corporation is to be authorized to issue more than one class of shares: [...] (3) The address of its initial registered office, and the name of its initial registered agent at the address. (4) The name and address of each incorporator. [...]
Rhode Island Limited Liability Company Act · applies to
LLCs
Formation.(a) One or more persons may form a limited liability company by delivering or causing to be delivered executed articles of organization for filing with the secretary of state. (b) When the secretary of state accepts the articles of organization for filing and issues the certificate of organization, the limited liability company is formed under the name and subject to the conditions and provisions stated in its articles of organization.
Rhode Island Limited Liability Company Act · applies to
LLCs
Annual report of domestic and foreign limited liability companies.(a) Each domestic limited liability company and each foreign limited liability company authorized to transact business in this state, shall file, between the first day of February and the first day of May in each year following the calendar year in which its original articles of organization or application for registration were filed with the secretary of state, an annual report setting forth: (1) The name and address of the principal office of the limited liability company; (2) The state or other jurisdiction under the laws of which it is formed; [...]
Rhode Island Limited Liability Company Act · applies to
LLCs
Revocation of certificate of organization or certificate of registration.(a) The certificate of organization or certificate of registration of a limited liability company may be revoked by the secretary of state under the conditions prescribed in this section when it is established that: [...] (3) The limited liability company has failed to file its annual report within the time required by this chapter, [...] (4) The limited liability company has failed for thirty (30) days to appoint and maintain a resident agent in this state as required by this chapter; [...]
Rhode Island Business Corporation Act · applies to
corporations
Corporate name.(a) The corporate name: (1) Must contain the word "corporation", "company", "incorporated", or "limited", or an abbreviation of one of these words. (2) Shall be distinguishable upon the records of the secretary of state from the name of any entity on file with the secretary of state or a name the exclusive right to which is, at the time filed, reserved or registered in the manner provided in this chapter, [...]
Rhode Island Limited Liability Company Act · applies to
LLCs
Name - Fictitious business names.(a) The name of each limited liability company as set forth in its articles of organization: (1) Shall end with either the words "limited liability company" or the upper or lower case letters "l.l.c." with or without punctuation, [...] (2) Shall be distinguishable upon the records of the secretary of state from: (i) The name of any corporation, non-business corporation or other association, limited partnership or domestic or foreign limited liability company organized under the laws of, or registered or qualified to do business in, this state; [...]
Each corporation must continuously maintain a registered office and a registered agent, who may be an individual RI resident, or a domestic (or authorized foreign) corporation, LP, LLP, or LLC, in each case having a business office identical with the registered agent's office that is generally open during normal business hours to accept service of processService of processFormal delivery of lawsuits and legal notices.Read the full entry →; if the agent is an attorney, the agent's usual business address may differ from the registered office. LLCs: a resident agent who is an individual RI resident or a domestic/authorized corporation, LP, or LLC (§ 7-16-11(a)).
Administrative Dissolution. The Secretary of State may revoke a corporation's articles of incorporationArticles of incorporationThe document filed with the state to create a corporation.Read the full entry → if it has failed for 30 days to appoint and maintain a registered agent, or failed to file the statement of change after changing its registered office or agent - after not less than 60 days' mailed notice and failure to cure. Upon the certificate of revocation, the corporation's authority to transact business ceases (§ 7-1.2-1311(b)).
Reinstatement Fee. Reinstatement after revocation (available within 20 years) requires filing the missed documents, paying a penalty of $50 for each year or part of a year since the certificate of revocation issued, and filing a certificate of good standing from the division of taxation; a name change can be forced if the old name was taken. Corp penalty is in the fee statute; the LLC penalty is stated in § 7-16-43(a)(2).
Civil Penalty. Criminal exposure for unauthorized designation: designating a registered agent without the agent's authority is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to $1,000, up to one year imprisonment, or both.
Dollar amounts named in the registered-agent statutes
What
Amount
Status
Maximum fine for the misdemeanor of designating a registered agent without the agent's authority (corporations)
$1,000
○Pending review
Filing fee for a statement of change of registered agent (corporation)
$20.00
○Pending review
Penalty to withdraw a certificate of revocation and reinstate a corporation, per year or part of a year elapsed since revocation
$50.00 per year
○Pending review
Fee collected by the secretary of state at the time of any service of process on him or her as resident agent of a corporation (recoverable as taxable costs by a prevailing party)
$15.00
○Pending review
Filing fee for a statement of change of resident agent and address of registered agent (LLC); change of address only for a resident agent is no fee (§ 7-16-65(11))
$20.00
○Pending review
Fee collected by the secretary of state for any service of notice, demand, or process on the registered agent of a foreign or domestic LLC (recoverable as taxable costs by a prevailing party)
$15.00
○Pending review
Penalty to withdraw a certificate of revocation and reinstate an LLC, per year or part of a year elapsed since revocation
$50.00 per year
○Pending review
15 statutory citations and their supporting verbatim quotations sit behind this section in the record and are withheld from public display until the review pass lands, because a citation presented as authority is a verification claimed. Statutory references appearing inside the summaries above are part of the recorded text rather than an authority claim, and they are not rendered as citations, linked, or emitted in this page's structured data. How the gate works.
Governance rules
7 governance rules are recorded for Rhode Island - the organizational and annual meetings, action by written consent, and whether bylaws or an operating agreement are mandatory. Each verified rule links to the statutory text it was verified against, quoted verbatim below.
Organizational meeting required · applies to
corporations ·
yes
the initial directors shall hold an organizational meeting, at the call of a majority of the directors, to complete the organization of the corporation by appointing officers, adopting bylaws
Annual meeting required · applies to
corporations ·
no
Failure to hold the annual meeting at the designated time does not work a forfeiture or dissolution... If the annual meeting is not held within any thirteen (13) month period the superior court may... summarily order a meeting
Operating agreement required · applies to
LLCs ·
no
'Operating agreement' means any agreement, written or oral, of the members as to the affairs of a limited liability company and the conduct of its business.
Any action required or permitted to be taken by the members or managers by this chapter, the articles of organization or operating agreement may be taken without a meeting
Action by written consent allowed · applies to
LLCs ·
yes
any action required or permitted to be taken by vote of the members may be taken without a meeting on the written consent of less than all the members entitled to vote
$50 per fictitious business name statement for for-profit entities; $20 for nonprofit corporations (SOS flyer). Trade name (individuals) $20 (RIGL 6-1-2).
Term
Indefinite - the official form and RIGL 7-16-9 state no expiration or renewal; effective until cancelled/abandoned
Rhode Island requires anyone conducting business under a trade name - any name other than the real name of the individuals conducting the business - to file a trade name certificate with the Secretary of State before doing business. This is now a state-level filing: P.L. 2022 ch. 237/238 and P.L. 2024 ch. 334/335 moved the filing from the town/city clerk to a Secretary of State trade name registry, with municipal records transferred to the state database by late 2025 (§ 6-1-9). Older references to town-clerk filing are outdated.
Where it is filed
The trade name certificate application is filed with the office of the Secretary of State (in person, by mail, or electronically), which keeps an online register of all filings. By statute, each municipality transferred its active assumed business name records into the Secretary of State's trade name database between August 1 and September 30, 2025.
Term and renewal
Trade names are subject to annual renewal under a process established by the Secretary of State; the renewal process must allow renewal at the same time as any business-license renewal. Failure to renew can lead to cancellation after a 60-day notice window (§ 6-1-7(c)(2)); a cancelled certificate may be restored by filing a restoration statement with a $25.00 fee (§ 6-1-8).
Name restrictions
The trade name must be distinguishable on the registry's records from any trade name on file within the municipality where the business is located, unless the applicant files a certified court decree establishing prior right, or the conflicting registration was cancelled more than a year ago without restoration.
Assumed names for registered entities
Registered entities are exempt from ch. 6-1 (§ 6-1-3). A domestic corporation or a foreign corporation authorized in Rhode Island may transact business under a fictitious name by filing a fictitious business name statement with the Secretary of State before using the name; a corporation that uses a fictitious name without filing cannot maintain any action on contracts made in that name until the statement is filed (§ 7-1.2-402(e)).
Penalties
Failing to comply with the chapter is punishable by imprisonment up to one year or a fine up to $500. A person doing business under an unregistered trade name cannot maintain any suit in Rhode Island courts until registration is completed; the failure does not void contracts or prevent defending suits.
$50 per fictitious business name statement for for-profit entities; $20 for nonprofit corporations; $20 trade-name certificate for individuals (R.I. Gen. Laws § 6-1-2).
Fees: annual renewal is required by § 6-1-7 but no renewal fee amount is printed in ch. 6-1
Fees: no dollar fee for the § 7-1.2-402 corporate fictitious business name statement appears in the captured section
Publication: no newspaper-publication requirement appears in ch. 6-1 (absence rests on review of the captured full chapter, §§ 6-1-1 to 6-1-9, not a cited section)
Entityassumedname: the LLC-side fictitious/assumed name provision (if any) in the RI LLC Act (ch. 7-16) was not extracted; only the business-corporation mechanism (§ 7-1.2-402) is cited
Common questions
Where do I file a trade name (DBA) in Rhode Island - town hall or the state?
With the Rhode Island Secretary of State. Rhode Island historically used town and city clerk filings, but amendments effective in 2023 and 2025 (P.L. 2022 ch. 237/238; P.L. 2024 ch. 334/335) moved trade name filing to the Secretary of State, and § 6-1-9 required every municipality to transfer its active assumed business name records into the state trade name database between August 1 and September 30, 2025.
How much does a Rhode Island trade name certificate cost, and how long does it last?
The Secretary of State charges $20.00 for indexing and filing the certificate (§ 6-1-2). Trade names are subject to annual renewal under a process set by the Secretary of State (§ 6-1-7(a)), and a certificate cancelled for non-renewal can be restored by filing a restoration statement with a $25.00 fee (§ 6-1-8).
What happens if I do business in Rhode Island under an unregistered trade name?
Two consequences appear in the statute: § 6-1-4 makes noncompliance punishable by imprisonment up to one year or a fine up to $500, and § 6-1-6 bars you from maintaining any suit in Rhode Island courts until the registration is properly completed - though your contracts remain valid and you can still defend suits.
Does my Rhode Island LLC or corporation file under this trade name chapter?
No. Section 6-1-3 exempts duly registered or qualified corporations, nonprofit corporations, LLCs, LLPs, LLLPs, and LPs from chapter 6-1. A corporation that wants to operate under a different name instead files a fictitious business name statement with the Secretary of State under § 7-1.2-402 before using the name; without that filing it cannot maintain an action on contracts made in the fictitious name.
Recurring entity-level tax
No named franchise tax (RIGL ch. 44-12 franchise tax repealed by P.L. 2014, ch. 145, art. 12, sec. 20, eff. June 19, 2014). Franchise-tax-equivalent = RI Busine
tax.ri.gov corporate tax section page (administers corporate income tax, S-corp minimum tax, and 'annual charges for various pass-through entities') · source↗ (opens the official source)
Basis of the tax
income-based with flat $400 minimum (corporations: max(7% of RI net income, $400)); flat $400 annual charge for pass-through LLCs/LPs/LLPs
RIGL 44-11-2(e) ('shall not be less than four hundred dollars ($400)', tax years beginning on or after Jan 1, 2017); Notice 2025-01 rate-by-year table · source↗ (opens the official source)
Due date
Corporations (RI-1120C): 15th day of 4th month after year end (April 15 calendar-year). Pass-through LLCs (RI-1065/RI-1120S): 15th day of 3rd month (March 15 calendar-year)
Stored as a delta against the federal baseline:
3 days this state closes that the
federal government does not, and 2 federal
holidays its filing office works through.
Rhode Island 2026 closure delta
Date
Day
Filing office
2026-02-16
Washington's Birthday (Presidents Day)
OPEN - federal holiday not observed
2026-07-03
Independence Day (Friday, July 3, 2026 federal observance)
OPEN - federal holiday not observed
2026-07-06
Independence Day (state observance, 2026)
Filing office closed
2026-08-10
Victory Day
Filing office closed
2026-11-03
Election Day
Filing office closed
Provenance - Rhode Island 2026 closures◎Verified
Citation withheld: this record did not clear the publication gate.
Rhode Island observed status strings and their verdict
Observed status
Verdict
Confidence
(BLANK)
Unresolved - do not automate on this
medium
ACTIVE
In good standing
high
DEFAULT
Not in good standing
high
FILED IN <YEAR>
Unresolved - do not automate on this
medium
INACTIVE
Not in good standing
high
NON SOS
Unresolved - do not automate on this
medium
NON-SOS ENTITY, NOT REGISTERED WITH SOS
Unresolved - do not automate on this
low
NOT FILED
Unresolved - do not automate on this
medium
NOT FILED YET
Unresolved - do not automate on this
low
NOT SOS FILED
Unresolved - do not automate on this
low
NOT YET FILED
Unresolved - do not automate on this
medium
REVOCATION 6/29/20022026
Not in good standing
high
REVOCATION CERTIFICATE
Not in good standing
high
REVOKED
Not in good standing
high
REVOKED ENTITY
Not in good standing
high
UNKNOWN
Unresolved - do not automate on this
high
Restricted entity-name words
6 restricted entity-name word entries
are recorded for Rhode Island,
the rest requiring an agency's consent or licensure before the word may appear in a name.
Director, RI Department of Business Regulation (Division of Banking) - only regulated institutions/authorized banking entities may use; director determines violations
R.I. Gen. Laws § 19-4-17 (Unauthorized banking business): unauthorized persons may not display or circulate any name or words indicating their business is that of a regulated institution, including "bank"
◎Verified
License required
credit union
Director, RI Department of Business Regulation (Division of Banking)
R.I. Gen. Laws § 19-4-17
◎Verified
License required
loan and investment bank
Director, RI Department of Business Regulation (Division of Banking)
R.I. Gen. Laws § 19-4-17
◎Verified
License required
savings bank
Director, RI Department of Business Regulation (Division of Banking)
R.I. Gen. Laws § 19-4-17
◎Verified
License required
trust company
Director, RI Department of Business Regulation (Division of Banking)
R.I. Gen. Laws § 19-4-17
◎Verified
Restricted
cooperative (or any abbreviation or derivation)
R.I. Gen. Laws § 7-8-33 (Use of word "cooperative"): only listed cooperative entities "are entitled to use the term 'cooperative'... as part of their business name"; violation is a criminal offense (fine and/or imprisonment)
● accepted · ○ not accepted · ? unknown or conditional (hover for the recorded condition). Channel data covers 54 jurisdictions (2026-08-15 wave). Source links render on verified rows only.
Contact the filing office
Verified against the agency's own contact page
2026-08-13 - office hours: Mon - Fri 8:30am - 4:30pm.
Source links render on verified rows only.
Division of Business Services, 148 W. River Street, Providence, RI 02904-2615
Courier / walk-in
148 W. River Street, Providence, RI 02904-2615 (street address - same for mail and courier)
The division's direct line and email as printed on the filing forms themselves; RI uses one street address for mail, courier, and walk-in, so there is no separate PO Box to get wrong
Where to search Rhode Island's UCC (Article 9) financing statements, on what terms, and what the office charges to file one. Verified against the filing office's own pages 2026-09-11. UCC division contacts are listed with the other filing-office contacts above.
UCC records - Rhode Island◎Verified
Filing office
Rhode Island Department of State - Business Services Division
Filing-office statute
R.I. Gen. Laws 6A-9-501(a)(2): 'The office of the secretary of state, in all other cases' - https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE6A/6A-9/6A-9-501.htm
UCC Fee Schedule (Revised 07/2023): PAPER 'UCC 11 $5'; 'COPIES $0.15 per page'; ELECTRONIC 'UCC 11 $5 + $2 enhanced access fee'. Paper UCC1/UCC3/UCC5 $16 (1 or 2 pages) / $32 (3 or more pages); electronic $8 + $2 enhanced access fee.
Filing images online
UCC page: 'Use our database to search and view registered financing statements.' No fee is stated for viewing; whether images (vs. indexed data) display was not verified by running a search.
$8 electronic plus a $2 enhanced access fee; $16 on paper for 1 or 2 pages, $32 for 3 or more pages
Filing channels
online or paper; Online UCC filing at business.sos.ri.gov/uccfiling/ucc/uccmenu.aspx (RI.gov portal, $2 enhanced access fee, VISA / MasterCard / Discover / American Express). Paper by mail or in person at 148 W. River
UCC-3 (amendment, continuation, termination, assignment) and UCC-5 carry the same fee as a UCC-1: $8 plus $2 enhanced access fee electronic; $16 on paper for 1 or 2 pages, $32 for 3 or more pages
Effective for
5 years from filing - R.I. Gen. Laws 6A-9-515(a)
Bulk data
published bulk-data program - $1,500 one-time set-up (data only; includes access to the existing backfile) / $3,000 set-up for data+images
Whether Rhode Island requires a general state-level business license, and on what terms. A "None" is a verified finding cited to the agency's own pages, not a gap. Which of the state's filings ask for an industry code is in the next section.
State business license - Rhode Island◎Verified
General state license
None - the state issues no general business license; licensing is occupation-specific and local
city licenses - Some municipalities require all businesses to register with their filing office, while others may require a home occupancy permit for home-based businesses. Contact the city/town filing office to learn about your specific municipal requirements.
Which of Rhode Island's business filings ask the filer for an industry classification, and in what form. "No industry information" is a positive finding cited to the form. Where the state uses its own category list and the list was captured, it is expandable below. The NAICS and SIC reference lists are on their own page.
Industry code on Rhode Island filings, 9 of 9 rows verified
Filing
Entity scope
Asks for
Required
Where on the form
Source
Formation
domestic business corporation
no industry information
not asked
no NAICS field; article 4 is a fixed general-purpose clause
Form 150 item 7 free-text purpose; no code field. Other items: name, jurisdiction, alternate RI name, date of incorporation, principal office, registered agent,
Rhode Island has 5 county-equivalents: 5 countyies. Names and codes are the U.S. Census Bureau's (2020 national county codes); county seats and official sites are not yet published here.
All 5 county-equivalents
Rhode Island county-equivalents
Name
Type
FIPS
Note
Bristol County
county
44001
no county government
Kent County
county
44003
no county government
Newport County
county
44005
no county government
Providence County
county
44007
no county government
Washington County
county
44009
no county government
Other records held
Other records held for Rhode Island
Record
Value
Status
State trademark registration
$50 per class, 10 year term, $50 renewal
○Pending review
Change of registered agent
$20
○Pending review
Who must be named in public filings
Corporations: the annual report must state the names and respective addresses of the DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS (7-1.2-1501(a)(3), verified in corpus) plus issued-share detail; so corp officer/director identities are public annually. LLCs: the annual report does NOT require member or manager names - the former disclosure i
○Pending review
These come from a research pass its own author graded CANDIDATES. They are shown because they are useful and withheld from every ranking on this site because they are not ratified.