Name of Company
All businesses need to register with a unique business name. If your
name already exists in Rhode Island, you will need to conduct business
under a different name. Check name availability by using the
RI
Department of State Corporate Database
. For more information on name
availability, please visit the
RI
Department of State Name Availability Guidelines.
Registered Agent
A registered agent is an individual or entity that receives official
and legal documents on behalf of a business. The agent must be a
Rhode Island resident or an entity qualified to do business in this
state.
Registered Agent Address
A registered agent must have a Rhode Island street address and must be available at the given address during normal business hours to accept service of process. P.O. Boxes or shipping/postal company addresses (including virtual business addresses) do not meet this standard and are not allowed.
Board Approval
If the entity is offering engineering services, prior approval from the Board of Registration for Professional Engineers is required. If you intend to register your business online, be sure to have a scanned PDF of your approval letter ready for upload.
A certificate of good standing/legal existence from the state or country in which the entity is incorporated, dated within 60 days of the date of filing, must accompany most applications.
Use our interactive mapto find out where to order the required certificate. If you intend to register your entity online, be sure to have a scanned PDF of the certificate of good standing/legal existence ready for upload.
Submitting the form to register the business is NOT the last step! Be sure to return to this page after filing to review and follow the remaining steps.
Use the chart below to access the form required to register your business in Rhode Island.
| Business Structure | Online Filing | Paper Filing | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Foreign Limited Liability Company (LLC) R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 7-16 |
File Online | $150 | |
|
Foreign Business Corporation R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 7-1.2 |
File Online
Instructions |
$310 | |
|
Foreign Limited Partnership (LP)
R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 7-13.1
|
N/A | $100 | |
|
Foreign Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 7-12.1 |
N/A | $150 |
Remember, all businesses registered with the RI Department of State are responsible for paying at least the state’s minimum corporate tax ($400 or 7% of the business income, whichever is higher) to the RI Division of Taxation each tax year. This tax is not pro-rated and is owed even if no business was conducted and/or no profit was made.
The RI Division of Taxation’s Taxpayer Portal is an easy way for your business to pay taxes, apply for a Letter of Good Standing, or renew a tax license. Depending on the nature of your business, you can register in one of two ways.
If you do NOT have employees or make retail sales, an account will be created for you when you file your first business tax return on paper or using tax preparation software.
If you have employees or make retail sales, complete the RI Division of Taxation’s Business Application and Registration (BAR) form online to create your sales and/or unemployment tax accounts.
Confirm your registration filing was accepted. Your filing may take between one to
three business days to process.
Beginning January 1, 2024, certain types of corporations, limited liability companies, and other similar entities created in or registered to do business in the United States must report information about their beneficial owners—the persons who ultimately own or control the company—to the Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). Additional information about the reporting requirements, including answers to questions such as “is my company required to report beneficial ownership information to FinCEN,” “who is a beneficial owner,” and “when do I need to report my company’s beneficial ownership information" is available on FinCEN’s beneficial ownership information webpage, FinCEN.gov/BOI.
Beneficial ownership reports should only be submitted directly to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network at FinCEN.gov/BOI.
Learn more about maintaining your good standing status.