Forming an LLC in Rhode Island (2026): 8 Procedures and the 3 Best LLC Services
For forming an LLC in Rhode Island in 2026, the lab recommends RI Registered Agent.org ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and Rhode Island Registered Agent.co ($199), highest reading first. Recorded figures: 8 procedures, $150 to file, $50 for the Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company.
2. Mainstay Filing: best for a first year with minimal work
Annual $199; renewal $199; state fee extra
Reading 2 belongs to Mainstay Filing, because one annual charge of $199 replaces three separate purchases: the filing, the resident agent and the annual report.
The three-year total is $200 above RI Registered Agent.org's, and cost carries 36% of the reading.
Included in the service: the Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company, with the state's $50 charged as Rhode Island sets it.
What the price performs
Formation prepared and filed
Resident agent for the full year
Annual report filed on schedule
EIN application included
No markup on the state fee
Measured strengths
It submits the EIN application
$199 yearly, all included
$199 at renewal
Measured limits
Its renewal is $100 higher than RI Registered Agent.org's
Company prices as posted on November 13, 2026. Each row also requires the $150 state fee.
Formation in sequence
Procedure1
Procedure 1: Confirm no other company holds the name
The first observation to make is a name search at the Rhode Island Secretary of State, before any filing is prepared under a name already in use.
TipA spare name saves a second round.
Procedure2
Procedure 2: Appoint a resident agent
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. A Rhode Island resident, or a corporation, limited partnership or LLC formed in Rhode Island or authorized there.
The address has to be a Rhode Island street address, not a P.O. box, where the agent is available during business hours.
TipEach recommended service fills the resident agent role.
Filing alone costs the $150 state fee and nothing else. A service adds $199 and prepares the forms; the ranking gives the order.
Procedure4
Procedure 4: Send the Articles of Organization
Required inputs: the Articles of Organization (Form 400), $150, and the Rhode Island Secretary of State as the receiving office. Statute: R.I. Gen. Laws § 7-16-5.
Procedure 6: Secure an Employer Identification Number
After Rhode Island approves the LLC, an application to the IRS yields an Employer Identification Number, which banks and payroll providers require. This procedure sits inside the Mainstay Filing package.
Procedure7
Procedure 7: Record an operating agreement
The operating agreement records who owns the Rhode Island LLC and how decisions are made. It stays in the company records and is never sent to the state.
Procedure8
Procedure 8: Plan the second year
Log the Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company: $50, every year, deadline May 1. The late penalty reads $25. The state also imposes a tax: $400 a year minimum tax to the Division of Taxation (Form RI-1065), owed whether or not the LLC makes a profit.
Method for the three-year state row: take the filing fee, add the reports due in years two and three, then add any yearly minimum tax. Service fees stay in their own rows.
The reasoning behind the ranking
The deciding criterion was measured cost over three years, worth 36% of the reading.
The cost criterion goes to RI Registered Agent.org: $397 across three years, against $200 more at Mainstay Filing.
Questions readers ask
What does Rhode Island charge to set up an LLC?
$150 goes to the state. The ranked services charge $199 on top.
Which form creates the LLC?
The Rhode Island Secretary of State receives the Articles of Organization (Form 400), the document that forms the company.
Is a resident agent required?
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
What does Rhode Island require each year?
Rhode Island calls for the Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company every year, at $50 with the deadline stated as May 1. A yearly minimum tax also applies.
Can I form the LLC without a service?
Allowed. File alone for $150 and arrange a resident agent as well.
Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?
The order of the readings is RI Registered Agent.org, Mainstay Filing and Rhode Island Registered Agent.co. RI Registered Agent.org is first because $199 above the state fee, with year-one agent service included, then $99 a year.