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Foreign LLC guide · Rhode Island

Rhode Island Foreign LLC Fees (2026): Data on File and the 3 Best Services

Rhode Island 2026, a foreign LLC registration: the desk ranks Mainstay Filing ($199), RI Registered Agent.org ($199) and Rhode Island Registered Agent.co ($199), in that order. Registration: $150 at the Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division; $50 per report after that. Three-year rank: 48th of 50.

Desk note by LLC Data Desk ·

Rhode Island data on file

48thof fifty, foreign LLC state costRank 1 is the smallest total. Compare every state
Fee to register
$150docs.sos.ri.gov; pulled October 2026
Report
$50Annual report
Home-state certificate
60 daysMust be at least this recent
Minimum tax, yearly
$400tax.ri.gov; pulled October 2026
Total owed to the state, 3 yrs
$1,450Registration, then years 2 and 3, and the minimum tax in all three years

Rhode Island ranking

Criteria and weights: method.

1. Mainstay Filing: best for one fee in any added state

Desk pick$199 to register; $149/yr after

First, Mainstay Filing, because $199 plus Rhode Island's fee, then $149 a year for the agent from year two.

RI Registered Agent.org is $100 cheaper across three years; coverage is the reason this one still ranks higher.

From the second year, agent service is $149 a year.

What the fee covers

  • Registration filed on your behalf
  • Fee does not vary by state

Pros

  • Service fee $199
  • One fee, any state

Cons

  • Renewal $50 above RI Registered Agent.org's
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

2. RI Registered Agent.org: best for a small yearly agent fee

Local pick$199 to register; $99/yr after

Then RI Registered Agent.org, because $199 plus the state fee, first agent year included, then $99 a year for the agent.

What the fee covers

  • Registration paperwork handled
  • A year of agent service

Pros

  • First agent year in the fee
  • $199 above the state fee
  • Then $99 a year

Cons

  • Rhode Island only; home state needs its own agent
Visit RI Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3. Rhode Island Registered Agent.co: best for Rhode Island registrations

Local pick$199 to register; $99/yr after

Then Rhode Island Registered Agent.co, because $199 plus the state fee, first agent year included, then $99 a year for the agent.

Price for price, equal to RI Registered Agent.org.

What the fee covers

  • Registration paperwork handled
  • A year of agent service

Pros

  • First agent year in the fee
  • Then $99 a year
  • $199 above the state fee

Cons

  • Rhode Island only; home state needs its own agent
Visit Rhode Island Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3 services, side by side

#ServiceYr 1Yr 2+Service fees, 3 yrs
1Mainstay Filing$199$149/yr$497Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2RI Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit RI Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Rhode Island Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit Rhode Island Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Posted fees, November 12, 2026. The state's $150 is not counted above.

Registration and upkeep by year

Registration fee $150, report $50 from year two; service fees are added.
Total, 3 years, Mainstay Filing: $1,947. State $1,450; service $497.

Rhode Island next to nearby ranks

RkStateThree-year foreign LLC fees
46thTennessee$900
47thDelaware$1,000
48thRhode Island$1,450
49thMassachusetts$1,500
50thCalifornia$2,490
Other states: Foreign LLC fees by state.

Rhode Island filing for out-of-state LLCs

Foreign LLCs: file the Application for Registration for a Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form 450) with the Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division; fee $150. Also required: certificate of Good Standing or Letter of Status, issued in the last 60 days.

After registration it files the annual report ($50), between February 1 and May 1. Taxes: $400 a year minimum tax to the Division of Taxation (Form RI-1065), owed whether or not the LLC makes a profit.

Checklist

  • Certificate of Good Standing or Letter of Status, not more than 60 days.
  • Registered home-state name and date of formation.
  • A resident agent inside the state, from any pick below.
  • A budget for the $150 filing fee.

Penalties for skipping registration in Rhode Island

No standing to sue in the state's courts until registered (R.I. Gen. Laws 7-16-54(a)). Its contracts continue to hold (R.I. Gen. Laws 7-16-54(b)).

Why the first pick is first

Mainstay Filing wins on scope of the price, worth 29%; RI Registered Agent.org is next.

The company has a home state; one provider for it and Rhode Island scored highest.

Rhode Island: questions

Fee for a foreign LLC to register in Rhode Island?

$150 for the filing. A service adds $199.

Foreign registration form for Rhode Island?

Use the Application for Registration for a Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form 450); it goes to the Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division.

Home-state certificate required?

Yes: certificate of Good Standing or Letter of Status, dated within 60 days of filing.

Anything due yearly from a foreign LLC?

Yes, the annual report, fee $50.

What if the LLC works there unregistered?

No standing to sue in the state's courts until registered (R.I. Gen. Laws 7-16-54(a)). Its contracts continue to hold (R.I. Gen. Laws 7-16-54(b)).

Rhode Island: a resident agent for a foreign LLC?

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

Which service do you pick for foreign registration?

Mainstay Filing, RI Registered Agent.org and Rhode Island Registered Agent.co, by rank.

More from this state

Basis for this page

  1. Desk file (Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division): docs.sos.ri.gov, pulled August 2026.
  2. Desk file (Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division): sos.ri.gov, pulled August 2026.
  3. Desk file (R.I): webserver.rilegislature.gov, pulled August 2026.
  4. Desk file (Rhode Island formation fee: Filing fee, official source): sos.ri.gov, pulled October 2026.
  5. Desk file (Rhode Island formation fee: Filing fee, official source): docs.sos.ri.gov, pulled October 2026.
  6. Desk file (Rhode Island registered agent statute): webserver.rilegislature.gov, pulled October 2026.
  7. Desk file (Form 450, Application for Registration): docs.sos.ri.gov, pulled October 2026.
  8. Desk file (R.I): webserver.rilegislature.gov, pulled October 2026.
  9. Desk file (R.I): webserver.rilegislature.gov, pulled October 2026.
  10. Desk file (Form 452, Certificate of Cancellation): docs.sos.ri.gov, pulled October 2026.
  11. Desk file (Rhode Island other cost): tax.ri.gov, pulled October 2026.
  12. Desk file (Tennessee Secretary of State, business forms and fees): sos.tn.gov, pulled October 2026.
  13. Desk file (Form SS-4233, Certificate of Authority for a foreign): sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com, pulled October 2026.
  14. Desk file (Tennessee Secretary of State, business FAQs): sos.tn.gov, pulled October 2026.
  15. Desk file (Form SS-4241, withdrawal or cancellation): sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com, pulled October 2026.
  16. Desk file (Tennessee Revised LLC Act, Public Chapter 286): publications.tnsosfiles.com, pulled October 2026.
  17. Desk file (Foreign LLC registration form): corpfiles.delaware.gov, pulled October 2026.
  18. Desk file (Delaware Code Title 6, chapter 18, subchapter IX): delcode.delaware.gov, pulled October 2026.
  19. Desk file (Delaware Code Title 6, chapter 18, subchapter XI): delcode.delaware.gov, pulled October 2026.
  20. Desk file (Division of Corporations fee schedule, August 2026): corpfiles.delaware.gov, pulled October 2026.
  21. Desk file (Alternative entity annual tax instructions): corp.delaware.gov, pulled October 2026.
  22. Desk file (Massachusetts Corporations Division, foreign LLC page): sec.state.ma.us, pulled October 2026.
  23. Desk file (Corporations Division fee schedule): sec.state.ma.us, pulled October 2026.
  24. Desk file (G.L. c. 156C § 48, foreign LLC registration): malegislature.gov, pulled October 2026.
  25. Desk file (G.L. c. 156C § 54, failure to register): malegislature.gov, pulled October 2026.
  26. Desk file (G.L. c. 156D § 15.01, transacting business): malegislature.gov, pulled October 2026.
  27. Desk file (950 CMR 112.00, limited liability companies): sec.state.ma.us, pulled October 2026.
  28. Desk file (California Secretary of State, foreign LLC forms): sos.ca.gov, pulled October 2026.
  29. Desk file (Form LLC-5): bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov, pulled October 2026.
  30. Desk file (Corporations Code section 17708.03): leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, pulled October 2026.
  31. Desk file (Revenue and Taxation Code section 19135): leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, pulled October 2026.
  32. Desk file (Franchise Tax Board, LLC filing requirements): ftb.ca.gov, pulled October 2026.
  33. Desk file (California other cost: Annual LLC tax: amount and): ftb.ca.gov, pulled October 2026.
  34. Rhode Island service page for Mainstay Filing, pulled November 12, 2026
  35. Pricing page for RI Registered Agent.org, pulled November 12, 2026
  36. Pricing page for Rhode Island Registered Agent.co, pulled November 12, 2026