Rhode Island Department of State
Gregg M. Amore

Gather required information

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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.

Get proof of good standing or legal existence

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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.

Register your business

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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.

Register with the RI Division of Taxation

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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.

Visit the Taxpayer Portal

Confirm your filing

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Confirm your registration filing was accepted. Your filing may take between one to three business days to process.