RI Department of State
Business Services Elections and Voting Open Government Civics and Education News and Highlights Notary Public State Archives Frequent Filers Contact UsRegister Your Business with the State of Rhode Island
Gather required information
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.
Get proof of good standing or legal existence
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 map to 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
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 |
Register with the RI Division of Taxation
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
Confirm your registration filing was accepted. Your filing may take between one to
three business days to process.
Welcome to Rhode Island! What’s next?
Learn more about maintaining your good standing status.