Start Your Rhode Island Business
According to R.I. Gen. Laws, most business structures need to register with the RI Department of State. Follow the steps below to register your business.
Gather required information
Name of Company
All businesses need to register with a unique business 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 do not meet this standard and are not allowed.
Business Structure
Your business structure is the legal definition of how your business is organized.
Refer to our Business Structures chart to learn more.
Proof of Insurance/Board Approval
Professional Service Corporations and Professional Service Benefit Corporations are required to show proof of liability insurance upon registration.
State law sets certain insurance exclusions and limits. See R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 7-5.1.
If the entity is offering engineering services, prior approval from the Board of Registration for Professional Engineers is required.
Register your business
The chart below outlines how to file with the RI Department of State to register certain business structures. You can learn more about these structures by reviewing our Business Structures chart.
If you are looking to start a General Partnership or Sole Proprietorship, please contact the city or town where you wish to do business. General Partnerships and Sole Proprietorships do not register with the RI Department of State.
| Business Structure | Online Filing | Paper Filing | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
Limited Liability Company (LLC) R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 7-16 |
File Online | $150 | |
Business Corporation R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 7-1.2 |
File Online | $230 | |
Limited Partnership (LP) R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 7-13 |
File Online | $100 | |
Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 7-12 |
N/A | $150 | |
Benefit Corporation R.I. Gen. Laws § 7-5.1-2 |
File Online | $230 | |
Professional Service Corporation R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 7-5.1 |
N/A | $230 | |
Professional Service Benefit Corporation R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 7-5.3 |
N/A | $230 | |
Low-Profit Limited Liability Company (L3C) R.I. Gen. Laws § 7-16-76 |
File Online | $150 | |
Workers' Cooperative |
File Online | $230 | |
Producers' Cooperative R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 7-7 |
N/A | $230 | |
Consumers' Cooperative R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 7-8 |
N/A | $230 |
Confirm your filing
Before proceeding to Step 4, be sure to confirm your registration filing was accepted. Your filing may take between one to three business days to process.
Get Federal Employer Identification Number
Your EIN is a unique nine-digit number assigned by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to identify your business.
Get Federal EIN
Are you ready to start your business?
Be sure to review our Business Basics before starting this important legal process.