Foreign registration charge
$150
From docs.sos.ri.gov, October 2026
Foreign LLC guide · Rhode Island
Registering an Out-of-State LLC in Rhode Island (2026): Fees and the 3 Best Services
If you are registering a foreign LLC for Rhode Island this year (2026), begin with Rhode Island Registered Agent.co ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and RI Registered Agent.org ($199), working down the list. Bringing a foreign LLC into Rhode Island means paying $150 first and $50 on each yearly report; the state is 48th of 50 on this measure.
Rhode Island in numbers
48th
out of 50 states, measured on foreign LLC charges
First place is the smallest bill. See the full 50-state table
Report, per cycle
$50
Annual report
Home-state certificate
60 days
Must have been issued after this point
Minimum tax, per year
$400
From tax.ri.gov, October 2026
State charges, years one to three
$1,450
Register once, then file two reports, counting a minimum tax in each of the three years
Our Rhode Island shortlist
The order follows five published criteria. They are set out on the methodology page.
1. Rhode Island Registered Agent.co: best for adding only Rhode Island
$199 plus the state fee; the agent is $99 a year from year two
Rhode Island Registered Agent.co is our first choice because the Rhode Island registration at $199 and a year of agent service, then $99 each year.
It comes in under Mainstay Filing on three-year service fees. Cost counts for 34% of the score.
What the price buys
- The foreign registration filing
- A year of agent service
In its favor
- First-year agent duty is on the house
- $199 to register
- A $99 renewal
Against it
- Gives no help beyond this state
2. Mainstay Filing: best for companies adding a second state
$199 plus the state fee; the agent is $149 a year from year two
Mainstay Filing comes next: $199 above the state fee, the resident agent free for year one, then $149 a year.
That $100 difference against Rhode Island Registered Agent.co across three years is what keeps it from first place.
Year two brings the agent charge, $149 a year, wherever the company registers.
What the price buys
- Your registration is prepared and filed
- Fees do not vary by state
In its favor
- A service fee of $199
- The same price in any state
Against it
- A bigger agent renewal ($149)
3. RI Registered Agent.org: best for a smaller agent renewal
$199 plus the state fee; the agent is $99 a year from year two
In third place we have RI Registered Agent.org, because the Rhode Island registration at $199 and a year of agent service, then $99 each year.
Price for price, it equals Rhode Island Registered Agent.co.
What the price buys
- The foreign registration filing
- A year of agent service
In its favor
- $199 to register
- A $99 renewal
- First-year agent duty is on the house
Against it
- Gives no help beyond this state
Prices side by side
| No. | Service | First-year fee | From year two | Service charges, three years | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhode Island Registered Agent.co | $199 | $99/yr | $397 | Visit Rhode Island Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
| 2 | Mainstay Filing | $199 | $149/yr | $497 | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
| 3 | RI Registered Agent.org | $199 | $99/yr | $397 | Visit RI Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
Prices as published on November 12, 2026. The $150 state fee is not part of any row.
Registration cost calculator
The registration fee is $150, with the $50 report from year two; the service's prices are added to it.
Rhode Island next to the states ranked around it
| Place | State | Three-year foreign LLC fees |
|---|---|---|
| 46th | Tennessee | $900 |
| 47th | Delaware | $1,000 |
| 48th | Rhode Island | $1,450 |
| 49th | Massachusetts | $1,500 |
| 50th | California | $2,490 |
Foreign LLC fees by state lists every state, least expensive first.
The Rhode Island filing for LLCs formed elsewhere
To register, an out-of-state LLC submits the Application for Registration for a Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form 450) to the Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division and pays $150. Also required: certificate of Good Standing or Letter of Status, dated within 60 days.
From then on it owes the annual report ($50), between February 1 and May 1. Separately: $400 a year minimum tax to the Division of Taxation (Form RI-1065), owed whether or not the LLC makes a profit.
Papers you need
- Certificate of Good Standing or Letter of Status, at most 60 days.
- The home-state legal name and the date of formation.
- A resident agent in Rhode Island, which every pick below supplies.
- Funds to cover the $150 state charge.
Consequences of staying unregistered
The state's courts turn away a suit from an unregistered foreign LLC (R.I. Gen. Laws 7-16-54(a)). The LLC's contracts are not voided (R.I. Gen. Laws 7-16-54(b)).
How we ordered the Rhode Island picks
Of our five criteria, three-year service charge (34%) is what put Rhode Island Registered Agent.co above Mainstay Filing in Rhode Island.
Rhode Island Registered Agent.co's three-year total is $397, $100 beneath Mainstay Filing.
Questions and answers
What fee does a foreign LLC pay to register with Rhode Island?
$150 in state fees. Our picks add $199.
Which form does Rhode Island use to register a foreign LLC?
Application for Registration for a Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form 450), submitted to the Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division.
Does the home state have to issue a certificate?
Yes. certificate of Good Standing or Letter of Status; it has to be dated within 60 days of the filing.
Does a foreign LLC owe anything every year?
Yes, the annual report, at $50.
What are the consequences of operating there without registering?
The state's courts turn away a suit from an unregistered foreign LLC (R.I. Gen. Laws 7-16-54(a)). The LLC's contracts are not voided (R.I. Gen. Laws 7-16-54(b)).
Does Rhode Island require a resident agent of a foreign LLC?
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Who should register my foreign LLC?
Rhode Island Registered Agent.co, Mainstay Filing and RI Registered Agent.org, in that sequence.
Sources for this chapter
- Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division comes from docs.sos.ri.gov; page opened August 2026
- Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division comes from sos.ri.gov; page opened August 2026
- R.I comes from webserver.rilegislature.gov; page opened August 2026
- Rhode Island formation fee: Filing fee, official source comes from sos.ri.gov; page opened October 2026
- Rhode Island formation fee: Filing fee, official source comes from docs.sos.ri.gov; page opened October 2026
- Rhode Island registered agent statute comes from webserver.rilegislature.gov; page opened October 2026
- Form 450, Application for Registration comes from docs.sos.ri.gov; page opened October 2026
- R.I comes from webserver.rilegislature.gov; page opened October 2026
- R.I comes from webserver.rilegislature.gov; page opened October 2026
- Form 452, Certificate of Cancellation comes from docs.sos.ri.gov; page opened October 2026
- Rhode Island other cost comes from tax.ri.gov; page opened October 2026
- Tennessee Secretary of State, business forms and fees comes from sos.tn.gov; page opened October 2026
- Form SS-4233, Certificate of Authority for a foreign comes from sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com; page opened October 2026
- Tennessee Secretary of State, business FAQs comes from sos.tn.gov; page opened October 2026
- Form SS-4241, withdrawal or cancellation comes from sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com; page opened October 2026
- Tennessee Revised LLC Act, Public Chapter 286 comes from publications.tnsosfiles.com; page opened October 2026
- Foreign LLC registration form comes from corpfiles.delaware.gov; page opened October 2026
- Delaware Code Title 6, chapter 18, subchapter IX comes from delcode.delaware.gov; page opened October 2026
- Delaware Code Title 6, chapter 18, subchapter XI comes from delcode.delaware.gov; page opened October 2026
- Division of Corporations fee schedule, August 2026 comes from corpfiles.delaware.gov; page opened October 2026
- Alternative entity annual tax instructions comes from corp.delaware.gov; page opened October 2026
- Massachusetts Corporations Division, foreign LLC page comes from sec.state.ma.us; page opened October 2026
- Corporations Division fee schedule comes from sec.state.ma.us; page opened October 2026
- G.L. c. 156C § 48, foreign LLC registration comes from malegislature.gov; page opened October 2026
- G.L. c. 156C § 54, failure to register comes from malegislature.gov; page opened October 2026
- G.L. c. 156D § 15.01, transacting business comes from malegislature.gov; page opened October 2026
- 950 CMR 112.00, limited liability companies comes from sec.state.ma.us; page opened October 2026
- California Secretary of State, foreign LLC forms comes from sos.ca.gov; page opened October 2026
- Form LLC-5 comes from bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov; page opened October 2026
- Corporations Code section 17708.03 comes from leginfo.legislature.ca.gov; page opened October 2026
- Revenue and Taxation Code section 19135 comes from leginfo.legislature.ca.gov; page opened October 2026
- Franchise Tax Board, LLC filing requirements comes from ftb.ca.gov; page opened October 2026
- California other cost: Annual LLC tax: amount and comes from ftb.ca.gov; page opened October 2026
- Pricing page at Rhode Island Registered Agent.co, noted November 12, 2026
- Rhode Island service page at Mainstay Filing, noted November 12, 2026
- Pricing page at RI Registered Agent.org, noted November 12, 2026