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State Filing Data LLC fees by state, read from the source.

Foreign LLC guide · Rhode Island

Rhode Island Foreign LLC Registration (2026): Fees and the 3 Best Services

RI Registered Agent.org ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and Rhode Island Registered Agent.co ($199): that is our 2026 order for foreign LLC registration in Rhode Island. Registration costs $150 at the Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division, then $50 per report: 48th of 50 states on three-year state fees.
State Filing Data research desk

Rhode Island numbers

among 50 states, foreign LLC fees

Rank 1 is the least expensive state. The 50-state table

Registration fee

$150

Source docs.sos.ri.gov (October 2026)

Yearly report

$50

Annual report

Home-state certificate

60 days

Issued within this window

Minimum yearly tax

$400

Source tax.ri.gov (October 2026)

Three-year state fees

$1,450

Registration and two years of upkeep, plus the yearly tax

Services we'd use in Rhode Island

The methodology sets the order. Service fees over three years count most, then what the price covers.

First pick

1. RI Registered Agent.org: best for one extra state

$199 to register, $99 yearly after

First choice, RI Registered Agent.org: registration at $199 plus state fees, agent included for year one.

On service fees over three years it undercuts Mainstay Filing, and that criterion weighs 35%.

What you pay for

  • Registration filed for you
  • A year of agent service

For

  • $199 to register
  • Agent renews at $99
  • First agent year in the price

Against

  • Covers Rhode Island only
Visit RI Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Bundled filings

2. Mainstay Filing: best for companies in several states

$199 to register, $149 yearly after

Mainstay Filing is our second choice: $199 plus Rhode Island's fee, then $149 a year for the agent from year two.

Its three-year service fees are $100 above RI Registered Agent.org, and service fees carry 35% of our score.

After the free first year the agent runs $149 a year in any state.

What you pay for

  • Registration prepared and filed
  • One price in any state

For

  • Handles your next state too
  • $199 plus Rhode Island's fee

Against

  • RI Registered Agent.org's agent renews for $50 less
Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Local option

3. Rhode Island Registered Agent.co: best for a local filer

$199 to register, $99 yearly after

Third on our list, Rhode Island Registered Agent.co: registration at $199 plus state fees, agent included for year one.

Same published prices as RI Registered Agent.org.

What you pay for

  • Registration filed for you
  • A year of agent service

For

  • Agent renews at $99
  • $199 to register
  • First agent year in the price

Against

  • Covers Rhode Island only
Visit Rhode Island Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Rhode Island picks compared

#ServiceYear oneFrom year twoThree-year service fees
1 RI Registered Agent.org $199$99/yr$397
Visit RI Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Mainstay Filing $199$149/yr$497
Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 Rhode Island Registered Agent.co $199$99/yr$397
Visit Rhode Island Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Each company's published price, read November 12, 2026. Add the $150 state fee to every row.

Registration plus upkeep, by year

State registration and report fees plus each service's price, by year.

RI Registered Agent.org, 3 years: $1,847 ($1,450 to the state, $397 to the service).

How Rhode Island compares with nearby ranks

RankStateThree-year foreign LLC fees
46th Tennessee$900
47th Delaware$1,000
48th Rhode Island$1,450
49th Massachusetts$1,500
50th California$2,490

Full ranking: Foreign LLC fees by state. 1st is the least expensive.

Registering a foreign LLC in Rhode Island

Out-of-state LLCs register with the Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division using the Application for Registration for a Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form 450) ($150). Bring certificate of Good Standing or Letter of Status, dated within 60 days.

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

Before you file

  • Certificate of Good Standing or Letter of Status, no older than 60 days.
  • The registered name and formation date from home.
  • A resident agent in the state (included with each pick).
  • The $150 filing fee.

If you skip registration

While unregistered, the LLC is barred from starting a lawsuit there (R.I. Gen. Laws 7-16-54(a)). The company's contracts are not void (R.I. Gen. Laws 7-16-54(b)).

How we ordered the Rhode Island picks

The split between RI Registered Agent.org and Mainstay Filing sits in service fees over three years, which carries 35%.

Three-year service fees come to $397 with RI Registered Agent.org, saving $100 against Mainstay Filing.

FAQ

How much does it cost to register a foreign LLC in Rhode Island?

$150 at the state office. Our picks add $199.

Which form registers a foreign LLC in Rhode Island?

File Application for Registration for a Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form 450) with the Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division.

Do I need a certificate from my home state?

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

What does a foreign LLC file after registering?

The annual report, $50.

What if the LLC does business there without registering?

While unregistered, the LLC is barred from starting a lawsuit there (R.I. Gen. Laws 7-16-54(a)). The company's contracts are not void (R.I. Gen. Laws 7-16-54(b)).

Is a resident agent needed there?

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

Who should file the registration?

RI Registered Agent.org, Mainstay Filing and Rhode Island Registered Agent.co, in that order.

More for this state

Where each figure comes from

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