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LLC UnpackedEvery filing, unpacked: the fee, the form, the catch.

What is inside · Rhode Island

3 Best LLC Services in Rhode Island (2026), Opened Up

Our 2026 stack of LLC formation services in Rhode Island, top to bottom: Mainstay Filing ($199), RI Registered Agent.org ($199) and Rhode Island Registered Agent.co ($199). Inside the cost: $150 goes to the state, and three years of service add $397 to $597.
Unpacked by the LLC Unpacked editorial team

Top layer

State filing fee
$150, paid once
Every year after
$50 each year + $400 yearly minimum tax
Resident agent
Required, yes
Our pick
Mainstay Filing, RI Registered Agent.org then Rhode Island Registered Agent.co

Our Rhode Island picks, opened up

Prices come from each company's own page. See how we open it up.
Top of the stack

1. Mainstay Filing: best for owners who want upkeep handled

$199 a year, with the $150 state fee added

Mainstay Filing sits on top in Rhode Island because $199 a year packs in formation, the resident agent and every annual report.

Over three years this runs $200 above RI Registered Agent.org, and more of the filings are handled inside.

Inside the service is the Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company, filed for you, with Rhode Island's $50 passed through at cost.

Inside the price

  • The formation filing, packed in
  • Resident agent for all twelve months
  • Annual report filed on your behalf
  • EIN application handled
  • State fees at cost

Inside, the good

  • One yearly fee: $199
  • The EIN application is inside the price
  • Renews at $199

Inside, the catch

  • RI Registered Agent.org renews for $100 less
The Rhode Island specialist

2. RI Registered Agent.org: best for a business that stays in one state

$199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year

RI Registered Agent.org sits second because forming costs $199, and the agent is covered in year one, then $99 a year.

Not inside the price: the Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company, which stays with you.

Inside the price

  • Rhode Island formation filing
  • Agent included in year one

Inside, the good

  • Then $99 yearly
  • Opens at $199 over the state fee
  • No agent charge in year one

Inside, the catch

  • The Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company is a job you keep
  • The EIN application costs $99 extra
The Rhode Island specialist

3. Rhode Island Registered Agent.co: best for one-state companies

$199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year

Rhode Island Registered Agent.co sits third because forming costs $199, and the agent is covered in year one, then $99 a year.

Not inside the price: the Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company, which stays with you.

Price for price, a tie with RI Registered Agent.org.

Inside the price

  • Rhode Island formation filing
  • Agent included in year one

Inside, the good

  • Opens at $199 over the state fee
  • No agent charge in year one
  • Then $99 yearly

Inside, the catch

  • The Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company is a job you keep
  • The EIN application costs $99 extra

Inside each price

#CompanyYear oneEach year afterTotal, 3 yearsCovers
1Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597the formation filing, packed in; resident agent for all twelve months; annual report filed on your behalfLook inside Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2RI Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Rhode Island formation filing; agent included in year oneLook inside RI Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Rhode Island Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Rhode Island formation filing; agent included in year oneLook inside Rhode Island Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Prices as of November 13, 2026. The state's own fees are in the checklist below.

Layer by layer

How much does forming an LLC cost in this state?

Filing costs $150. A service on top of that costs $199 in year one.

State fees for years one through three stack up to $1,450. peek at docs.sos.ri.gov, confirmed October 2026

  • $400 a year minimum tax to the Division of Taxation (Form RI-1065), owed whether or not the LLC makes a profit.

Which form is inside the filing, and where does it go?

Open one document, the Articles of Organization (Form 400), and send it to the Rhode Island Secretary of State.

The law underneath: R.I. Gen. Laws § 7-16-5. peek at docs.sos.ri.gov, confirmed October 2026

Must the LLC name a resident agent?

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

A Rhode Island resident, or a corporation, limited partnership or LLC formed in Rhode Island or authorized there.

peek at webserver.rilegislature.gov, confirmed October 2026

What is owed in later years?

The Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company comes back each year, for $50. Its date, in the state's words, is May 1. The minimum tax is billed separately.

The late fee is $25.

peek at sos.ri.gov, confirmed August 2026

Do I have to pay a service at all?

A service is optional. State fees alone are $1,450 across three years.

Choose help and your three-year total rises by $397 to $597.

What put number one on top?

Mainstay Filing wins the what is inside the price layer, which counts 29%.

Two layers carry most of the weight, total across three years (34%) and what is inside the price (29%).

A filed Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company outweighs a small saving, in our weighing.

The five layers

Rhode Island formation, unpacked

PartAmount or rulePeek at source
Fee to form$150peek at docs.sos.ri.gov, confirmed October 2026
Resident agentRequired, yespeek at webserver.rilegislature.gov, confirmed October 2026
Report after formation$50 every yearpeek at sos.ri.gov, confirmed August 2026
Minimum tax$400 a yearpeek at tax.ri.gov, confirmed October 2026
State fees, years one to three$1,450The rows above, stacked
Every row above links to its official source. The final row is our own total of the filing, two reports and any minimum tax.

More boxes to open

Who applies for the EIN?

Mainstay Filing includes the EIN application, and the others add it as an extra: RI Registered Agent.org $99; Rhode Island Registered Agent.co $99.

What if the report is late?

Expect a $25 late fee.

What do the picks cost over three years?

Mainstay Filing stacks up to $597, RI Registered Agent.org stacks up to $397, Rhode Island Registered Agent.co stacks up to $397, with state fees on top.

What do these numbers rest on?

Two kinds of source feed this page: Rhode Island's official documents for what the state charges, and company price pages for what services charge.

Does the law require one?

No. Owners can file with the state directly. A service saves time and can act as agent, but nothing makes you hire one.

Which LLC service should I open first in Rhode Island?

Open Mainstay Filing first, then compare RI Registered Agent.org and Rhode Island Registered Agent.co.

What the page rests on

  1. Under Rhode Island Department of State sits docs.sos.ri.gov, dated August 2026, as the original document
  2. Under Rhode Island Department of State sits sos.ri.gov, dated August 2026, as the original document
  3. Under R.I sits webserver.rilegislature.gov, dated August 2026, as the original document
  4. Under Rhode Island formation fee: Filing sits sos.ri.gov, dated October 2026, as the original document
  5. Under Rhode Island formation fee: Filing sits docs.sos.ri.gov, dated October 2026, as the original document
  6. Under Rhode Island registered agent statute sits webserver.rilegislature.gov, dated October 2026, as the original document
  7. Under Rhode Island other cost sits tax.ri.gov, dated October 2026, as the original document
  8. Mainstay Filing Rhode Island service page, read November 13, 2026
  9. RI Registered Agent.org pricing page, read November 13, 2026
  10. Rhode Island Registered Agent.co pricing page, read November 13, 2026