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LLC Straight Talk What it costs, what you have to file, who's worth paying.

No fluff · Rhode Island

3 Best LLC Services in Rhode Island (2026): The Straight Story

If you need LLC formation services in Rhode Island in 2026, here's the order we'd go in: Mainstay Filing ($199), RI Registered Agent.org ($199) and Rhode Island Registered Agent.co ($199). Every option pays the same $150 filing fee, then three years of service cost $397 to $597.
Straight from the LLC Straight Talk editorial team

The short of it

The short of it
State fee
$150, once, up front
After that
$50 a year + $400 minimum tax every year
Resident agent
Yes, you have to
Who we'd use
Mainstay Filing, RI Registered Agent.org then Rhode Island Registered Agent.co

Who we'd use in Rhode Island

Prices come from each company's own page. Here's how we judge.

#1 Our top pick

1. Mainstay Filing: best for skipping the annual report

$199 a year, plus the $150 state fee

One yearly price of $199 covers the formation, the resident agent and every annual report. That's why Mainstay Filing is first.

Here's the catch: RI Registered Agent.org costs $200 less over three years, and you'd do more of the paperwork yourself.

You won't file the Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company yourself. Rhode Island still charges $50, billed at cost.

What you get

  • Formation handled start to finish
  • Resident agent for twelve straight months
  • Annual report done for you
  • EIN application
  • State fees passed through, no markup

Pluses

  • No jump when you renew ($199)
  • $199 a year covers filing, agent and report
  • The EIN application's included

What's not

  • Renews $100 higher than RI Registered Agent.org
Go to Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
#2 Rhode Island only

2. RI Registered Agent.org: best for owners who'll stay home

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

RI Registered Agent.org takes second place: three years with it total $397, thanks to a $99 renewal.

You're still on the hook for the Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company.

What you get

  • Your LLC, filed
  • Agent service covered for year one

Pluses

  • Formation fee of $199
  • The first agent year's included
  • Then $99 yearly

What's not

  • You're stuck filing the Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company
  • EIN's not included ($99)
Go to RI Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
#3 Rhode Island only

3. Rhode Island Registered Agent.co: best for another in-state choice

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

Rhode Island Registered Agent.co takes third place: three years with it total $397, thanks to a $99 renewal.

You're still on the hook for the Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company.

It charges what RI Registered Agent.org charges.

What you get

  • Your LLC, filed
  • Agent service covered for year one

Pluses

  • Then $99 yearly
  • Formation fee of $199
  • The first agent year's included

What's not

  • You're stuck filing the Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company
  • EIN's not included ($99)
Go to Rhode Island Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The numbers

#CompanyFirst yearEach year afterThree-year totalCovers
1 Mainstay Filing $199$199/yr$597formation handled start to finish; resident agent for twelve straight months; annual report done for you Go to Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 RI Registered Agent.org $199$99/yr$397Your LLC, filed; agent service covered for year one Go to RI Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 Rhode Island Registered Agent.co $199$99/yr$397Your LLC, filed; agent service covered for year one Go to Rhode Island Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Prices as of November 13, 2026. The state's own fees are in the checklist below.

The questions that matter

What's it cost to form an LLC here?

Figure $150 for the state, plus $199 if you hire help in year one.

Across three years the state collects $1,450, filing fee included. docs.sos.ri.gov, confirmed October 2026, if you don't believe us

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

Which form do I file, and where?

Here's what starts the company: the Articles of Organization (Form 400), sent to the Rhode Island Secretary of State.

The law: R.I. Gen. Laws § 7-16-5. docs.sos.ri.gov, confirmed October 2026, if you don't believe us

Does the state make me have 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.

webserver.rilegislature.gov, confirmed October 2026, if you don't believe us

What's due in later years?

You'll file the Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company every year, and it's $50 each time. Here's the date the state gives: May 1. Don't miss it. You also owe the yearly minimum tax.

The state's late fee is $25.

sos.ri.gov, confirmed August 2026, if you don't believe us

Can I just file it myself?

You can. Skip the service and your three-year bill is the state's $1,450.

Hiring help costs $397 to $597 more across three years.

Why this order?

On jobs the price actually covers (30% of the score), Mainstay Filing wins.

We run five tests: money out the door in three years (35%), jobs the price actually covers (30%), no hunting for the price (14%), no surprise at renewal (11%) and where it works (10%).

RI Registered Agent.org is cheaper, but you'd be filing the Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company on your own time.

How we judge

Rhode Island: the formation checklist

RequirementThe rule or the numberOfficial source
LLC filing fee $150docs.sos.ri.gov, confirmed October 2026, if you don't believe us
Resident agent Yes, you have towebserver.rilegislature.gov, confirmed October 2026, if you don't believe us
Recurring report $50 every yearsos.ri.gov, confirmed August 2026, if you don't believe us
Yearly minimum tax $400 a yeartax.ri.gov, confirmed October 2026, if you don't believe us
What the state collects in three years $1,450Our sum of the rows above

Here's how we got the last row: filing fee + two reports + minimum tax, if there is one. Costs with no set price aren't in it.

More questions

Who handles the EIN?

With Mainstay Filing it's free. RI Registered Agent.org charges $99, Rhode Island Registered Agent.co charges $99.

Is there a late fee?

Rhode Island adds $25.

What do the picks cost over three years?

Mainstay Filing will set you back $597, and RI Registered Agent.org will set you back $397, and Rhode Island Registered Agent.co will set you back $397, with state fees on top.

Are the fees official?

State fees come from Rhode Island's official documents, and service fees come from each company's own price page. Both are dated here.

Do I have to use a service?

Not required. The state takes filings from owners.

Who's first in Rhode Island?

Mainstay Filing is first: the annual report gets filed inside the $199 yearly price, along with formation and the resident agent. Then comes RI Registered Agent.org and Rhode Island Registered Agent.co.

Keep reading

Sources, so you can check

  1. Where Rhode Island Department of State comes from: docs.sos.ri.gov, confirmed August 2026, and you can go look yourself
  2. Where Rhode Island Department of State comes from: sos.ri.gov, confirmed August 2026, and you can go look yourself
  3. Where R.I comes from: webserver.rilegislature.gov, confirmed August 2026, and you can go look yourself
  4. Where Rhode Island formation fee: Filing comes from: sos.ri.gov, confirmed October 2026, and you can go look yourself
  5. Where Rhode Island formation fee: Filing comes from: docs.sos.ri.gov, confirmed October 2026, and you can go look yourself
  6. Where Rhode Island registered agent statute comes from: webserver.rilegislature.gov, confirmed October 2026, and you can go look yourself
  7. Where Rhode Island other cost comes from: tax.ri.gov, confirmed October 2026, and you can go look yourself
  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