The appointment and maintenance of an in-state registered agent is required

It may be the smallest state, but Rhode Island has a robust economy and thriving tourism, health care, and manufacturing sectors. Situated close to major metropolitan centers of Boston and New York, the commonwealth is an attractive destination for entrepreneurs. However, doing business in Rhode Island requires compliance with many federal, state, and local laws and regulations.

The right Registered Agent is a partner in your success. A reliable professional Registered Agent gives you peace of mind that you won’t miss a critical filing and endanger your business’ good standing. Although it’s a requirement to appoint a Registered Agent, you have a choice over who to use. CT Corporation ensures proper handling of your documents, so your business runs free of surprises. And our Registered Agent Plus service helps you comply with the annual report filing requirement common in many states.  CT Corporation has a team of attorneys and contacts with state legislatures that monitors and responds to changes in the law.

I strongly recommend CT Corporation as a reliable corporate compliance partner.
Walters-Morgan Construction, Inc.
Responsive, great, and knowledgeable customer service.
Children International

Safeguard your business with America's most reliable registered agent service

Registered Agent package options:

Products

Registered agent services

Easily appoint your registered agent online within 10 minutes

  • Registered agent services - includes a registered agent location within the state to receive legal and critical business communications and a dedicated team to receive and route all service of process legal notifications

  • Online portal - compliance portal to keep your business compliant 24/7

  • Name availability check - verification and reservation of desired business name within the state

    Not included
  • Incorporation services - completion and filing of all legal documents and Articles of Incorporation with the state

    Not included
  • Qualification services - preparation and filing of all qualification documents with the state

    Not included
Registered agent and incorporation filing

Our incorporation experts are here to help you start your business with a solid and smart foundation

  • Registered agent services - includes a registered agent location within the state to receive legal and critical business communications and a dedicated team to receive and route all service of process legal notifications

  • Online portal - compliance portal to keep your business compliant 24/7

  • Name availability check - verification and reservation of desired business name within the state

  • Incorporation services - completion and filing of all legal documents and Articles of Incorporation with the state

  • Qualification services - preparation and filing of all qualification documents with the state

    Not included
Registered agent and qualification filing

Legally register an existing business in another state

  • Registered agent services - includes a registered agent location within the state to receive legal and critical business communications and a dedicated team to receive and route all service of process legal notifications

  • Online portal - compliance portal to keep your business compliant 24/7

  • Name availability check - verification and reservation of desired business name within the state

  • Incorporation services - completion and filing of all legal documents and Articles of Incorporation with the state

    Not included
  • Qualification services - preparation and filing of all qualification documents with the state

Products

Legislative updates

House Bill 6371, effective as noted in the bill, amends a number of sections of the new Partnership (LLP) and LP laws including delay until January 1, 2024 of the application of the new Partnership Law to LLPs formed before January 1, 2023 and which did not elect to be governed by the New Law.


House Bill 7753 and Senate Bill 2813, effective January 1, 2023, enact a new Uniform Partnership Law including governance of LLPs. The new law requires all LLPs to designate a registered agent (formerly, not required if the LLP’s principal office was located in Rhode Island) and the new law imposes a new Annual Report requirement for LLPs that will be due on or before May 1.


House Bill 7603 and Senate Bill 2812, effective January 1, 2023, enact a new Uniform Limited Partnership Law which would apply as follows: (a) one year after the effective date, to all LPs and (b) after the effective date but before one year thereafter, to LPs formed after the effective date and those formed before the effective date which elect to be governed by the new law, in each case with the applicability of certain Sections being subject to special provisions. The new law contains new provisions concerning Annual Reports, foreign name reservation, interest exchanges, domestication, reinstatements, tax clearances, and LLLPs, among other changes.


Senate Bill 2645 and House Bill 8001 effective January 1, 2023, amend the Commercial Law - General Regulatory Provisions title by authorizing electronic filing of assumed names by individuals and partnerships.


House Bill 5984 and Senate Bill 789, each effective January 1, 2022, amend the business and nonprofit corporation laws regarding Annual Reports and the LLC law regarding Annual Reports and domestic amendment.


House Bill 6064 and Senate Bill 836, effective July 9, 2021 and July 8, 2021, respectively, amend the nonprofit corporation law regarding merger, consolidation, and conversion.


House Bill 5051 and Senate Bill 24, each effective July 13, 2021, amend the business corporation, nonprofit corporation and LLC laws by increasing the 10-year limitation on the ability to reinstate a domestic or foreign revoked entity to 20 years.


House Bill 5511 and Senate Bill 451, each effective July 13, 2021, clarify that the Uniform Commercial Code applies to electronic transactions.


House Bill 5646 / Senate Bill 719 (Laws of 2017) effective July 1, 2020 amends the business corporation act and limited liability company act to remove the requirement of obtaining a certificate of good standing from the division of taxation with respect to dissolution, merger, conversion, and withdrawal filings.


Senate Bill 395, effective January 1, 2020, enacts the Transparency and Sustainability Standards for Rhode Island Businesses Act, under which a Rhode Island stock or nonstock corporation or LLC may be issued a Certificate of Adoption of Transparency and Sustainability Standards from the Department of Environmental Management attesting that the corporation or LLC has fulfilled sustainability metrics and filed with the Secretary of State a standards statement.


Case summaries

There are no new summaries at this time.


Other notices

March 31, 2021 — The Rhode Island Secretary of State issued a press release warning Rhode Island businesses of a “misleading” mailing that resembles a bill seeking payment for a Certificate of Good Standing. The press release states that this mailing creates a false sense of urgency with terms like “Notice Date” and Please Respond By” and charges an exorbitant fee. The press release can be read in full here.


March 12, 2020 — Rhode Island’s Secretary of State announced the launch of the Rhode Island Department of State's new Business Services website.


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Trust CT Corporation to navigate compliance anywhere you do business.
*State fees are mandatory fees imposed by the state. Price includes online discount automatically applied at checkout. Discount is for new customers only.
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