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Formation Scorecard

Foreign registration scorecard · Rhode Island

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Rhode Island (2026)

On the Formation Scorecard 2026 scorecard for foreign registration services in Rhode Island the order reads RI Registered Agent.org ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and Rhode Island Registered Agent.co ($199). RI Registered Agent.org posts the top score: $199 beyond the state fee to register in Rhode Island, agent renewing at $99.
Researched and written by the Formation Scorecard editorial team
Rank #1 Number one here

1. RI Registered Agent.org: best for companies that add just Rhode Island

9.2 Editor score out of 10
Service fee $199 with the state fee added; agent renewing at $99

RI Registered Agent.org leads the card: $199 plus the state fee and a year of resident agent service, then $99 yearly for the agent.

The plan puts the company at an in-state street address and scans papers served on it to your online account.

Its three-year total undercuts Mainstay Filing, which earns real points on cost.

What you get

  • Registration prepared and filed
  • First-year resident agent service

Strengths

  • Registration at $199, with the state fee added
  • $99 yearly for the agent after year one
  • A year of resident agent service is built in

Watch for

  • Limited to Rhode Island; your home state still needs an agent
  • $99 extra for the EIN application
Visit RI Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. RI Registered Agent.org: the full write-up
Rank #2 Same price in every state

2. Mainstay Filing: best for companies spread across states

8.8 Editor score out of 10
$199 service fee plus the state fee; agent $149 yearly from year two

Mainstay Filing takes second spot: it files the Rhode Island registration for $199 and acts as your resident agent, free for year one and $149 a year after.

The agent is free in year one and $149 a year after that, wherever the company registers.

RI Registered Agent.org undercuts Mainstay Filing by $100 over three years, and that gap costs Mainstay points on cost.

What you get

  • Preparation and filing of the registration
  • Served papers scanned and uploaded the day they arrive, free

Strengths

  • $199 service fee, with the state fee on top
  • Served papers scanned on the day they arrive, free
  • Same price across all fifty states

Watch for

  • Agent renewal of $149 is $50 more than RI Registered Agent.org charges
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Mainstay Filing: the full write-up
Rank #3 Best for a Rhode Island-only company

3. Rhode Island Registered Agent.co: best for registrations in Rhode Island only

8.5 Editor score out of 10
Service fee $199 with the state fee added; agent renewing at $99

Rhode Island Registered Agent.co takes third spot: $199 plus the state fee and a year of resident agent service, then $99 yearly for the agent.

The plan puts the company at an in-state street address and scans papers served on it to your online account.

Rhode Island Registered Agent.co mirrors RI Registered Agent.org on price and plan features, so little divides them.

What you get

  • Registration prepared and filed
  • Year-one resident agent service included

Strengths

  • Then $99 a year to keep the agent
  • Year one as your resident agent is included
  • $199 service fee plus the registration fee

Watch for

  • Limited to Rhode Island; your home state still needs an agent
  • $99 extra for the EIN application
Visit Rhode Island Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Rhode Island Registered Agent.co: the full write-up

The 3 entries on one card

Place Service Card score Service fee Year two Best for Go
1 RI Registered Agent.org 9.2 $199 $99/yr The lowest agent renewal we rank here Visit RI Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Mainstay Filing 8.8 $199 $149/yr Companies spread over several states Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 Rhode Island Registered Agent.co 8.5 $199 $99/yr The lowest agent renewal we rank here Visit Rhode Island Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Formation Scorecard assigns each mark out of 10 itself, using the weighted criteria on How we rank. No customer ratings feed in.

Rhode Island foreign registration service cost in 2026: first year, renewal and the three-year tally

Service First year Second year Third year Three-year tally Agent paid in year one
RI Registered Agent.org $199 $99 $99 $397 Included
Mainstay Filing $199 $149 $149 $497 Not stated
Rhode Island Registered Agent.co $199 $99 $99 $397 Included

Each price comes from the company's own site, read on November 12, 2026. Add Rhode Island's $150 registration fee to each row; the tally above leaves it out.

Reading the order

Cost across three years decided the Rhode Island card. The method puts 25% on cost across three years and 25% on coverage of the price, then shares 50% among renewal terms, state-by-state fit and pricing clarity.

RI Registered Agent.org tallies $397 across three years, $100 below Mainstay Filing. Both include the first agent year, so the renewal price after year one broke the tie.

Every criterion and weight appears on How we rank.

Foreign LLC registration in Rhode Island: fee, form and filing office

An outside company registers by sending the Application for Registration for a Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form 450) to the Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division, with a $150 state fee. Rhode Island additionally requires certificate of Good Standing or Letter of Status, dated no more than 60 days before filing.

Once registered, the company files the annual report ($50), due between February 1 and May 1.

Gather these before filing

  • Certificate of Good Standing or Letter of Status, issued no earlier than 60 days before filing.
  • The company name exactly as the home state has it, plus the date it was formed.
  • An in-state resident agent; any service on this card can fill that role.
  • The state fee of $150, sent in with the filing.
  • A calendar date for the annual report and its $50 fee.

The price of ignoring Rhode Island registration

An unregistered outside LLC cannot sue in Rhode Island courts until it registers (R.I. Gen. Laws 7-16-54(a)). Its contracts remain valid (R.I. Gen. Laws 7-16-54(b)).

Rhode Island foreign registration service: quick questions

Does Rhode Island make an outside LLC register before operating?

Yes, when the company does business there. Until it registers, the state's courts are closed to its lawsuits.

What will foreign registration run in Rhode Island?

Expect $150 for the state plus $199 for the service.

What is the registration form called in Rhode Island?

The form goes to the Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division; its exact name is in the facts above.

Is a home-state certificate part of the Rhode Island filing?

Yes, the state wants certificate of Good Standing or Letter of Status, no older than 60 days.

Does a registered company still need a resident agent?

Yes, a resident agent with an in-state street address has to stay on file.

Which foreign registration service leads the card for Rhode Island?

RI Registered Agent.org, since the Rhode Island registration at $199, first agent year included, then $99 a year.

Read next

Where the figures come from

  1. Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division, as of August 2026
  2. Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division, as of August 2026
  3. R.I. Gen. Laws § 7-16-5, as of August 2026
  4. Rhode Island formation fee: Filing fee, official source, as of October 2026
  5. Rhode Island formation fee: Filing fee, official source, as of October 2026
  6. Rhode Island registered agent statute, as of October 2026
  7. Form 450, Application for Registration, as of October 2026
  8. R.I. Gen. Laws § 7-16-49, registration, as of October 2026
  9. R.I. Gen. Laws § 7-16-54, effect of not registering, as of October 2026
  10. Form 452, Certificate of Cancellation, as of October 2026
  11. Read on November 12, 2026: pricing and service pages for RI Registered Agent.org
  12. Read on November 12, 2026: Rhode Island service page for Mainstay Filing
  13. Read on November 12, 2026: pricing and service pages for Rhode Island Registered Agent.co