A registered agent is a business or individual who serves as a company’s representative. They are typically tasked with accepting documents on the LLC’s behalf, including official government correspondence. This can include service of process notices, tax information, communication from the Secretary of State, and notices of lawsuits. A Rhode Island Registered Agent acts as a middle-man, as it is their job to see that members of the LLC receive these documents.
Rhode Island Registered Agent Requirements For an Individual
According to the Secretary of State’s office, Rhode Island businesses can choose to have an individual serve as their registered agent. However, the individual must meet a few requirements to be able to do so.
- The individual must be at least 18 years old
- The individual must be a resident of Rhode Island
- The individual must provide a physical street address that will be a matter of public record
- The individual must be present at this location during regular business hours
- The individual must consent to being the company’s registered agent
Rhode Island Registered Agent Requirements For a Company
Rhode Island businesses also have the option of allowing a company to serve as their registered agent. Requirements include:
- The company must have a physical presence and street address in Rhode Island
- The company must have a physical presence and street address in Rhode Island
- The company does not provide a P.O. box as their mailing address
- The company is present at the address during regular business hours
- The company consents to serving as a registered agent
DoMyLLC Can Serve As Your Rhode Island Registered Agent
It’s critical that new business owners find a registered agent upon who they can trust and rely. At DoMyLLC, we offer Rhode Island registered agent services to those looking to file as an LLC or corporation in the state of Rhode Island. When hiring us to serve as a registered agent, business owners can rest assured that they are receiving reliable, professional services, including:
- A physical address in the state of Rhode Island, meeting requirements set forth by the Secretary of State’s Office.
- An office available during business hours from Monday through Friday. We can accept all legal correspondence for a company.
- A secure online account where business owners can manage your documents.
- An innovative management system design making it easier than ever for business owners to handle all legal correspondence, even if they’re not in the state.
- A compliance reminder system that informs business owners when annual report filings are due, ensuring they never miss a deadline.
- A compliance calendar, which is an easy-to-view method that allows owner to track when annual reports are due.
- A vast document library that includes both state and internal paperwork for Corporations and LLCs
- Links to state and government agencies
- Unlimited document storage
If businesses in Rhode Island miss important deadlines, such as annual report filings, they could be subject to harsh penalties. When hiring DoMyLLC as a Rhode Island registered agent, business owners can trust that their information will be uploaded to the online management system immediately upon delivery and that they will never miss an important deadline. DoMyLLC allows business owners to focus on running their business instead of having to burden themselves with compliance paperwork.
How To Change Your Rhode Island Registered Agent
If you are a business owner in the state of Rhode Island who is not satisfied with the registered agent currently representing your company, it’s possible that you can make a change.
- Hire a New Agent – Before Rhode Island businesses can replace their existing registered agent, they must first have a new agent in place. When filing Change of Agent paperwork, companies must include the information for both the current and new registered agents.
- File the Required Change of Agent Paperwork with the Rhode Island Secretary of State – After business owners have chosen a new registered agent, they can file a Statement of Change of Resident Agent with the Secretary of State’s Office. The state recommends that before filing the paperwork, business owners call the Corporations Division to confirm the name and address of the resident agent currently on file. Rhode Island business owners must be careful when filing this paperwork, as this is the only method available to update their registered agent information. Businesses cannot do so when filing their annual report.
- Pay the Filing Fee – As detailed in the State Filing Fees section below, the cost of changing registered agents varies based on the type of business filing the paperwork. Companies can make their payments payable to the Rhode Island Secretary of State.
State Filing Fees
No matter if a company is going through the formation process or are making a change to their registered agent, they will likely have to pay filing fees. These filing fees can vary significantly depending on the type of business filing and their reason for doing so. For example, fees in Rhode Island can be nominal as $10 or as large as $1,000. Below is a breakdown of the state of Rhode Island filing fees.
| Entity Type | State Fee Registered Agent Change |
| Domestic Rhode Island Corporation | $20 |
| Domestic Rhode Island Limited Liability Company | $20 |
| Domestic Rhode Island Non-Profit Corporations | $10 |
| Domestic & Foreign Partnerships (LP, LLP, LLLP) | $20 |
| Foreign Corporations | $10 |
| Foreign Non-Profit Corporations | $10 |
| Foreign Limited Liability Companies | $20 |
| Corporation Entity Type | State Fee for Formation |
| Domestic Rhode Island Corporation | $230 |
| Domestic Rhode Island Non-Profit Corporation | $35 |
| Foreign Corporation Qualification | $310 |
| Foreign Non-Profit Corporation Qualification | $50 |
| LLC Entity Type | State Fee for Formation |
| Domestic Rhode Island Limited Liability Company | $150 |
| Domestic Rhode Island Partnerships | $100 – $200 |
| Foreign Limited Liability Company Qualification | $150 |
| Foreign Partnership Qualification | $100 – $1000 |