Registered Agents Rhode Island.us

Rhode Island compliance

Who can be a registered agent in Rhode Island

Every Rhode Island LLC and corporation must keep a resident agent (Rhode Island's term for a registered agent) on file. Below: eligibility, the address rule and how to make a change, each tied to its source.

Updated October 29, 2026 · Resident Agent rules

Short answer

Every Rhode Island LLC must keep a resident agent who qualifies under R.I. Gen. Laws § 7-16-11[2], at a physical address in Rhode Island. Changing the agent costs $20[3].

Mainstay Filing charges $149 a year to act as the resident agent in Rhode Island, and files the $20 change when you switch[1].

Updated October 29, 2026. Rules from the statute and state forms; fees from official sources; prices from providers' own pages.

Who qualifies

The rule comes from R.I. Gen. Laws § 7-16-11[2].

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

Owners who live in Rhode Island qualify as individuals and can take the resident agent role themselves. Most companies choose between someone they know in Rhode Island and a commercial agent service.

How to switch agents

The filing is the Statement of Change of Resident Agent and/or Address of Resident Agent (Form 642), filed with the Rhode Island Department of State, Division of Business Services. The fee is $20[3].

  1. Choose the new resident agent and get its consent; it has to qualify under R.I. Gen. Laws § 7-16-11.
  2. File the Statement of Change of Resident Agent and/or Address of Resident Agent (Form 642) with the Rhode Island Department of State, Division of Business Services.
  3. Include the $20 filing fee.
  4. Once the Rhode Island Secretary of State processes it, confirm the company's record shows the new resident agent.

Across the 50 states the median change fee is $15; compared with Rhode Island's $20, 27 states charge less and 20 charge more.

Owners moving to Mainstay Filing do not file this themselves: Mainstay files the Statement of Change of Resident Agent and/or Address of Resident Agent (Form 642) and adds Rhode Island's $20 fee at cost[1].

Hiring an agent: the price

Mainstay Filing's Rhode Island resident agent service is $149 a year with no increase at renewal[1]. Papers served on the company are scanned and uploaded the same business day at no fee.

On October 20, 2026 we also read 7 other services' published prices for Rhode Island. First years ran $99 to $249, renewals $125 to $249. In Rhode Island, 2 of them raise the price after year one, so the renewal figure is the one to compare.

Address requirements

Rhode Island's forms spell it out. The address has to be a Rhode Island street address, not a P.O. box, where the agent is available during business hours.[2]

Because the Rhode Island Secretary of State publishes this address, owners who use their own put it on the public record.

How long Rhode Island businesses last

77.9%open after 1 year[5]
48.1%open after 5 years
10.59new applications per 1,000 residents, 2025[6]

Agent service is a recurring cost for the life of the company. In Rhode Island, 77.9% of new business locations were still open after one year and 48.1% after five, per BLS data through March 2025.

Questions

Can I be my own resident agent in Rhode Island?

Owners who live in Rhode Island qualify as individuals and can take the resident agent role themselves.

Can a Rhode Island resident agent use a P.O. box?

The address has to be a Rhode Island street address, not a P.O. box, where the agent is available during business hours.[2]

Who offers resident agent service in Rhode Island?

Mainstay Filing offers it for $149 a year, with no increase at renewal[1]. Other services' published Rhode Island prices ran $99 to $249 for the first year on October 20, 2026.

How much does it cost to change the resident agent in Rhode Island?

$20, paid to the Rhode Island Department of State, Division of Business Services[3].

Sources

  1. Mainstay Filing pricing, registered agent and FAQ pages. Updated October 29, 2026.
  2. R.I. Gen. Laws § 7-16-11 (resident agent; RI's term for registered agent). webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE7/7-16/7-16-11.htm. Updated October 29, 2026.
  3. Rhode Island Department of State, Division of Business Services: Statement of Change of Resident Agent and/or Address of Resident Agent fee. webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE7/7-16/7-16-65.htm. Updated October 29, 2026.
  4. Statement of Change of Resident Agent and/or Address of Resident Agent (Form 642). docs.sos.ri.gov/documents/BusinessServices/642-change-of-registered-agent-limited-liabilit. Updated October 29, 2026.
  5. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Business Employment Dynamics, Establishment Age and Survival, Table 7 (data through March 2025). www.bls.gov/bdm/bdmage.htm. Updated October 29, 2026.
  6. U.S. Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics (state annual and monthly series). www.census.gov/econ/bfs/index.html. Updated October 29, 2026.