Rhode Island LLC Cost (2026): Fees and Due Date

The short answer

To form the LLC: $150 to file the Articles of Organization.
Every year after: $50 a year, due May 1.
If you file late: $25 added by Rhode Island. After one missed report, Rhode Island administratively dissolves the LLC, and the state's total to reinstate it at that point is $175.
Five years, filing it yourself: $400: the formation fee plus five years of the state's recurring fee, with no service fees.

Start your Rhode Island LLC

Our service fee and the Rhode Island filing & processing are itemized on the checkout review screen before you pay.

What's included

Name availability check before we file
Articles of Organization prepared and filed with Rhode Island
Submitted within 3 business days, or the same day as an option
Approved documents emailed, plus a private order page
Rhode Island's after-formation deadlines in writing
A real person by email

Rhode Island LLC one-time costs

What Rhode Island charges once, when the LLC is formed, and the optional costs that arrive at the same time. The state fee is the same whether you file yourself or use a service.

State filing fee

Amount: $150
Notes: Paid to Rhode Island to file the Articles of Organization. One time.

State expedite (optional)

Amount: Not offered
Notes: Rhode Island sells no faster review of the formation filing.

Registered agent

Amount: Free if you serve yourself; our agent service can be added in the application
Notes: Required in Rhode Island; a street address in the state.

Operating agreement

Amount: Free if you write it, or our self-help template after checkout
Notes: Not filed with the state.

Our filing service

Amount: Our fee, itemized at checkout
Notes: Optional. Our fee and the Rhode Island filing & processing appear as separate lines before you pay.

Rhode Island LLC one-time and optional costs, 2026
Cost	Amount	Notes
State filing fee	$150	Paid to Rhode Island to file the Articles of Organization. One time.
State expedite (optional)	Not offered	Rhode Island sells no faster review of the formation filing.
Registered agent	Free if you serve yourself; our agent service can be added in the application	Required in Rhode Island; a street address in the state.
Operating agreement	Free if you write it, or our self-help template after checkout	Not filed with the state.
Our filing service	Our fee, itemized at checkout	Optional. Our fee and the Rhode Island filing & processing appear as separate lines before you pay.

State fees verified October 2026 and set by the state, not by us. Online filing prices; a few states charge a different amount on paper.

Rhode Island LLC ongoing costs

What Rhode Island charges to keep the LLC in good standing, when it is due, and what the state does when a report is late or missed.

Annual Report fee

The state's rule: $50 a year
Notes: Filed with the Rhode Island Department of State, every year.

Due

The state's rule: May 1
Notes: State wording: May 1 (window Feb 1 to May 1).

Late penalty

The state's rule: $25
Notes: After the state's grace period.

After missed reports

The state's rule: After one missed report
Notes: Administrative dissolution, revocation or forfeiture by the state, after notice.

Reinstatement

The state's rule: $175
Notes: The state's total to reinstate after one missed report: reinstatement fee plus the missed reports and penalties it requires.

Franchise or privilege tax

The state's rule: None
Notes: Rhode Island adds no LLC tax beyond the figures above.

Rhode Island LLC ongoing costs, 2026
Item	The state's rule	Notes
Annual Report fee	$50 a year	Filed with the Rhode Island Department of State, every year.
Due	May 1	State wording: May 1 (window Feb 1 to May 1).
Late penalty	$25	After the state's grace period.
After missed reports	After one missed report	Administrative dissolution, revocation or forfeiture by the state, after notice.
Reinstatement	$175	The state's total to reinstate after one missed report: reinstatement fee plus the missed reports and penalties it requires.
Franchise or privilege tax	None	Rhode Island adds no LLC tax beyond the figures above.

State fees verified October 2026 and set by the state, not by us. Due rules, penalties and dissolution triggers are read from each state's statute or filing office page; the reinstatement figure is the state's own total at that point.

Rhode Island LLC annual fee

Rhode Island's recurring requirement: $50/year ($52.50 online), due May 1 (window Feb 1 to May 1). Rhode Island calls the filing the Annual Report, and it goes to the Rhode Island Department of State at sos.ri.gov. The Annual Report is due May 1, every year. In the state's words: May 1 (window Feb 1 to May 1).

If you file late: $25 added by the state for a late report. After one missed report, Rhode Island administratively dissolves the LLC, and the state's total to reinstate it at that point is $175.

The due date, filing window and portal are covered step by step in Rhode Island LLC annual report.

Other recurring obligations

Annual report. Feb 1 - May 1 each year, starting the calendar year after formation (+$25 penalty if not filed by May 31). $50 ($52.50 online).
RI Division of Taxation minimum corporate fee via RI-1065 (LLCs not taxed as corporations). April 15 (disregarded) / March 15 (partnership). $400 minimum.

Rhode Island LLC filing fee: $150

The filing fee is what Rhode Island charges to file your Articles of Organization, the document that creates the company. Rhode Island charges $150. It is the one cost nobody can avoid: it is the same whether you file directly with the state or hire a service, and no legitimate service can waive it. Which form Rhode Island uses, where it is filed and what it asks: how to register an LLC in Rhode Island.

Rhode Island's published processing time: Within two business days.

Rhode Island does not sell expedited review of the formation filing.

By filing fee, Rhode Island ranks 39 of 51 jurisdictions, cheapest first; the median state charges $100.

Five-year Rhode Island LLC cost: $400

$150 to form, plus $50 a year in report fees for five years, comes to $400 paid to Rhode Island over five years, assuming every report is filed on time. One late report adds $25. Taxes on the company's income, licenses and a registered agent service are separate.

See your exact Rhode Island total before you pay

Our service fee and the Rhode Island filing & processing are itemized on the checkout review screen before you pay, each on its own line.

Start your Rhode Island LLC →

What the Rhode Island state fee does not include

The filing fee buys the state's approval of the Articles of Organization and nothing else. These are the costs that sit outside it.

Registered agent. Rhode Island requires one, with a street address in the state. Serving as your own agent is free; the address becomes public record. Our registered agent service can be added in the application. Rhode Island registered agent requirements.
Operating agreement. Not filed with the state and free if you write it yourself. Our self-help template is available after checkout.
Business licenses and permits. Set by the city, county or licensing board for your line of business, not by the formation filing. Many Rhode Island LLCs need none; a restaurant, contractor or salon usually needs several.
Taxes. An LLC's income is taxed through its owners' returns unless it elects otherwise, and sales tax or employer registrations are separate state accounts with no formation fee attached.
Filing service. Our fee is itemized on the checkout review screen before you pay, with same-day submission as an option. The state fee is identical either way.

How to pay less for a Rhode Island LLC

File the Articles of Organization yourself. Rhode Island takes it online at business.sos.ri.gov for the $150 state fee alone.
Be your own registered agent if you have a Rhode Island street address and are there during business hours. The trade-off is privacy: the address goes on the public record.
Write your own operating agreement. No state charges for it and Rhode Island does not file it.
File the Annual Report on time. A late one costs $25 more, and a missed one leads to dissolution and a reinstatement bill of $175.
Form where you do business. An LLC that operates in Rhode Island but is formed elsewhere must register in Rhode Island as a foreign LLC anyway, paying Rhode Island's registration fee and its recurring report on top of the home state's.

How Rhode Island compares

By filing fee, Rhode Island is number 39 of 51 jurisdictions, cheapest first. The filing fee is paid once; the recurring line is what separates states over time.

Rhode Island

Filing fee: $150
Recurring: $50 a year
Five-year total: $400

Connecticut

Filing fee: $120
Recurring: $80 a year
Five-year total: $520

Massachusetts

Filing fee: $520
Recurring: $520 a year (online, including the state's $20 electronic filing fee)
Five-year total: $3,120

Rhode Island and its neighbors
State	Filing fee	Recurring	Five-year total
Rhode Island	$150	$50 a year	$400
Connecticut	$120	$80 a year	$520
Massachusetts	$520	$520 a year (online, including the state's $20 electronic filing fee)	$3,120

State fees verified October 2026 and set by the state, not by us.

Every state's fee is in LLC cost by state, and the case for and against forming elsewhere is in cheapest states to form an LLC.

Filing yourself vs. using us

Filing directly with Rhode Island costs only the state's own fee: $150. The state takes formations at business.sos.ri.gov. Through us, you pay our service fee plus the Rhode Island filing & processing, for the name check, the Articles of Organization prepared and submitted, the approved documents emailed to you and Rhode Island's deadlines in writing. Both lines are itemized on the checkout review screen before you pay.

Sources

State fees verified October 2026; page last updated November 1, 2026. The figures above are read from Rhode Island's own fee schedule, forms and statutes:

docs.sos.ri.gov (docs.sos.ri.gov/documents/BusinessServices/400-articles-of-organization.pdf)
docs.sos.ri.gov (docs.sos.ri.gov/documents/BusinessServices/LLCArticlesOfOrganizationFilingGuide....)
sos.ri.gov (sos.ri.gov/divisions/business-services/business-basics/costs-and-fees)
sos.ri.gov (sos.ri.gov/divisions/business-services/ri-business/file-your-annual-report)
webserver.rilegislature.gov (webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE7/7-16/7-16-65.htm)

Standard Filings is a filing service, not a law firm. This page is general information from each state's published filing rules and fee schedules, not legal or tax advice.

Rhode Island LLC cost FAQ

How much does it cost to start an LLC in Rhode Island?+

Rhode Island charges $150. That is the state's own fee and it is the same whether you file yourself or use a service. If you have us file it, our service fee and the Rhode Island filing & processing are itemized on the checkout review screen before you pay.

Does Rhode Island charge an annual fee for an LLC?+

Yes. Rhode Island's recurring requirement: $50/year ($52.50 online), due May 1 (window Feb 1 to May 1). That works out to $50 a year.

When is the Rhode Island LLC annual report due?+

The Annual Report is due May 1, every year. In the state's words: May 1 (window Feb 1 to May 1).

What is the late penalty for a Rhode Island LLC report?+

Rhode Island adds $25 to a report filed after the due date once the state's grace period passes. After one missed report, Rhode Island administratively dissolves the LLC, and the state's total to reinstate it at that point is $175.

Is there a franchise tax in Rhode Island?+

No. Rhode Island charges no franchise, privilege or LLC tax on top of its Annual Report; the LLC's income is taxed through its owners' returns in the ordinary way, and any state income tax registration is separate from the formation and report fees here.

How much is a registered agent in Rhode Island?+

Nothing from the state: Rhode Island charges no fee for naming a registered agent. Serving as your own agent is free if you have a street address in Rhode Island and are there during business hours; the address becomes public record. A commercial registered agent charges a yearly fee that the agent sets, in exchange for keeping its Rhode Island address on the record and forwarding what arrives.

Can I file the Rhode Island Articles of Organization myself?+

Yes. Rhode Island accepts the Articles of Organization directly from business owners at business.sos.ri.gov, and you pay only the state's $150 fee. Rhode Island's published processing time: Within two business days.

What does your service add to the state fee?+

Our service fee covers a name availability check, your Articles of Organization prepared and filed, the approved documents emailed to you, and Rhode Island's deadlines in writing. The Rhode Island filing & processing is a separate line, and both are itemized on the checkout review screen before you pay.

General information, not legal or tax advice. Fees change; confirm the current amount with Rhode Island before you rely on it.