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The Formation Desk

Rankings of registered agents, LLC formation and foreign registration services in all 50 states.

Registered agent picks · Rhode Island

3 Best Registered Agents in Rhode Island (2026)

The The Formation Desk call for registered agents in Rhode Island in 2026: Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), RI Registered Agent.org ($99 a year) and Rhode Island Registered Agent.co ($99 a year), in that order. Mainstay Filing takes the call: $149 a year for an agent that goes wherever the company does, plus the first three government mailings each year scanned free.
Written by The Formation Desk editorial team
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Top pick on this page

1. Mainstay Filing: best for every state

$149 a year, and it holds on renewal

Editorial score 9.5 out of 10

The desk picks Mainstay Filing: $149 a year, and it holds on renewal, with papers served on the company scanned the same business day for free.

Haven't formed yet? Mainstay's $199-a-year package handles the Rhode Island filing and the annual report.

Over three years Mainstay runs $150 more than RI Registered Agent.org, and the desk thinks the wider coverage is worth it.

In the price

  • An in-state street address on the public record
  • Papers served on the company scanned and uploaded on the same business day, free
  • Your first three government mailings each year, scanned free
  • Compliance reminders

Strengths

  • Free scans of served papers on the same business day
  • $149 a year and it holds on renewal
  • First three government mailings each year, scanned free
  • Works for LLCs, corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofits alike

Cons

  • $50 a year more than RI Registered Agent.org for agent service alone
  • Only the formation package files annual reports
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Mainstay Filing up close
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Lower renewal than Mainstay

2. RI Registered Agent.org: best for the lowest price per year on this list

$99 a year, and it holds on renewal

Editorial score 9.2 out of 10

Runner-up, RI Registered Agent.org: $99 a year flat, with scans of served legal papers sent to your account.

RI Registered Agent.org puts an in-state street address on file for the company and scans served legal papers into your account.

In the price

  • The in-state address the state asks you to file
  • Scanned copies of served legal papers, online

Strengths

  • A $99 plan with no renewal hike
  • Forms LLCs too, with the first agent year free
  • A lower yearly price than Mainstay Filing

Cons

  • The Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company is your job
  • Rhode Island only; you need another agent elsewhere
Visit RI Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. RI Registered Agent.org up close
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Rhode Island only

3. Rhode Island Registered Agent.co: best for Rhode Island companies

$99 a year, and it holds on renewal

Editorial score 9.0 out of 10

Third, Rhode Island Registered Agent.co: $99 a year flat, with scans of served legal papers sent to your account.

Rhode Island Registered Agent.co takes the registered office role, using an in-state address and scanning what is served there.

RI Registered Agent.org and Rhode Island Registered Agent.co list the same prices and plan features, so it is close and either one works.

In the price

  • The in-state address the state asks you to file
  • Scanned copies of served legal papers, online

Strengths

  • Costs $99 a year, the same each year
  • Also forms LLCs and includes the first agent year
  • Costs less a year than Mainstay Filing

Cons

  • The Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company is your job
  • Rhode Island only; you need another agent elsewhere
Visit Rhode Island Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Rhode Island Registered Agent.co up close

The desk's 3 picks in brief

Pick Service Desk score Price a year Renewal Good for Visit
1 Mainstay Filing 9.5 $149 $149/yr One agent that covers every state Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 RI Registered Agent.org 9.2 $99 $99/yr The lowest yearly price we rank here Visit RI Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 Rhode Island Registered Agent.co 9.0 $99 $99/yr The lowest yearly price we rank here Visit Rhode Island Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The scores out of 10 are the desk's own, drawn from the criteria on How we rank. They are not customer ratings.

What a Rhode Island registered agent costs in 2026: year one, renewal and the three-year bill

Service Year one Year two Year three Bill over three years Price holds on renewal
Mainstay Filing $149 $149 $149 $447 Yes
RI Registered Agent.org $99 $99 $99 $297 Yes
Rhode Island Registered Agent.co $99 $99 $99 $297 Yes

Every price here was read off the company's own pages on November 12, 2026. Rhode Island charges the same state fees whichever agent you name.

What tipped the order

The desk's method puts 33% on spend over three years and 33% on work the price removes, and 34% across what renewal looks like, fit with the state and plain price display. For Rhode Island, work the price removes did the deciding.

Mainstay's agent plan brings more to the table: served papers are scanned the same business day for nothing, one price in all fifty states and three government mailings a year scanned free. RI Registered Agent.org is cheaper, and it was close.

The full criteria and weights are on How we rank.

Rhode Island resident agent rules straight from Rhode Island Secretary of State (official)

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. The address has to be a Rhode Island street address, not a P.O. box, where the agent is available during business hours. The law behind it: R.I. Gen. Laws § 7-16-11.

Rhode Island's Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company: what it costs, when it is due, who gets the notice

Rhode Island LLCs send in the Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company every year, due May 1. The state's fee is $50. Send it late and $25 gets added. Notices about it land with your resident agent.

Rhode Island registered agent: reader questions

Do you need a resident agent to run a Rhode Island LLC?

You do. Rhode Island wants a resident agent on file for every LLC, and the agent must have a street address in the state.

What should you expect to pay a Rhode Island registered agent?

Plan on $99 to $149 a year, and the price holds when it renews.

Could you serve as your own resident agent?

You can if the state's rules allow it. A Rhode Island resident, or a corporation, limited partnership or LLC formed in Rhode Island or authorized there.

When does the Rhode Island Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company have to go in?

Get it in by May 1. The state's cut is $50. Miss the date and it costs $25 more.

Which registered agents did the desk rank here?

Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), RI Registered Agent.org ($99 a year) and Rhode Island Registered Agent.co ($99 a year), best pick first.

Who is our pick for registered agent in Rhode Island?

Mainstay Filing, since $149 for a single agent plan that works in every state, $149 on renewal.

Keep reading

Where the numbers came from

  1. Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division, last checked August 2026
  2. Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division, last checked August 2026
  3. R.I. Gen. Laws § 7-16-5, last checked August 2026
  4. Rhode Island formation fee: Filing fee, official source, last checked October 2026
  5. Rhode Island formation fee: Filing fee, official source, last checked October 2026
  6. Rhode Island registered agent statute, last checked October 2026
  7. Mainstay Filing: Rhode Island service page, as of November 12, 2026
  8. RI Registered Agent.org: pricing and service pages, as of November 12, 2026
  9. Rhode Island Registered Agent.co: pricing and service pages, as of November 12, 2026