Your Rhode Island Registered Agent provides various services, including the acceptance of formal documents and continued correspondence with the Rhode Island Secretary of State.
Your LLC must have a Registered Agent at all times. You’ll appoint one when you first formally register and form your business. You can also replace your existing Rhode Island Registered Agent at a later date, provided there you transition smoothly between the old and new agents.
Rhode Island Registered Agent Requirements
Every LLC, both foreign and domestic, must have a Registered Agent with a registered office within the State of Rhode Island at all times
The Registered Agent can be a domestic or foreign (licensed to transact business in the state) artificial legal entity (Corporation, LLC, LP or LLP) or a natural person.
The Registered Office must be in the state of Rhode Island and located at a street address (a P.O. Box only is not acceptable)
If the Registered Agent is a person, they must live in Rhode Island.
If the Registered Agent is a company, they must be authorized to conduct business in Rhode Island.
The Registered Agent must be available in person to sign for any correspondence during normal business hours.
Note that the address for your Rhode Island Registered Agent does not need to be the same as your Rhode Island LLC business address.
What a Rhode Island Registered Agent Does
A Registered Agent’s main function in Rhode Island is to accept official documentation and communications.
This includes:
Correspondence from the Rhode Island Secretary of State (SOS)
Service of process notices (e.g., if your LLC is sued or required to appear in court)
Official state and federal government correspondence and notices
Tax forms and requests to complete permits, company filings and reports
Having a Registered Agent also provides proof to the state that your business exists.
Bizee Provides Free Rhode Island Registered Agent Service for the First Year
Bizee provides complete Rhode Island Registered Agent service for any LLC that’s formed in the state. Even better, if you’ve formed your business through Bizee, your Registered Agent is completely free for the first year and only $119 a year after that.
Bizee is authorized to conduct business in Rhode Island and can legally act as your Registered Agent. Here’s what our Registered Agent service provides:
An always-available Rhode Island Registered Agent who can receive correspondence, documents and legal proceedings on your LLC’s behalf
Automatic forwarding of all legal correspondence, documentation and information directly to you
Email notification whenever we receive documents for your business
A digital dashboard where you can access, store and retrieve any information we’ve received for your business
Appointing a Registered Agent Service for Your LLC
When you first register and form your LLC, you must appoint a Registered Agent. You can change it at any point after that. Here’s how to go about it.
Assign a Registered Agent When You Form Your LLC
Your business needs to have a Registered Agent as soon as it’s formed. You can do this two ways:
When you formally create your business, you’re required to include details of your Registered Agent in your Articles of Organization.
Establish your business through us, and you’ll get a free year of our Registered Agent Service. We’ll also complete and file your Articles of Organization for you with the information that you provide.
Assign a Different Registered Agent After Formation
After you’ve formed your LLC, you can still assign someone else to be your Rhode Island Registered Agent. There are a couple of ways to achieve this.
Once you’ve chosen a new Registered Agent, file a Statement of Change of Registered Agent with the Rhode Island SOS. The RI Secretary of State provides this service for a fee of $20 with an additional service fee of $2 for completing it online.
When you use our Registered Agent service, we take care of all the form filling and filing for you. We’ll collect important information about your business, complete the form on your behalf and file it with the Rhode Island Secretary of State. We’ll let you know when we officially become your Registered Agent.
In certain situations, it may be useful to know the name of the Registered Agent that represents another LLC in Rhode Island. You can use the corporations entity search provided by the Rhode Island SOS to discover this information.
If you can’t find the Registered Agent information there, you can request it from the Secretary of State.
What Happens If You Don’t Have a Registered Agent?
If you don’t assign or provide details of a Registered Agent to the Rhode Island Secretary of State there are several possible ramifications, including:
Getting sued or served and not knowing about it. You could lose to a default judgment in your absence if your LLC is sued and you don’t respond.
Falling out of good standing with the Rhode Island SOS. The state may revoke your right to do business if you don’t respond to certain correspondence (such as a request for your annual report).
Losing your status as an LLC in Rhode Island. A Registered Agent is evidence to the state that your business exists. Without it, you could lose your business entity protections and your LLC may be dissolved.
Acting as Your Own Registered Agent
You can choose to be the Registered Agent for your LLC if you have a physical address in Rhode Island, although there may be some drawbacks to this approach:
The Registered Agent’s name and address are part of the public record and available through the Rhode Island Secretary of State website. You should use a Registered Agent service if you prefer that these details remain private.
Someone must always be available during business hours at the Rhode Island address to receive and sign for important documents and correspondence.
The Registered Agent must have a physical street address in Rhode Island. If you’re forming an LLC outside the state, you’ll need to use an in-state Registered Agent.
If you change your business address or move out of state, you need to file additional documentation with the RI Secretary of State for the new address. This isn’t necessary if you use a Registered Agent service, making a move or address change much more smooth.
Yes. Most business entities (including LLCs) in the state are required to have a Registered Agent. This is mandated by the Rhode Island Secretary of State (SOS). Find more information above.
You must assign a Registered Agent when you first register and formally form your Rhode Island LLC with the SOS. You can change your agent afterward by filing the correct form. If you form your business through Bizee, we’ll file all the necessary forms on your behalf. You'll find more information above.
Yes, but we don’t recommend it for the reasons listed above.
Yes. And if you use a company as your Registered Agent, that company must be legally able to conduct business in your state. You'll find more information above.
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