Rhode Island Business License Requirements for an LLC

A Rhode Island business license gives your Limited Liability Company (LLC) permission to operate in a certain location or within a specific industry.

We can’t walk you through any applicable license applications step-by-step, because every business is unique. But we do provide helpful resources like:

• information about state licensing rules
• instructions for researching municipal licenses

And if you want to just hire a company to do the research for you, we have a recommendation below.

Rhode Island Business License Requirements

After you form a Rhode Island LLC, you may need to obtain a business license or permit.

Your requirements are determined by the industry you are in and where your Rhode Island Limited Liability Company is located.

Because of the large number of industries and all of the municipalities in Rhode Island, it’s not possible for us to explain them all. However, you can use the search tools below, call your local municipality, or hire a company for help.

How to get a Business License in Rhode Island

You can obtain a business license in Rhode Island by applying with the relevant licensing or regulatory agency. The agency you apply with will depend on where your business is located and what business activities it engages in.

The business license application typically requires basic information, such as your LLC name, EIN Number, business address, and contact information. Many also include a questionnaire that asks about your business activity.

There are three main licensing jurisdictions:

• State licensing
• Local licensing, such as county, city, township, etc.
• Federal licensing

Does Rhode Island Require a Business License?

That depends on where your business is located, and what it does.

There are two types of state-level business licenses:

• a general business license
• and an occupational license

Rhode Island General Business License

Some states have a general license requirement, which means all businesses operating in those states must have the license, regardless of what they do.

But good news: Rhode Island doesn’t require a general license to do business in the state.

Meaning, your Rhode Island LLC doesn’t need a general state business license. But depending on what type of business you run, your LLC might need an occupational license (aka “industry-specific” license).

Rhode Island Occupational License

Most states have occupational business license requirements. This means a license or permit may be required depending on what your business does or what your occupation is. For example, if you sell used cars, or run a hair salon, you may need an occupational business license. But a license may not be required for other types of businesses.

The State of Rhode Island Professional License website can help you determine if your Rhode Island business needs an occupational license or permit, and which agency to contact about applying for the license.

You can look through the Department of Business Regulation’s list of Initial Licenses and Registrations to see if your industry or occupation needs a business license in Rhode Island.. Be sure to scroll down to see all the License Types.

Or try the interactive Business Assistant tool from the Rhode Island Department of State. You’ll answer questions about what your LLC does, and the Business Assistant will give you a list of licenses and permits you may need.

You can also contact the Department of Business Regulation with questions.

Note: Rhode Island business licenses are not issued by the Department of State. The Department of State is responsible for business entity administration, for example Limited Liability Company formation.

How much is a Rhode Island Business License?

Rhode Island doesn’t have a general business license at the state level, so there are no fees there.

However, your business may need a state-level occupational license or municipal-level license or permit to operate. The filing fee for these licenses will vary depending on where you’re doing business and what industry you’re in. To be honest, we can’t predict your specific Rhode Island business license cost.

For example, licenses issued by a county that contains a large city are usually more expensive than licenses in less populated, rural counties. And licenses for regulated industries, like child care facilities, are usually more expensive than generic business licenses.

But your LLC might not need a license or permit at all. So your Rhode Island business license cost could be $0.

See LLC Cost in Rhode Island to learn about all the possible LLC fees.

Municipal Business License

Municipal business licenses can be issued by the city, town, county, parish, township, borough, etc. We refer to all of these as a “municipality” to keep things simple.

There are two types of municipal business licenses:

• general business license
• industry-specific license

For example, if a municipality has a general business license requirement, all businesses operating in that municipality must have the license, regardless of what they do.

And if a municipality has industry-specific business licenses, a license or permit may be required depending on what your business does. For example, if you operate a food truck, or run a daycare, you may need an industry-specific municipal business license. Or if you’re purchasing or leasing real estate, you may need a zoning permit.

But a license may not be required for other types of businesses, like making wedding invitation templates or offering marketing consulting.

You can contact your municipality to check on their local licensing requirements. The Rhode Island Department of State has a directory of Cities and Towns to help you find your municipality’s website. You can also use this List of Cities & Towns from RI.gov.

Rhode Island Sales Tax License

If you sell products to consumers in Rhode Island, you may need to collect sales tax and file a Sales and Use Tax Return.

If your business activities are subject to sales and use tax, your LLC must register with the Rhode Island Division of Taxation.

Note: This requirement will apply whether you sell products online or in a physical location in Rhode Island.

You can register for business tax with the Division of Taxation online through Combined Online Registration Service.

Check out the Division of Taxation’s Sales & Excise page for more information about business taxes. (In Rhode Island, the Sales & Use Tax is just one of the total list of Sales & Excise Taxes that exist)

Do I need any federal business licenses?

Most businesses in Rhode Island don’t need a federal business license. However, certain industries do need federal licenses:

Check out the Small Business Administration’s Licenses and Permits page for a full list of industries with federal license requirements.

If your business isn’t one of these special cases, then the only federal requirements are that your LLC get a Rhode Island EIN Number (aka Federal Employer Identification Number) and that you file taxes.

Rhode Island Business License FAQs

Matt Horwitz

Founder & Educator, LLC University®

Matt Horwitz has been the leading expert on LLC education for the past decade. He founded LLC University in 2010 after realizing people needed simple and actionable instructions to start an LLC that other companies weren't offering. He's cited by Entrepreneur Magazine, Yahoo Finance, and the US Chamber of Commerce, and was featured by CNBC and InventRight.
 
Matt holds a Bachelor's Degree in business from Drexel University with a concentration in business law. He performs extensive research and analysis to convert state laws into simple instructions anyone can follow to form their LLC - all for free! Read more about Matt Horwitz and LLC University.