Rhode Island Registered Agent (2024 LLC Guide)

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What is a Rhode Island Registered Agent?

A Registered Agent is a person or company who agrees to accept legal documents and notices on behalf of your Rhode Island LLC.

Registered AgentLegal mail (called Service of Process) is sent if your LLC is involved in a lawsuit. Additionally, the state may send notices and reminders to your LLC’s Registered Agent.

Special offer: Hire Northwest to form your LLC ($39 + state fee), and you'll get a free year of Registered Agent service.

(Why is Northwest the best? Read our Northwest Registered Agent review)

Rhode Island Registered Agents should be available during normal business hours (9am – 5pm), Monday through Friday.

And the Registered Agent for your LLC in Rhode Island must have a physical street address in Rhode Island. PO Box addresses aren’t allowed.

Does Rhode Island require a Registered Agent?

Yes, Rhode Island requires all business entities to list a Registered Agent on their LLC formation paperwork. And they must keep a Registered Agent on file with the state for the life of the LLC.

Why do I need a Registered Agent in Rhode Island?

The purpose of a Registered Agent is to accept Service of Process in case your Rhode Island business gets sued. And the court needs proof that your LLC received the legal documents.

That’s why each business entity (like a Limited Liability Company or Corporation) must have a Registered Agent on file with the state.

Said another way, Rhode Island Registered Agents are a key component of how the court and legal systems work. By requiring all Rhode Island LLCs to keep a Registered Agent on file with the state, the delivery of court documents can be properly tracked.

Who can be my Registered Agent in Rhode Island?

You actually have 3 options for who can be your Registered Agent in Rhode Island:

  • yourself
  • a friend or family member
  • a Registered Agent Service

You can save money by being the Registered Agent for your Rhode Island business, but there are some risks.

What are the risks of being my own Registered Agent in Rhode Island?

The risks of being your own Rhode Island Registered Agent are:

  • missing an important notice from the state
  • administrative dissolution
  • missing Service of Process (and potential legal consequences)

These issues are more likely to occur if you:

  • move and forget to update your address with the state
  • travel or leave town for extended periods of time
  • don’t have a reliable physical address
  • don’t keep up with your mail
  • aren’t available during regular business hours to accept Service of Process

We’ll explain a few of these risks below.

Missing an important notice from the state

Your business needs to promptly receive all important notices sent by the Rhode Island Secretary of State or any other state agency.

Notices sent by state agencies often have actions that your LLC must take by a certain deadline. And in some cases, there are penalties and fees if you miss those deadlines.

Administrative Dissolution

If you are the Registered Agent for your LLC, and you move without updating your Registered Agent address, the Rhode Island Secretary of State can dissolve (shut down) your LLC.

To clarify, the state isn’t looking over your LLC every single day, so this potential administrative dissolution won’t automatically happen if you don’t update your Registered Agent information.

However, if the state finds out that your Registered Agent address isn’t up-to-date, and they can’t reach you, then they could shut down your LLC.

Default Judgment

If there is a lawsuit against your LLC, a process server will make multiple attempts to serve your LLC (deliver the court documents).

However, if they are unable to serve your LLC in person, Service of Process can be made another way (like through Certified Mail). This can mean the court notices and/or documents were “delivered” to you, even if you didn’t physically receive them.

Then the person suing your LLC can argue their case without you being there to defend your LLC. In these situations, the person suing your LLC usually wins and the court enters a default judgment against your business.

Contempt of Court

If there is a lawsuit that involves your LLC, the parties might serve your business with a subpoena. The subpoena may ask you to testify in a hearing, or to produce records.

If you don’t respond to the subpoena, you can be held in contempt of court. This can lead to fines, or the court can issue a bench warrant. This means the sheriff can come seize the records or force you to show up in court.

So should I be my own Registered Agent in Rhode Island?

You certainly can. While there are risks of being your LLC’s Registered Agent in Rhode Island, they don’t come up very often. And you can save money by being your own Rhode Island Registered Agent.

Having said that, hiring a professional Registered Agent Service can provide additional benefits, such as address privacy.

Registered Agent Information is Public Record in Rhode Island

While you (or a friend or family member) can be your LLC’s Registered Agent, you may not want to have a home address listed on public record.

The information you enter in your Articles of Organization (including the Registered Agent’s address) becomes public record with the Secretary of State.

Not only is this information searchable by the public, but other websites download the state’s records and republish them on their own website. Then things begin to spread as other public record websites take that same information and list it on their websites too (and the process repeats itself).

Pretty soon your address is listed on many websites and people can easily find it by doing a Google search.

If you’d like to keep your address off public records, we have a strategy for this.

How to keep your address off public records:

Many business owners in Rhode Island start businesses from their homes. So you should be aware that the Registered Agent’s address on your LLC Articles of Organization gets listed on public records.

If you want to keep your address off public records, you can hire a Rhode Island Registered Agent Service that will allow you to use their Registered Office address throughout your Articles of Organization.

Northwest Registered Agent offers this unique service at no additional cost.

There are many Rhode Island Registered Agents out there, but we have found Northwest to be the best Registered Agent Service available.

What’s the best Rhode Island Registered Agent option to choose?

Choosing the best Rhode Island Registered Agent option for your business depends on a few factors.

You:

You can be your own Registered Agent in Rhode Island if:

  • you are a resident of Rhode Island, and
  • you have a physical street address in Rhode Island.

You also should be comfortable with your address being listed on public records.

Why choose this option? This is a good option to choose if you want to save money (since you won’t need to hire a Rhode Island Registered Agent Service).

Friend or Family:

A friend or family member can be your Rhode Island Registered Agent if:

  • they are a resident of Rhode Island, and
  • they have a physical street address in Rhode Island

They also should be comfortable with their address being listed on public records.

Why choose this option? This is a good option to choose if you aren’t a resident of Rhode Island, but want to save money (since you won’t need to hire a Rhode Island Registered Agent Service).

Rhode Island Registered Agent Service:

A Rhode Island Registered Agent Service (aka Commercial Registered Agent) is a company that specializes in receiving mail and Service of Process for your LLC.

Rhode Island Registered Agent Services usually charge $100 to $300 per year. After they receive mail for your LLC, they’ll forward it to you or upload it to your online account.

Why choose this option? This is a good option to choose if you:

  • don’t live in Rhode Island
  • don’t have a friend or family member’s address to use
  • won’t be available during normal business hours to receive mail, or
  • don’t want your address listed in the Articles of Organization

If you’d like to hire a Registered Agent Service, the company we recommend is Northwest Registered Agent.

Northwest Registered Agent review
The Northwest Registered Agent logo is a registered trademark of Northwest Registered Agent.

Northwest Registered Agent

Northwest Registered Agent is our personal recommendation (and the Registered Agent Service we use) for a few reasons:

  • they’ve been in business for over 20 years
  • their customer service agents are LLC experts, and
  • they let you use their business address in your entire LLC filing (to keep yours off public record)

Special discounted pricing for LLC University readers

Northwest usually charges $100 + state fees to form an LLC. However, we’ve negotiated a discounted rate (60% off) for LLC University® readers.

Special offer: Hire Northwest to form your LLC ($39 + state fee), and you'll get a free year of Registered Agent service.

(Why is Northwest the best? Read our Northwest Registered Agent review)

Rhode Island Registered Agent FAQs

How much does a Registered Agent cost in Rhode Island?

LLC CostIf you (or a friend or family member) will be your Registered Agent, there is no cost.

If you want to hire a Registered Agent Service, it will cost between $100 and $300 per year.

To learn how the top Registered Agent companies compare against each other, check out Best Registered Agent Services in Rhode Island.

Can a family member be a Registered Agent in Rhode Island?

Yes, a family member can be your Registered Agent in Rhode Island, if they meet the legal requirements.

To be your Registered Agent, your family member must have a physical address in Rhode Island. (PO Boxes aren’t allowed). And they must be available at that address during normal business hours.

Can the Sole Member of an LLC be the Registered Agent?

Yes, the Sole Member of an LLC can be their own Registered Agent as long as they meet the state requirements listed above.


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Matt Horwitz
Matt Horwitz
Matt Horwitz is the leading expert on LLC education, and has been teaching for 15 years. He founded LLC University in 2010 after realizing people needed simple and actionable instructions to start an LLC. 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.

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3 comments on “Rhode Island Registered Agent”

Disclaimer: Nothing on this page shall be interpreted as legal or tax advice. Rules and regulations vary by location. They also change over time and are specific to your situation. Furthermore, this comment section is provided so people can share their thoughts and experience. Please consult a licensed professional if you have legal or tax questions.

    • Hi Shira, we double-checked with the Rhode Island legislature. The statute hasn’t been changed, so legally, Resident Agent is still the official term. However, both Resident Agent and Registered Agent are used synonymously.

      Reply

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