How to File Rhode Island's Articles of Organization
What goes on Rhode Island's Articles of Organization, what is filed with it and what it costs, read from Rhode Island government sources.
The short answer. To form an LLC in Rhode Island, you file the Articles of Organization with the Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division. The state filing fee is $150. Of the 15 items this page tracks, the form requires 6, asks for 1 only in some cases, makes 5 optional and leaves out 3.
The Rhode Island Articles of Organization at a Glance
| What Rhode Island calls it | Articles of Organization (Form 400) |
| State filing fee | $150 |
| Processing time | Within 2 business days |
| Where to file | Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division |
| File online | Yes, online, open the filing portal |
| Blank form | Download it from the state |
| Law that sets its contents | R.I. Gen. Laws § 7-16-6 |
| Filed with it or right after | Nothing else |
Read from a Rhode Island government source, last checked September 23, 2026. The filing fee and processing time come from our Rhode Island cost record. See the sources.
What Goes on Rhode Island's Articles of Organization
Each row is one of the 15 items this page tracks, with what Rhode Island's Articles of Organization asks for. "Not on the form" means we checked and found no place for it on the Articles of Organization. "Not checked" means we have not confirmed it either way.
| Item | On the form |
|---|---|
| LLC name | Required |
| Registered agent's name | Required |
| Registered office address | Required |
| Principal office address | Optional |
| Mailing address | Optional |
| Organizer's name | Required |
| Members' names | Not on the form |
| Managers' names | Only when the LLC will be manager-managed; list each manager's name and address. |
| Member-managed or manager-managed | Required |
| Business purpose | Optional |
| Duration | Optional |
| Effective date | Optional |
| County | Not on the form |
| Email address | Required |
| Registered agent's consent | Not on the form |
These entries are confirmed public record: LLC name, registered agent's name, registered office address, principal office address, mailing address, organizer's name, managers' names, member-managed or manager-managed, business purpose, duration and effective date.
These are collected but not made public: email address.
The registered agent rows are covered in more depth in Rhode Island's registered agent requirements, and the steps before and after this filing are in how to start an LLC in Rhode Island.
What the LLC's Name Must Include
The LLC's name must include an LLC ending at the end of the name. Accepted endings include "Limited Liability Company", "L.L.C." and "LLC", and the law allows others as well.
Rule: R.I. Gen. Laws § 7-16-9(a)(1).
File These With It or Right After
Nothing else has to be filed with it.
Draft Your Articles of Organization
The generator below starts with Rhode Island selected and drafts the document from what you enter. Compare the draft with the state's current form before you file.
MyStateLLC.com is not a law firm, not an attorney, and not a document preparation service. This is a self-service tool: it formats information you enter into a state template, and no one at MyStateLLC reviews, corrects, or files it for you. This tool and the document it generates are informational and are not legal, financial, or tax advice, and are not a substitute for the advice or services of an attorney. MyStateLLC cannot give legal advice, does not prepare or file documents itself, and communications with MyStateLLC are not privileged. Using this tool does not create an attorney-client relationship. LLC laws vary by state and this document is not reviewed by anyone before you file it. Consult a licensed attorney or CPA in your state before you sign or file it.
Where are you forming your LLC?
After It Is Approved
| Certified copy of the filed Articles of Organization | See note below |
| Changing it later (Articles of Amendment) | $50 |
Where these fees come from: the sources.
Professional LLCs in Rhode Island
We have not confirmed whether Rhode Island allows a professional LLC; check with the Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division, and the state licensing board.
Worth Knowing in Rhode Island
The Rhode Island form also asks how the LLC intends to be taxed for federal purposes (disregarded entity, partnership or corporation). That choice is not sent to the IRS. Rhode Island calls the registered agent a resident agent. A certified copy costs $10 plus $0.15 per page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources
- docs.sos.ri.gov/documents/BusinessServices/400-articles-of-organization.pdfRhode Island Form 400 Articles of Organization, Domestic LLC
- docs.sos.ri.gov/documents/BusinessServices/LLCArticlesOfOrganizationFilingGuide.pdfRhode Island LLC Articles of Organization Filing Guide
- webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE7/7-16/7-16-6.htmR.I. Gen. Laws § 7-16-6
- webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE7/7-16/7-16-3.htmR.I. Gen. Laws § 7-16-3
- webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE7/7-16/7-16-3.1.htmR.I. Gen. Laws § 7-16-3.1
- webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE7/7-16/7-16-9.htmR.I. Gen. Laws § 7-16-9
- webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE7/7-16/7-16-65.htmR.I. Gen. Laws § 7-16-65
- sos.ri.gov/divisions/business-services/order-certified-copiesRhode Island Department of State, Order certified copies
- docs.sos.ri.gov/documents/BusinessServices/LLC_Welcome_Packet.pdfRhode Island LLC Welcome Packet
- sos.ri.gov/divisions/business-services/ri-business/start-your-rhode-island-businessRhode Island Department of State, Start your Rhode Island business
- sos.ri.gov/divisions/business-services/business-basics/costs-and-feesBehind the state filing fee on this page
The rows and fees on this page were read from the Rhode Island government sources above, not from a formation service, and anything we could not confirm there is marked Not checked. See our editorial policy for how these are verified and corrected.
This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. It reports what each state's filing office publishes about the document that forms an LLC, with the sources this page cites. It cannot tell you what your own filing needs: fees and forms change between our reviews, several occupations cannot use an ordinary LLC at all and must use a professional entity or a separate professional form, and your city or county may require a registration of its own. Confirm the current fee and form with the filing office named on this page before you send anything.
Edmond Hui · Founder, MyStateLLC
Edmond Hui is a software engineer and serial entrepreneur based in New York who has founded multiple online businesses across e-commerce, media, and information publishing. Before transitioning into tech, he spent years as a commercial real estate professional closing deals totaling over 100,000 square feet, giving him firsthand experience with business formation and entity structuring. He built MyStateLLC to provide the free, state-specific LLC guidance he wished existed when forming his own companies.