The 5 steps to change your registered agent in Rhode Island. Source: Rhode Island Secretary of State.
How to File
1
Choose Your New Registered Agent
Select either yourself (if you've a Rhode Island address), another individual with a Rhode Island address, or a professional registered agent service authorized to do business in Rhode Island.
2
Complete the Change of Registered Agent Form
File Form RA-1 (Change of Registered Agent) with the Rhode Island Secretary of State. Include your LLC name, entity ID number, current agent information, and new agent details.
3
Get New Agent's Consent
Ensure your new registered agent signs the acceptance portion of Form RA-1 or provides separate written consent to serve as your Rhode Island registered agent.
4
Pay the Filing Fee
Submit the $35 filing fee to the Rhode Island Secretary of State along with your completed Form RA-1. Payment can be made by check or money order.
5
Submit Your Filing
Mail your completed form and payment to: Rhode Island Secretary of State, Corporations Division, 148 W River St, Providence, RI 02904, or file online at https://www.sos.ri.gov if available.
Ready to file your annual report?
Go directly to the Rhode Island Secretary of State portal.
Your current registered agent is moving out of state or closing their business
You're switching from yourself as registered agent to a professional service
Your registered agent is no longer responsive or reliable with important documents
You want better privacy protection or enhanced business services
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 publishes about filing deadlines, fees, and the consequences of missing them, with the sources this page cites. It cannot tell you what your own company owes: the date turns on when and where you formed, states change these rules between our reviews, and in several states an entity-level tax falls due in a year when no report does. Confirm your own dates with the filing office named on this page before you rely on one here, because the penalty for missing a deadline can be administrative dissolution of the company.
Frequently Asked Questions
Processing typically takes 5-10 business days when you mail your Form RA-1 to the Rhode Island Secretary of State's Corporate Division located in Providence. Your registered agent change becomes officially effective the moment the Secretary of State stamps approval on your Form RA-1, not when you submit it. During this waiting period, your previous registered agent remains legally responsible for receiving service of process, so don't assume protection has transferred until you receive written confirmation. This delay matters because if litigation or regulatory notices arrive during processing, your old agent must still accept them on behalf of your LLC. To expedite the process, file online rather than by mail, ensure your Form RA-1 is completely filled out with your new agent's exact Rhode Island address, and include your LLC's certification of good standing if available. Submit your Form RA-1 immediately rather than waiting, since the 5-10 day clock only starts upon receipt. The Rhode Island Secretary of State publishes a standard turnaround of within 2 business days.
Changing your registered agent in Rhode Island costs $35 in filing fees. You'll submit Form RA-1 (Statement Regarding Registered Agent) to the Rhode Island Secretary of State's Business Services Division. Payment must be made by check or money order payable to "Rhode Island Secretary of State". Credit cards and online payments are not accepted for this particular filing. This $35 fee covers the processing and official recording of your agent change in the state's LLC database. The practical implication is that you'll need to budget this cost into your business expenses and allow time to obtain a check if paying electronically. Beyond the state fee, consider whether your new agent charges a service fee; many registered agent companies charge $50 to $150 annually. To proceed, download Form RA-1 from the Secretary of State website, complete it with your new agent's information, and mail it with your $35 check to the Business Services Division in Providence.
Yes, you can serve as your own registered agent in Rhode Island if you maintain a physical street address within the state and are personally available during standard business hours to receive legal documents and service of process. You'll need to provide this Rhode Island address on Form LLC-1 (Application for Certificate of Organization) filed with the Rhode Island Secretary of State.
The practical implication is significant: as your own registered agent, your personal address becomes public record accessible through the Rhode Island Secretary of State's Business Services Division. You're also personally responsible for accepting lawsuit papers, tax notices, and other official documents, missing a delivery could result in a default judgment against your LLC. Many Rhode Island LLC owners choose professional registered agent services instead to maintain privacy, ensure reliable document receipt, and avoid potential legal complications from missed notifications. Your next step is deciding whether you'll list your personal address or hire a registered agent before filing your LLC formation documents.
Changing your registered agent won't affect your LLC's good standing status in Rhode Island, provided you file Form LLC-6 (Change of Registered Agent) with the Rhode Island Secretary of State and ensure continuous registered agent coverage without any gaps.
The Rhode Island Secretary of State doesn't penalize or downgrade your LLC's standing for agent changes, only for lapses in representation. However, if you allow even a single day without a registered agent, your LLC risks administrative dissolution, loss of good standing, and potential liability for unpaid taxes and fees.
Filing the change costs $25 and takes five to seven business days for processing. The practical implication is straightforward: schedule your new agent's start date *after* confirming the current agent's resignation, never before. Submit Form LLC-6 to the Secretary of State's Business Services Division at least ten days before your transition date to avoid coverage gaps that could jeopardize your standing.
Your next step: contact your new registered agent to confirm their acceptance, then file Form LLC-6 immediately.
Rhode Island accepts both online and mail filings for registered agent changes through the Secretary of State's Corporations Division. You can file Form RA-1 (Change of Registered Agent) online via the Rhode Island Secretary of State website at https://www.sos.ri.gov, which typically processes within 1 to 2 business days and costs $25. Alternatively, mail the completed Form RA-1 to the Rhode Island Secretary of State, Corporations Division, 148 West River Street, Providence, RI 02904, which takes 5 to 7 business days and also costs $25. Online filing eliminates mail delays and provides immediate confirmation of receipt, making it the practical choice if you need rapid documentation for business records or lender requirements. To proceed, visit the Secretary of State website, download Form RA-1, confirm your new registered agent's written consent, and select your filing method.
Sources
Each entry below is a document recorded in our verified Rhode Island sources, and each entry says what the document is. Some statutory text is read from an accurate mirror rather than from the state's own host, and those say so.
See how Northwest Registered Agent, Bizee, ZenBusiness and LegalZoom, the formation services we partner with, compare on 3-year cost, BBB rating and Trustpilot score before you choose.
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.
