How long does it take to change a registered agent in Rhode Island?

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.

What does it cost to change a registered agent in Rhode Island?

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; the national registered agent services we compare charge $125 to $249 a year. 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.

Can I be my own registered agent in Rhode Island?

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.

Will changing my registered agent affect my LLC's good standing?

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.

Can I file the registered agent change online or must I mail it?

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.

LLC Guide

Change Your Rhode Island Registered Agent in 5 Simple Steps

Keep your LLC compliant by updating your registered agent with the Rhode Island Secretary of State quickly and correctly.

Last updated: September 2026

Read this guide for another state:

Affiliate disclosure: We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Get registered agent service from NorthwestRegistered agent service is $125/yr. The included first year applies only when you form a new LLC with them ($39 plus your state's filing fee), so it does not apply to an LLC you already have. Registered agent customers are enrolled by default in annual report filing at $100 plus state fees, charged automatically to your saved payment method and cancellable any time.Get registered agent service from ZenBusinessRegistered agent service is $199/yr, their standard rate. The $99 first-year price applies only when you form a new LLC with them, so it does not apply to an LLC you already have.

Not sure which service is right? Compare formation services →

Step diagram for changing an LLC's registered agent in Rhode Island, showing the 5 filing steps required by the Secretary of State. — 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.

File at Rhode Island SOS →

When Should You Change Your Registered Agent?

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

Hiring a service is optional. You can name yourself or another individual with a street address in Rhode Island, and the FAQ below gives Rhode Island's own rule.

Registered agent services for Rhode Island LLCs, by renewal price

Affiliate disclosure: Northwest Registered Agent, Bizee, ZenBusiness and LegalZoom pay us a commission if you sign up through our link, at no extra cost to you. We list only the registered agent services we have an affiliate relationship with, so this is not a survey of the whole market.

This table is not scored. The four are listed cheapest annual renewal first, and the rows below it say which one fits which situation. The scored ranking, and the formula behind it, is on the formation services review, which orders them on three-year cost, BBB rating and Trustpilot score.

Service	With formation, year 1	Annual renewal	BBB	Trustpilot	Privacy
Northwest Registered Agent	Included with $39 formation	$125/yr	A	4.1/5 (297)	Says it does not sell your information; runs its own servers
Bizee	Free year one	$149/yr	C (unaccredited)	4.8/5 (26,100+)	No data-sharing commitment
ZenBusiness	$99, not included in any plan	$199/yr	A	4.8/5 (32,500+)	Partial
LegalZoom	Not included, $249 extra	$249/yr	A+	4.6/5 (32,900+)	Partial

Note: Bizee holds a C rating from the BBB and is not accredited. BBB's profile carries a live alert describing a pattern of complaints about unexpected charges, difficulty canceling and filing delays, and Bizee has posted a response to it. We flag this so you can make an informed choice.

Prices are each provider's standard published rates; year-one pricing applies when you form your LLC through the same service. BBB and Trustpilot figures as recorded September 15, 2026, not re-checked since, and both sources update continuously. These are the dates the figures were last written to our dataset, which is the most we can show: they are not verification dates. See how we evaluate these companies in our full formation services review →

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; the national registered agent services we compare charge $125 to $249 a year. 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.

sos.ri.gov/divisions/business-servicesRhode Island Secretary of State: business entity filings
webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE7/7-16/7-16-66.HTMRhode Island statute: Annual Report
sos.ri.gov/divisions/business-services/ri-business/file-your-annual-reportRhode Island Secretary of State: file the Annual Report
webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE7/7-16/7-16-67.HTMRhode Island statute: Annual charge
tax.ri.gov/tax-sections/corporate-tax/tax-filing-requirementsRhode Island Division of Taxation: file the Annual charge

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How to File

Choose Your New Registered Agent

Complete the Change of Registered Agent Form

Get New Agent's Consent

Pay the Filing Fee

Submit Your Filing

When Should You Change Your Registered Agent?

Registered agent services for Rhode Island LLCs, by renewal price

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

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