No.1
Number one here
1. Mainstay Filing: best for all fifty states
$149 yearly, no change
Score9.2out of 10
First place: Mainstay Filing. Its agent plan is $149 a year and does not rise at renewal, and legal papers served on the company are scanned within the same business day free of charge.
For a company not yet formed, the $199 yearly package adds the Rhode Island filing and the annual report.
Its three-year total exceeds RI Registered Agent.org's by $150; the broader coverage outweighs that difference in our scoring.
In the price
- A registered office street address in any state you need
- No charge for scanning served papers within the same business day
- Three government letters a year scanned without charge
- Compliance reminders
Why pick it
- $149 a year, unchanged at renewal
- Three government letters a year scanned at no charge
- Accepts LLCs, corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofits
- Service of process on the company scanned within the same business day, no charge
Weak spots
- The agent plan runs $50 a year above RI Registered Agent.org
- Annual report filing comes with the formation package, not the agent plan
No.2
Best value here
2. RI Registered Agent.org: best for the least expensive year among these agents
$99 yearly, no change
Score8.7out of 10
Second place: RI Registered Agent.org. The plan is a flat $99 a year, and papers served on the company are scanned to your account.
RI Registered Agent.org provides the in-state registered office and posts scans of any legal papers served there to your account.
In the price
- A registered office with a street address in the state
- Scans of served papers appear in your online account
Why pick it
- Undercuts Mainstay Filing on yearly cost
- $99 per year, renewing at the same price
- Forms LLCs too, with the first agent year free
Weak spots
- The Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company is yours to file
- Built for Rhode Island; elsewhere you need another agent
No.3
Rhode Island-focused
3. Rhode Island Registered Agent.co: best for Rhode Island specialists
$99 yearly, no change
Score8.5out of 10
Third place: Rhode Island Registered Agent.co. The plan is a flat $99 a year, and papers served on the company are scanned to your account.
Rhode Island Registered Agent.co lends the company a state street address for its registered office and scans served legal papers to you online.
RI Registered Agent.org and Rhode Island Registered Agent.co publish the same price and the same features, so either is a defensible choice.
In the price
- A registered office with a street address in the state
- Scans of served papers appear in your online account
Why pick it
- A lower yearly charge than Mainstay Filing
- Also forms LLCs and includes the first agent year
- Costs $99 yearly, unchanged at renewal
Weak spots
- The Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company is yours to file
- Built for Rhode Island; elsewhere you need another agent
The 3 rulings in brief
| Rank | Provider | Ruling score | Yearly charge | Renewal | Suited to | Link |
|---|
| 1 | Mainstay Filing | 9.2 | $149 | $149/yr | An agent usable in all fifty states | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
| 2 | RI Registered Agent.org | 8.7 | $99 | $99/yr | The lowest yearly charge on this list | Visit RI Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
| 3 | Rhode Island Registered Agent.co | 8.5 | $99 | $99/yr | The lowest yearly charge on this list | Visit Rhode Island Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
Scores out of 10 are editorial marks set by The Startup Judge from the criteria on
How we rank. They are not customer ratings.
Rhode Island registered agent charges in 2026: year one, renewals and the three-year total
| Provider | Year one | Year two | Year three | Total over three years | Price unchanged at renewal |
|---|
| Mainstay Filing | $149 | $149 | $149 | $447 | Yes |
|---|
| RI Registered Agent.org | $99 | $99 | $99 | $297 | Yes |
|---|
| Rhode Island Registered Agent.co | $99 | $99 | $99 | $297 | Yes |
|---|
Each charge was taken from the provider's own pages on November 12, 2026. Rhode Island's own fees are the same whichever agent is chosen.
What decided the order
The method behind these rulings gives 31% to charge over three years and 31% to work taken off the founder, with renewal conduct, fit with local rules and pricing in plain sight dividing 38%. What settled Rhode Island was work taken off the founder.
Mainstay's plan reaches further: papers served on the company are scanned within the same business day at no cost, the price is identical across all fifty states, and three government letters a year are scanned free. RI Registered Agent.org charges less, so the margin is narrow.
Each criterion and its weight appear on How we rank.
What Rhode Island requires of a resident agent (source: Rhode Island Secretary of State)
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. The address has to be a Rhode Island street address, not a P.O. box, where the agent is available during business hours. Authority: R.I. Gen. Laws § 7-16-11.
The Rhode Island Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company: its fee and due date
In Rhode Island, the Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company comes due every year. $50 is payable to the state, and the deadline is May 1. Filing late adds $25. Notices about it are sent to your resident agent.
Questions on Rhode Island registered agents
Is a Rhode Island LLC obliged to appoint a resident agent?
Yes. Rhode Island law expects every LLC to appoint a resident agent with a physical address in the state, and that appointment is public.
What is the going yearly rate for a Rhode Island registered agent?
Yearly charges fall between $99 to $149, and every provider holds its price at renewal.
Is the owner permitted to serve as the resident agent?
Yes, when the state's conditions are met. A Rhode Island resident, or a corporation, limited partnership or LLC formed in Rhode Island or authorized there.
What is the deadline for the Rhode Island Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company?
$50 goes to the state, and the filing falls due May 1. Lateness costs $25 more.
Which registered agents were heard in this ranking?
Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), RI Registered Agent.org ($99 a year) and Rhode Island Registered Agent.co ($99 a year), ruled upon in that order.
Which Rhode Island registered agent does the record favor?
Mainstay Filing, since one plan at $149 a year goes wherever the company goes, renewing at $149.
The record
- Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division, on the record as of August 2026
- Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division, on the record as of August 2026
- R.I. Gen. Laws § 7-16-5, on the record as of August 2026
- Rhode Island formation fee: Filing fee, official source, on the record as of October 2026
- Rhode Island formation fee: Filing fee, official source, on the record as of October 2026
- Rhode Island registered agent statute, on the record as of October 2026
- Exhibit: Mainstay Filing, Rhode Island service page, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: RI Registered Agent.org, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: Rhode Island Registered Agent.co, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026