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Rhode Island

Rhode Island Business Search

Written byRegistryWise Editorial TeamFact-checked against the Rhode Island Department of State · How we research

The short answer

Rhode Island businesses are searched for free in the Department of State's Corporate Database by entity name, an officer's or director's name, identification number, filing number, agent, business address, purpose, or NAICS code. If the "Inactive Status" field on the results page is blank, the entity is active.

On this page
  1. LLC lookup, step by step
  2. What the status means
  3. Agent, filings, owners
  4. Your Identification Number
  5. Is the name available?
  6. DBA and UCC search
  7. Fees and deadlines
  8. Questions
  9. Sources

Rhode Island at a glance

Who runs it
Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division
Corporate Database
Cost to search
Free
Searching is free. A Certificate of Good Standing is $22 online, or $20 in person or by mail.
Account needed
No
Search without signing up
Search by
Entity name ("Begins with," "Exact match," "Full text," or "Soundex"), Individual name (Officer, Director, etc.)
and 7 more

State fees

  • Form an LLC$150Articles of Organization (Form 400)Official source
  • Annual Report$50Plus a $2.50 enhanced access fee when filed online.Between February 1 and May 1 each year, starting the calendar year after the LLC registers.Official source
  • Certificate of Good Standing$22$22 online; $20 in person, by phone, or by mail.Proof the business is currentOfficial source
  • Change registered agent$20Form 642, Change of Resident Agent, plus a $2 enhanced access fee online. Changing only the registered office (Form 642A) is free.Every LLC must have oneOfficial source

An LLC lookup in Rhode Island is the same search as a business search. The Corporate Database, kept by the Rhode Island Department of State, lists LLCs alongside corporations and other registered businesses. You can search by entity name, individual name, identification Number, filing Number, agent, business Address, purpose, nAICS code or status: Active or Inactive. It's free, and you don't need an account.

The Corporate Database search page, with the name box marked 1 and the search button marked 2.
The Corporate Database as we found it on November 8, 2026. We marked where to type (1) and what to click (2). The state may change its layout.
  1. Open the Corporate Database. Choose Active or Inactive under "Status."
  2. Type the name under "Search by entity name," pick "Begins with," "Exact match," "Full text," or "Soundex," complete the security check, and click "Search."
  3. In the results, check "Inactive Status." If it's blank, the entity is active.
  4. Click the entity name, scroll down, select "All Filings," and click "View Filings" to confirm the latest annual report is on file.
  5. To order a certificate, click the request certificate box at the top of the screen and pick the certificate type.

Good to know in Rhode Island: Rhode Island lets you search by a person, not just a business: "Search by an individual name" covers officers, directors, and similar roles. Status works backwards from most states, since an active entity has a blank "Inactive Status" field. And every LLC owes the Division of Taxation a $400 minimum tax each year, even with no profit, on top of the $50 annual report.

What the search shows you

  • Entity name
  • "Inactive Status" (blank means active)
  • Filings, under "All Filings" and "View Filings"
  • A PDF image of the revocation notice, when one was issued

What the status words mean

Rhode Island uses its own words for a company's status, and they don't always mean the same thing as in other states. Here's what you'll see on the Corporate Database, in the state's own wording.

StatusWhat it means
Revocation NoticeA 60-day notice was issued to the entity for failing to file a required document, pay a required fee, pay a tax, or keep its registered agent or registered office. View the PDF image of the notice for details.
Revoked (Entity or Authority)The entity didn't respond to the 60-day revocation notice. It keeps owing annual reports and the $400 minimum tax while revoked, and after more than a year it may lose the right to its name.
DissolvedThe entity voluntarily filed articles of dissolution.
ForfeitedThe entity was forfeited for failure to pay tax.
WithdrawnThe entity voluntarily withdrew its certificate of registration.

For how these compare across states, see what business entity status means.

Finding the registered agent, filing history and owners

Registered Agent

Searchable with "Search by Agent." Every LLC must keep a registered agent with a Rhode Island street address; PO boxes and virtual business addresses aren't allowed. The January annual report reminder goes to the agent, and if it comes back undeliverable the state starts revocation.

Filing history

Select "All Filings" and click "View Filings" on the entity page. Revocation notices are available as PDF images.

Owners, managers and officers

The annual report has no financial or ownership information. You can still search the database by an officer's or director's name. If the state record doesn't name anyone, our guide on how to find the owner of an LLC covers where else to look.

Finding a Rhode Island Identification Number

Rhode Island gives every business on its register an Identification Number. It's the quickest way to pin down the right company when names are alike.

What it looks like
9 digits. The Corporate Database requires exactly 9 digits for an Identification Number search. Filings have a separate 12-digit Filing Number.
Where to find yours
Look the entity up by name in the Corporate Database, which also searches by this number.
Search by it
Yes. The Corporate Database accepts it.

Your federal EIN is a different number again. See which business number a form is asking for.

Checking whether a business name is available in Rhode Island

  1. Check name availability in the Corporate Database before you file.
  2. An LLC that wants to do business under another name files a Fictitious Business Name Statement (Form 624B, $50).
  3. An entity that has been revoked for more than a year may lose the right to its name.

A clear result on the state search isn't a trademark clearance. If the name matters to you, also search the USPTO trademark database and check the domain. More in our business name search guide.

DBA and UCC search in Rhode Island

DBAs and assumed names

What it's called
Fictitious Business Name
Where they're filed
An LLC files a Fictitious Business Name Statement (Form 624B) with the Department of State through the Corporate Online Filing System. Trade names for unincorporated businesses are a separate registry, now also kept by the Department of State after the cities and towns transferred their records.
Search
No statewide online search.
State fee
$50. Plus a $2.50 enhanced access fee online.

UCC liens

Lenders file UCC financing statements with the Rhode Island Department of State, UCC Section. The online search is free. Our Rhode Island UCC search guide has the steps and fees.

Rhode Island fees and deadlines

These are the state's own fees, before any service charges. Each row links to the official page we took it from.

Form an LLC

$150
  • Articles of Organization (Form 400).
  • One to three business days, per the Department of State. You can file online or on paper.
File online Fee source

Annual Report

$50
  • Due: Between February 1 and May 1 each year, starting the calendar year after the LLC registers.
  • If you're late: $25, applied June 1 (plus $3 to file online). A missed report can lead to a 60-day revocation notice and then revocation.
  • Separately, every LLC owes the RI Division of Taxation a $400 minimum tax each year, even if it did no business or made no profit. The annual report itself has no financial or ownership information.
File the report Fee source

Change your registered agent

$20
  • Every Rhode Island LLC must have one.
  • Form 642, Change of Resident Agent, plus a $2 enhanced access fee online. Changing only the registered office (Form 642A) is free.
Fee source

Certificate of Good Standing

$22
  • Proof the company exists and is current, from the Rhode Island Department of State.
  • $22 online; $20 in person, by phone, or by mail.
Order one Fee source

10,347 new business applications were filed in Rhode Island from January to September 2026, up 14.3% on last year, according to the Census Bureau. See every state.

Starting a business in Rhode Island?

A lot of people search the Corporate Database to see if a name is taken before they file. If that's you, here's the order to do things in.

  1. 1Check the name is free in Rhode IslandTakes two minutes, steps on this page
  2. 2File your LLC with the stateArticles of Organization, $150 state fee
  3. 3Or let a service file it for youCompared on what you pay in year two

Step 3 goes to our comparison page, which has sponsored links. We earn a commission if you buy, and it doesn't change our rankings. How that works.

Frequently asked questions

How do I look up an LLC in Rhode Island?

Search the Corporate Database, the official database kept by the Rhode Island Department of State. You can search by entity name, individual name, identification Number, filing Number, agent, business Address, purpose, nAICS code or status: Active or Inactive. It's free, and you don't need an account. Open the matching record to see the LLC's status, registered agent and filing history.

Is the Rhode Island business search free?

Yes. The Corporate Database is free to search. A Certificate of Good Standing is $22 online.

When is the Rhode Island LLC annual report due?

Between February 1 and May 1 each year, starting the calendar year after the LLC registers. The fee is $50, and a $25 penalty applies from June 1.

What does "Revocation Notice" mean in Rhode Island?

The Department of State sent the entity a 60-day notice for a missed filing, fee, tax, or registered agent or office. If the entity doesn't respond, its status becomes "Revoked."

Can I find out who owns a Rhode Island LLC?

Not from the annual report, which has no ownership information. You can search by an officer's or director's name with "Search by an individual name."

Sources

We take every fee, deadline and rule on this page from these pages and nowhere else. Rules change, so open the source before you pay anything.

  1. 1.Rhode Island Corporate DatabaseChecked November 8, 2026
  2. 2.Department of State: Determine Entity StatusChecked November 8, 2026
  3. 3.Department of State: Start Your Rhode Island BusinessChecked November 8, 2026
  4. 4.Department of State: Costs & FeesChecked November 8, 2026
  5. 5.Department of State: File your annual reportChecked November 8, 2026
  6. 6.Department of State: Revoked EntitiesChecked November 8, 2026
  7. 7.Department of State: Order a Certificate of Status/Good StandingChecked November 8, 2026
  8. 8.Document Library: Form 642, Change of Resident AgentChecked November 8, 2026
  9. 9.Document Library: Form 624B, LLC Fictitious Business Name StatementChecked November 8, 2026
  10. 10.Department of State: Trade NamesChecked November 8, 2026
  11. 11.UCC Fee Schedule (PDF)Checked November 8, 2026
  12. 12.UCC Public SearchChecked November 8, 2026
  13. 13.Department of State: Searching the UCC DatabaseChecked November 8, 2026

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