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How to Get a Certificate of Good Standing in Rhode Island

Rhode Island calls it the Certificate of Good Standing and charges $22. Here is how to order it and what must be current first.

At a glance

Document name
Certificate of Good Standing
State fee
$22
Online ordering
Yes
Typical turnaround
Rhode Island does not issue this certificate immediately online. The Department of State publishes two business days plus mailing time for an online order at $22, two business days for a phone order at $20 with collection required at the Business Services Division, 5 to 7 business days including post for a mailed order at $20, and immediate issue only at the counter at $20
Issuing office
Rhode Island SOS ↗

How to order it

  1. Clear any past-due filings first. The Rhode Island SOS will not issue a certificate while you have unpaid tax or an unfiled report. The state-specific requirements are in the points below.
  2. Order it online. Search your LLC in the Rhode Island portal, request the certificate, and download it. Link in the table above.
  3. Pay the $22 fee. Pay by card at checkout. A small card surcharge usually applies.
  4. Use it inside the recipient's window. The certificate has no state expiration, but banks and other states usually want one dated within the last 30 to 90 days. Order it close to when you need it.

Would rather not deal with the agency yourself?

CorpNet orders the certificate for you
$69 service fee, plus the Rhode Island state fee shown above · A filing service, not a registered agent. Ordering it yourself is cheaper and the steps above are the whole process.
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Full ordering details for Rhode Island

Rhode Island charges $22 online and $20 through every other channel. The $2 difference is an enhanced access fee that goes to RI.gov rather than to the state, on top of the $20 set by R.I. Gen. Laws 7-1.2-1602(a)(21). Nonprofits pay $7 online and $5 elsewhere. THE ONLY IMMEDIATE ROUTE IS THE COUNTER: online and telephone orders both take two business days and a posted order takes 5 to 7. Long form certificates and certificates of fact are $30 each, must be ordered by telephone, and the Department states they cannot be emailed.

Processing and expedited tiers: Rhode Island does not issue this certificate immediately online. The Department of State publishes two business days plus mailing time for an online order at $22, two business days for a phone order at $20 with collection required at the Business Services Division, 5 to 7 business days including post for a mailed order at $20, and immediate issue only at the counter at $20

Important to know about Rhode Island

  • RI has TWO separate Good Standing documents: the Certificate of Status from the Secretary of State ($22 online) confirming entity compliance, and the Letter of Good Standing from the Division of Taxation ($50) confirming state tax compliance. Third parties may require either or both.
  • The RI LLC Annual Report ($50) must be current. The filing period is February 1 to May 1, and a $25 late penalty applies from June 1.
  • When RI is the destination state for a foreign qualification, the home-state Certificate of Good Standing must be dated within 60 days of filing - stricter than the typical 90-day window.

Ordering this to register in another state?

A certificate of good standing from Rhode Island is what the new state asks for when your Rhode Island LLC registers to do business there. Pick the state you are expanding into to see its exact filing, fee, and process.

Find your state-to-state guide · Registering an out-of-state LLC into Rhode Island instead?

Related guides

This page provides general information based on publicly available Rhode Island Secretary of State requirements. It is not legal advice. Names, fees, and procedures can change. Verify with the Rhode Island SOS before ordering.