The range
Mainstay Filing's Rhode Island resident agent service is $149 a year with no increase at renewal[1]. Published prices from 7 other services, read October 20, 2026, started at $99 for a first year; 2 of them charge more from year two.
- Mainstay Filing
- $149/yr, same at renewal
- Mainstay, 3 years
- $447
- Other services compared
- 7
- Others, first year
- $99 to $249
- Others, median renewal
- $159
- Updated
- October 29, 2026
Updated October 29, 2026. Prices from each provider's own page.
The prices
| Service | First year | Renewal | 3 years | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mainstay Filing | $149 | $149 | $447 | Same price at renewal; files the change of agent, state fee at cost. | [1] Mainstay Filing pages, updated October 29, 2026 |
| Northwest Registered Agent | $125 | $125 | $375 | $100/yr per state for five or more states. | [2] Provider page, updated October 29, 2026 |
| InCorp Services | $129 | $129 | $387 | As low as $87/yr if you prepay five years. | [3] Provider page, updated October 29, 2026 |
| Harbor Compliance | $99 | $159 | $417 | $99 for the first year for new customers, then $159/yr. Prepaying two or three years keeps $99/yr for those years. | [4] Provider page, updated October 29, 2026 |
| Bizee | $149 | $149 | $447 | Standalone price. The first year is free when you form your company through Bizee. | [5] Provider page, updated October 29, 2026 |
| ZenBusiness | $99 | $199 | $497 | $99 plus state fees for the first year, then $199/yr. | [6] Provider page, updated October 29, 2026 |
| Registered Agents Inc | $200 | $200 | $600 | [7] Provider page, updated October 29, 2026 | |
| LegalZoom | $249 | $249 | $747 | Price for first-time agent customers. Auto-renews at the purchase rate; LegalZoom says the renewal rate is subject to change. | [8] Provider page, updated October 29, 2026 |
Mainstay Filing first; the other services follow in order of three-year cost (first-year price plus two renewals at the published renewal price). Each price was read from the provider's own page on October 20, 2026.
Left out for lack of a published price, though they appeared for Rhode Island: Tailor Brands. Their pages showed no price.
Where the price changes after year one
Mainstay Filing's Rhode Island price does not change at renewal: $149 in the first year and every year after[1].
2 of the 7 other Rhode Island services charge more at renewal than in the first year. The largest step on their published prices is ZenBusiness, from $99 to $199[6].
Because the Rhode Island agent stays on record for as long as the company exists, the renewal price is the one paid most often.
Which services appear, and why
In results captured October 20, 2026, Northwest Registered Agent, InCorp Services, Harbor Compliance, and Registered Agents Inc had their own pages in Google's top 20 for "cheapest registered agent rhode island". The AI Overview for that search named Northwest Registered Agent, InCorp Services, and Harbor Compliance. Bizee, ZenBusiness, and LegalZoom are included because they are among the four names seen most often across all 50 states.
This is a Rhode Island price list, not a review. Each price is the provider's own published figure on the check date.
The $149 service, in detail
For $149 a year, Mainstay Filing puts its Rhode Island street address on the public record as the company's resident agent[1]. Service of process is scanned the day it arrives, with no per-document fee. Compliance reminders are included, and the first three government mailings a year are scanned free. It also files the $20 Rhode Island change filing for new customers, state fee at cost.
It does not include filing the Rhode Island Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company; that comes with Mainstay's $199-a-year package, which also covers formation and the EIN application.
Agent cost in context
Set against Rhode Island's own charges ($150 to form[12], $50 a year on average after that), agent service at $149 a year is the larger recurring cost.
| State | Other services priced | Lowest first year | Median renewal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | 7 | $99 | $159 |
| Connecticut | 6 | $99 | $199 |
| Massachusetts | 6 | $89 | $149 |
Same method and date for every state. Mainstay Filing's price is $149 a year in each of these states.
Each state where a Rhode Island company registers needs its own agent, so multi-state companies pay one of these prices per state.
Why every Rhode Island company pays for this
The requirement comes from R.I. Gen. Laws § 7-16-11[9]: every Rhode Island LLC keeps a resident agent. Owners who live in Rhode Island qualify as individuals and can take the resident agent role themselves.
In Rhode Island, the categories are broad. A Rhode Island resident, or a corporation, limited partnership or LLC formed in Rhode Island or authorized there.
Moving from one service to another costs $20 in state fees in Rhode Island[10], on top of the new service's price.
Questions
How much does Mainstay Filing charge for a Rhode Island resident agent?
$149 a year in Rhode Island, and the same at renewal[1]. Over three years that is $447, with no introductory discount to expire. The price is the same in every state.
What does a resident agent cost in Rhode Island?
Among the other Rhode Island services (October 20, 2026), first-year prices ran $99 to $249 and the lowest three-year total was $375. Mainstay Filing is $149 every year.
Do I have to pay for a resident agent in Rhode Island?
No. Paying a service is optional in Rhode Island; what the law requires is that a qualifying resident agent is on record. Owners who live in Rhode Island qualify as individuals and can take the resident agent role themselves.
Sources
- Mainstay Filing pricing, registered agent and FAQ pages. Updated October 29, 2026.
- Northwest Registered Agent, published registered agent price page. Updated October 29, 2026.
- InCorp Services, published registered agent price page. Updated October 29, 2026.
- Harbor Compliance, published registered agent price page. Updated October 29, 2026.
- Bizee, published registered agent price page. Updated October 29, 2026.
- ZenBusiness, published registered agent price page. Updated October 29, 2026.
- Registered Agents Inc, published registered agent price page. Updated October 29, 2026.
- LegalZoom, published registered agent price page. Updated October 29, 2026.
- R.I. Gen. Laws § 7-16-11 (resident agent; RI's term for registered agent). webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE7/7-16/7-16-11.htm. Updated October 29, 2026.
- Rhode Island Department of State, Division of Business Services: Statement of Change of Resident Agent and/or Address of Resident Agent fee. webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE7/7-16/7-16-65.htm. Updated October 29, 2026.
- Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division: Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company rules and fee. docs.sos.ri.gov/documents/BusinessServices/632-limited-liability-company-annual-report.pdf. Updated October 29, 2026.
- R.I. Gen. Laws § 7-16-5 (formation); fee set by § 7-16-65(1). webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE7/7-16/7-16-5.htm. Updated October 29, 2026.