How to Change Your Registered Agent in Rhode Island (2026)
To change your registered agent in Rhode Island, file Form 642, the Statement of Change of Agent, with the Department of State. The fee is $20.
You file by mail or in person, and an Authorized Person of your LLC signs the form. The change takes effect the day the state receives it, unless you check the box for a later date.
Quick Summary
- Rhode Island calls this role the resident agent. File Form 642 with the Department of State to change yours.
- Your annual report can't make this change. Form 632 only confirms the agent already on file, not a new one.
- File by mail or in person. The mailing address and the walk-in address differ by the suite number.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Form | Form 642, Statement of Change of Agent (domestic or foreign LLC) |
| Filing fee | $20 flat |
| Statute | R.I. Gen. Laws § 7-16-11 |
| Filing channels | Mail or in person (no online path stated on Form 642 itself) |
| Agent requirement | Rhode Island resident, or a domestic/authorized corporation, LP, or LLC |
| Effective date | Date received, or a later date up to 30 days after filing |
| Mailing address | Division of Business Services, 148 W. River Street, Providence, RI 02904-2615 |
| In-person address | Business Services Division, 148 W. River Street, Ste. 1, Providence, RI 02904 |
| Agency | Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division |
How to Change Your Rhode Island Registered Agent
Rhode Island's LLC Act calls this role the resident agent, not the registered agent [1]. The two mean the same thing in practice. To change yours, submit Form 642 to the Rhode Island Department of State's Business Services Division. The state calls the form the Statement of Change of Agent, and the filing fee is $20.
Only an Authorized Person of the LLC needs to sign the form. Rhode Island law doesn't require the new agent's signature or a separate proof of consent attached to the filing. The change becomes official the day the Department of State accepts the filing, or on a later date you choose, as long as that date falls within 30 days of filing.
One method that doesn't work: the annual report. Rhode Island requires every LLC to file that report each year between February 1 and May 1 [2], but Form 632 only asks you to confirm the resident agent on file is accurate.
It has no field for entering a different one. If your agent has changed, Form 642 is still the only filing that makes it official, whether or not your annual report is also due.
Using a Registered Agent Service to File
A registered agent service can prepare and file Form 642 for you, which is worth considering if your LLC doesn't have anyone with a Rhode Island street address to list. You still pay the $20 state fee, plus whatever the service charges on top of it.
Our change-of-agent overview covers the DIY route across every state, and the national registered agent service roundup ranks providers licensed everywhere. For Rhode Island-specific pricing, see best registered agent services in Rhode Island.
Either way, mail or in person is still how the paperwork actually reaches the Department of State once it's filled out, whether you send it yourself or a service sends it for you.
1. Changing Your Registered Agent by Mail
Filing by mail takes a few steps:
- Download Form 642 and fill it out by hand or by typing into the PDF.
- List your LLC's entity ID number and its resident office address as currently on file.
- List the new resident agent's name and the new resident office address. The address must be a Rhode Island street address, not a P.O. Box.
- Have an Authorized Person of the LLC sign and date the form.
- Mail the completed form with a check payable to RI Department of State to Division of Business Services, 148 W. River Street, Providence, Rhode Island 02904-2615.
2. Changing Your Registered Agent In Person
The in-person process uses the same Form 642, filled out and signed the same way as a mail filing. Bring it to the Business Services Division at 148 W. River Street, Ste. 1, Providence, RI 02904, open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Paying in person is more flexible than mail. Cash, a credit card, or a check all work at the counter, where mail filings accept only a check.
Who Can Be a Rhode Island Resident Agent
Rhode Island's resident agent has one job: accept service of process on the LLC's behalf and pass it along, plus forward the courtesy annual-report reminder the state mails out each year.
Your LLC's resident agent can be an individual who lives in Rhode Island, or it can be a corporation, limited partnership, or LLC that's either formed in Rhode Island or authorized to do business there. Rhode Island law sets no minimum age for the role, and the office on file must sit at a genuine Rhode Island address rather than a post-office box.
An agent can also step down first. To resign, the agent files a signed resignation with the Department of State along with a statement confirming it was sent to the LLC. That resignation takes effect 30 days after filing, unless the agent specifies a later date. Either way, naming the next agent is still on you.
FAQs
Is There a Fee to Change a Rhode Island Registered Agent?
Yes, filing Form 642 with the Rhode Island Department of State costs $20 flat, regardless of filing method.
Can I Change My Registered Agent Through My Annual Report?
No, your annual report can't change your registered agent. Only Form 642 does that, separate from the report.
Can I Be My Own Registered Agent in Rhode Island?
Yes, any Rhode Island resident with a real street address there can serve, including someone who owns or runs the LLC.
Does the New Agent Have to Sign Form 642?
No, the new agent doesn't sign Form 642 at all. An Authorized Person of your LLC signs it instead, so you can file the change without looping the new agent into the paperwork.
What Happens If My Rhode Island Resident Agent Resigns?
Once your Rhode Island resident agent resigns, the clock starts. You have 30 days to name a replacement unless a later date is listed on the resignation.
References:
- https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE7/7-16/7-16-11.HTM
- https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE7/7-16/7-16-66.HTM
