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How to Change Your Registered Agent in Rhode Island

The form, the fee, and how to file it.

Filing details

Form name
Statement of Change of Agent - Domestic or Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form 642)
Filing fee
$20
Online filing
Yes
Processing time
Rhode Island processes filings within two business days of receipt, however they arrive. No expedited service is published
Filing agency
Rhode Island SOS ↗
Note: Rhode Island charges $20 to file Form 642, Statement of Change of Agent, by mail or in person. Filing online through the Business Services portal adds a $2 access fee, so $22 in total. The statute calls the agent a resident agent; the form and most guidance say registered agent. Mail or bring the form to the Division of Business Services, 148 W. River Street, Providence RI 02904-2615, with a cheque payable to "RI Department of State". If only the office address is changing, file Form 642A instead.
Open online filing portal ↗

How to change your registered agent in Rhode Island

  1. Choose your new registered agent first. Do not file the change form until you have a new agent lined up. The new agent has to consent to the appointment, and most states will not process the change without that consent in hand. If you let coverage lapse, the Rhode Island SOS can administratively dissolve your LLC.

    Two ways to go. Name yourself or someone you know. Nothing to pay beyond the state filing fee above, but your address goes in the public record and somebody has to be there during business hours to accept legal mail.
    Or use a service at $125/year. That keeps your address private and prepares the change form for you. If you are here because your current agent resigned, missed a delivery, or raised its price, this is usually the reason. See what Northwest charges, or compare what the major agents cost first.

  2. Get the Statement of Change of Agent - Domestic or Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form 642). Download the form ↗ You can file this online through the Rhode Island Secretary of State portal. The form requires your LLC name, the new agent name and address, and a signature. The new agent must consent to the appointment.
  3. Pay the $20 filing fee. Pay by credit card during the online filing. A small processing surcharge usually applies. Mail filings accept check or money order; confirm the exact payee on the form before you send it, because it is not the Secretary of State in every state.
  4. Notify your old agent. Once the change is processed, your old agent's responsibility ends. If you are paying them an annual fee, cancel that subscription so it does not auto-renew. Most agents do not refund the unused portion, so time the cancellation against your renewal date.
  5. Verify the change in state records. Search your LLC name on the Rhode Island SOS business search and confirm the new registered agent is listed. Check back after the processing window shown above.

Important to know about Rhode Island

  • A Rhode Island LLC's agent is officially called a "resident agent" in state statute, but "registered agent" is commonly used in practice. Same role, different term.
  • The fee is $20 by mail or in person and $22 online. The extra $2 is an access fee for the online filing system, and you avoid it by filing on paper.
  • There are separate forms for LLCs (Form 642) and corporations (Form 640), and filing the wrong one gets rejected. DO NOT TRY TO TELL THEM APART BY NAME: the agency index labels them Change of Resident Agent and Change of Registered Agent, but both forms print the same heading, "Statement of Change of Agent", both cost $20 and both were revised 03/2026. Match on the form number and the entity line beneath the heading.
  • Rhode Island processes filings within two business days, however they arrive. There is no same-day or expedited service, so filing in person only saves mailing time.

Have a service handle the change for you

Northwest will prepare and file the Statement of Change of Agent - Domestic or Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form 642) for you when you sign up, and it pays the state filing fee. The change is usually filed the same business day.

Get Northwest Registered Agent ↗
$125/year · All 50 states · Privacy included
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$99 first year, then $159/year · Full-service compliance option
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Registered Agents Inc
$200/year · Report filing included, state fees extra
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Choosing a replacement agent? Our full Northwest Registered Agent review and Harbor Compliance review compare pricing, renewals, and service before you file.

Related guides

Sources 6 pages

The official pages behind the figures on this page, with the date we last read each one. How we check.

Fees and costs

Deadlines and processing

Forms and filing

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