Rhode Island

Foreign registration · Form 21

Rhode Island Corporation Foreign Registration in Wisconsin

To do business in Wisconsin, a corporation formed in Rhode Island registers there on Form 21, with $100 in state fees. Wisconsin also asks for Rhode Island's Certificate of Status / Certificate of Good Standing ($22), no older than 60 days. We file it with the Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services from your Rhode Island records, then serve as your registered agent there for year one.

Rhode Island vs Wisconsin: the paperwork

	Rhode Island formed here	Wisconsin registering here
Document	Rhode Island Certificate of Status / Certificate of Good Standing	Form 21, Application for Certificate of Authority
State fee	$22	$100 at order
How it is handled	Rhode Island: online in about two business days, the same day in person, or in 5 to 7 business days by mail	Filed on Wisconsin's paper form
Paid expedite		next-day $100, 4-hour (in person) $250, 1-hour (in person) $500
Office	Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division	Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services
Official page	sos.ri.gov	dfi.wi.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 60 days
Yearly filing	Annual Report for a Corporation (Form 630), $50, every year	Foreign Business Corporation Annual Report, $65, every year
Due	May 1	March 31 each year after qualification
Late yearly filing	$25 late fee	$25 late fee
Agent	Your Rhode Island resident agent	Our Wisconsin registered agent

How Rhode Island companies register with Wisconsin

Order the Rhode Island certificate
The Certificate of Status / Certificate of Good Standing ($22) is ordered from Rhode Island separately; it is not part of our Wisconsin order. It comes as a short form ($22) or a long form ($30). Rhode Island takes days to issue it and Wisconsin wants it within 60 days, so the order is timed for both.
We prepare and file Form 21
It lists us as your Wisconsin registered agent, next to your Rhode Island name and formation date, with the certificate attached. Allow for the days Rhode Island takes to send the certificate before the Wisconsin filing goes in. Once Wisconsin approves it, the Rhode Island company can do business there.

First-year cost, Rhode Island to Wisconsin

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$100
Certificate of Status / Certificate of Good Standing, paid to Rhode Island	$22
Our service, with a year of Wisconsin registered agent service	$199
First-year total, Rhode Island certificate included	$321

Wisconsin's paid expedite is optional and not in the total.

Will your Rhode Island name work for Wisconsin?

We check your exact Rhode Island name against Wisconsin's records before filing.

Agents: Wisconsin and Rhode Island

Wisconsin calls it a registered agent; Rhode Island says resident agent. Wisconsin papers come to us; Rhode Island's agent is unchanged.

Staying in good standing in Rhode Island and Wisconsin

Each year your corporation files Rhode Island's Annual Report for a Corporation (Form 630) ($50) and Wisconsin's Foreign Business Corporation Annual Report ($65). With our $149 registered agent renewal, Rhode Island plus Wisconsin comes to $264 a year. The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, Rhode Island to Wisconsin

An LLC formed in Rhode Island files Form 521 with Wisconsin ($100 in state fees, the same; no home-state certificate is needed). After that come Rhode Island's Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company (Form 632) ($50) and Wisconsin's Annual Report (Form 5 / CORP5) ($80). See the LLC filing.

Registering a Wisconsin company in Rhode Island

A corporation formed in Wisconsin that registers with Rhode Island files Form 150 with $319 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Status ($10). See that filing.

Common questions: Rhode Island to Wisconsin

Does my Rhode Island company need to register in Wisconsin?

Yes, once a Rhode Island business operates there; Wisconsin does not count a one-off deal finished within 30 days.

Is this a certificate of authority?

Yes: Wisconsin issues one to Rhode Island corporations once the form is approved.

How much does the Wisconsin registration cost?

$299 at checkout plus $22 to Rhode Island for the Certificate of Status / Certificate of Good Standing, $321 in all (checkout is $100 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Rhode Island's certificate of good standing?

Yes: Wisconsin wants it ($22), no more than 60 days old at filing.

What are the yearly costs for Rhode Island and Wisconsin?

$264 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $50 to Rhode Island and $65 to Wisconsin for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with Wisconsin?

Wisconsin can charge a Rhode Island company up to $65 for each year or part of a year.

Does Wisconsin require a registered agent?

Yes: the Rhode Island resident agent stays, and ours covers Wisconsin for year one.

Can I form a new Wisconsin corporation instead?

Yes, but Rhode Island keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Wisconsin's Domestic Business Corporation Annual Report ($25), and the original keeps Rhode Island's yearly report.

Official sources

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