Rhode Island

Foreign registration · Form 150

West Virginia Corporation Foreign Registration in Rhode Island

To do business in Rhode Island, a corporation formed in West Virginia registers there on Form 150, with $319 in state fees. Rhode Island also wants West Virginia's Certificate of Existence ($10). We file it with the Department of State, Business Services Division from your West Virginia records, then serve as your resident agent there for year one.

West Virginia vs Rhode Island: the paperwork

	West Virginia formed here	Rhode Island registering here
Document	West Virginia Certificate of Existence	Form 150, Certificate of Authority
State fee	$10	$319 at order (filing fee $310 plus charges collected at filing)
How it is handled	West Virginia: in about 5 to 10 business days, with 24-hour, 2-hour and 1-hour expedite options	Filed with Rhode Island
Office	West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division	Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division
Official page	sos.wv.gov	docs.sos.ri.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Must be current
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $25, every two years	Annual Report for a Corporation (Form 630), $50, every year
Due	July 1 each year	May 1
Late yearly filing	$50 late fee	$25 late fee
Agent	Your West Virginia agent for service of process	Our Rhode Island resident agent

From West Virginia to Rhode Island, step by step

Order the West Virginia certificate
The Certificate of Existence ($10) is ordered from West Virginia separately; it is not part of our Rhode Island order. Rhode Island wants the West Virginia certificate current, so it is ordered close to the filing date.
We prepare and file Form 150
It names us as your Rhode Island resident agent, with your West Virginia name and formation date and the certificate attached. The West Virginia certificate takes days to arrive, so the Rhode Island filing waits for it. Once Rhode Island approves it, the West Virginia company can do business there.

Rhode Island costs for West Virginia companies

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$319
Certificate of Existence, paid to West Virginia	$10
Our service, with a year of Rhode Island resident agent service	$199
First-year total, West Virginia certificate included	$528

Your West Virginia name and Rhode Island's rules

If Rhode Island's records show it taken, you can use an alternate name for the West Virginia company. Rhode Island can hold a name for 120 days for $50 before you file.

Your Rhode Island agent and the West Virginia one

Rhode Island calls it a resident agent; West Virginia says agent for service of process. Your current agent for service of process stays for West Virginia; ours takes Rhode Island's papers and notices.

Staying in good standing in West Virginia and Rhode Island

West Virginia wants the Annual Report every two years ($25); Rhode Island wants the Annual Report for a Corporation (Form 630) every year ($50). Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, West Virginia to Rhode Island

An LLC formed in West Virginia files Form 450 with Rhode Island ($156 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($10)). After that come West Virginia's Annual Report ($26) and Rhode Island's Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company (Form 632) ($50). See the LLC filing.

Registering a Rhode Island company in West Virginia

A corporation formed in Rhode Island that registers with West Virginia files Form CF-1 with $101 in state fees. See that filing.

Questions West Virginia owners ask about Rhode Island

Does my West Virginia company need to register in Rhode Island?

Yes, once a West Virginia business operates there; Rhode Island law lists 12 activities that do not count on their own.

Is this a certificate of authority?

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

How much does the Rhode Island registration cost?

$518 at checkout plus $10 to West Virginia for the Certificate of Existence, $528 in all (checkout is $319 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need West Virginia's certificate of good standing?

Yes: Rhode Island wants West Virginia's Certificate of Existence ($10), current at filing.

What are the yearly costs for West Virginia and Rhode Island?

Our resident agent renewal ($149 a year), West Virginia's report ($25, every two years) and Rhode Island's report ($50).

Does Rhode Island require a registered agent?

Yes: the West Virginia agent for service of process stays, and ours covers Rhode Island for year one, with a street address there.

Will Rhode Island accept my West Virginia name?

Yes, if no company there has it; if one does, it uses an alternate name there and keeps its West Virginia name at home.

Can I form a new Rhode Island corporation instead?

Yes, but West Virginia keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Rhode Island's Annual Report for a Corporation (Form 630) ($50), and the original keeps West Virginia's Annual Report.

How do I withdraw from Rhode Island later?

West Virginia companies leave by filing a Certificate of Withdrawal; until then, Rhode Island's report stays due alongside West Virginia's filings.

Official sources

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