Rhode Island

Foreign registration · Form 635_0010

Rhode Island LLC Foreign Registration in Iowa

An LLC formed in Rhode Island that wants to do business in Iowa files Form 635_0010, with $100 in state fees. Iowa also asks for Rhode Island's Certificate of Status / Certificate of Good Standing ($22), no older than 90 days. We file it with the Secretary of State, Business Services from your Rhode Island records, then serve as your registered agent there for year one.

Rhode Island vs Iowa: the paperwork

	Rhode Island formed here	Iowa registering here
Document	Rhode Island Certificate of Status / Certificate of Good Standing	Form 635_0010, Limited Liability Company Foreign Registration Statement
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 with Iowa
Paid expedite		5-business-day $15, 2-business-day $50
Office	Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division	Iowa Secretary of State, Business Services
Official page	sos.ri.gov	sos.iowa.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 90 days
Yearly filing	Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company (Form 632), $50, every year	Biennial Report, $30, every two years
Due	May 1	April 1 of odd-numbered years
Agent	Your Rhode Island resident agent	Our Iowa registered agent

How Rhode Island companies register with Iowa

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 Iowa order. It comes as a short form ($22) or a long form ($30). Rhode Island takes days to issue it and Iowa wants it within 90 days, so the order is timed for both.
We prepare and file Form 635_0010
It lists us as your Iowa registered agent, next to your Rhode Island name and formation date, with the certificate attached. The Rhode Island certificate takes days to arrive, so the Iowa filing waits for it. After approval, your Rhode Island LLC is registered with Iowa.

Iowa costs for Rhode Island companies

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 Iowa registered agent service	$199
First-year total, Rhode Island certificate included	$321

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

Your Rhode Island name and Iowa's rules

If Iowa's records show it taken, you can use an alternate name for the Rhode Island company. We check your exact Rhode Island name against Iowa's records before filing.

Agents: Iowa and Rhode Island

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

Staying in good standing in Rhode Island and Iowa

Rhode Island wants the Annual Report for a Limited Liability Company (Form 632) every year ($50); Iowa wants the Biennial Report every two years ($30). Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Rhode Island to Iowa

A corporation formed in Rhode Island files Form 635_0110A with Iowa ($100 in state fees, the same). After that come Rhode Island's Annual Report for a Corporation (Form 630) ($50) and Iowa's Biennial Report ($60). See the corporation filing.

Registering an Iowa company in Rhode Island

An LLC formed in Iowa that registers with Rhode Island files Form 450 with $156 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($5) dated within 60 days. See that filing.

Common questions: Rhode Island to Iowa

Does my Rhode Island company need to register in Iowa?

Yes, once a Rhode Island business operates there; Iowa law lists 11 activities that do not count on their own.

How much does it cost to register a Rhode Island LLC in Iowa?

$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: Iowa wants it ($22), no more than 90 days old at filing.

What are the yearly costs for Rhode Island and Iowa?

Our registered agent renewal ($149 a year), Rhode Island's report ($50) and Iowa's report ($30, every two years).

What if I don't register with Iowa?

A Rhode Island company cannot sue in court there until it registers.

Does Iowa require a registered agent?

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

Will Iowa accept my Rhode Island name?

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

Can I form a new Iowa LLC instead?

Yes, but Rhode Island keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Iowa's Biennial Report ($30), and the original keeps Rhode Island's yearly report.

How do I withdraw from Iowa later?

Rhode Island companies leave by filing a Statement of Withdrawal ($10); until then, Iowa's report stays due alongside Rhode Island's filings.

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