Rhode Island business entity search

How the Rhode Island business search works

The Corporate Database runs on the state's business portal. It is free and needs no login. You can search by entity name, an individual's name, identification number, filing number, agent's name, business address, purpose or NAICS code.

Entity name searches offer four match options: begins with, exact match, full text and Soundex. Agent searches offer only begins with and contains. Active and inactive status buttons narrow the results.

Three details change what a search returns. Punctuation is ignored, and so is a leading "The." St. and Saint are not treated as the same word, so the state says to search both spellings. An exact match does not ignore entity endings or punctuation.

The state calls a preliminary search not binding. It does not settle availability, because the final decision is made when the filing arrives. Each week the Department of State publishes an export of new entities as tab-delimited text files, covering the previous week's filings. The steps for checking whether a business name is taken apply here too.

What makes a Rhode Island business name different

A name is refused when it is identical to a name on file, or when it is not distinguishable from one. The Department of State checks both the active Corporate Database and the active Trade Name Database.

A different entity ending does not make a name different. The state's own example is Acme Enterprises, Inc. set against Acme Enterprises, LLC, which the rule treats as the same name. Punctuation, capital letters, spacing, abbreviations and misspellings do not make a name different either.

The guide on two businesses sharing a name explains how similar names are judged in general.

Trade names in Rhode Island

A trade name is filed with the Department of State and limited to one municipality. The trade name search can cover one of the state's 39 municipalities at a time, and it returns active and inactive trade names.

Registering a new trade name costs $20. A trade name may not include a corporate ending such as LLC or Co., and it must be different from its holder's legal name. An entity that wants an alternate name files a Fictitious Business Name Statement instead.

Reserving a name and the costs after formation

The Reservation of Entity Name costs $50 and holds the name for 120 days. The guide notes that it holds the name you wish to protect for that period.

Forming an LLC by Articles of Organization costs $150, according to the state's start-up page. After formation, the annual report costs $50 and is due each year between February 1 and May 1. An LLC not taxed as a corporation also owes a minimum corporate fee of $400 to the Division of Taxation. The filing guide adds that the fee is not tied to income.

The LLC cost calculator lets you total these figures for a planned LLC.

Checking and claiming a name in Rhode Island

1. Search the Corporate Database for the name with begins with and full text. If the name contains St. or Saint, search both spellings.
2. Select only the active status, because the state says not to use its inactive database for availability checks.
3. Search the Trade Name Database for the same name in the municipality where a trade name would be used.
4. Confirm the name carries one of Rhode Island's LLC endings, then file the $50 reservation if you need the 120 days.
5. File the Articles of Organization for $150.