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How to File a DBA in Rhode Island

In Rhode Island a corporation or LLC files a Fictitious Business Name Statement, and a sole proprietor files a trade name, with the Department of State. Attorney review available.

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Introduction

A Rhode Island DBA costs a corporation or LLC $50 and a sole proprietor $20, and either way it is a registration that lets a person or business use a name different from its legal name without creating a separate legal entity. Rhode Island splits the filing by who you are, and both filings are made at the state level. A corporation, LLC, or non-profit corporation files a Fictitious Business Name Statement with the Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division (R.I. Gen. Laws 7-1.2-402); the business corporation form (Form 624A) states a $50 filing fee. A sole proprietor or general partnership instead files a trade name certificate with the Department of State (R.I. Gen. Laws 6-1-1), and that filing costs $20 (R.I. Gen. Laws 6-1-2). Rhode Island now handles both filings through the Department of State rather than at a city or town clerk. Filing a DBA does not create a corporation or an LLC, does not shield the owner from liability, and does not give a trademark or an exclusive right to the name. Rhode Island does not require you to publish a DBA notice in a newspaper for either filing. A corporate Fictitious Business Name Statement stays in effect until the corporation files a statement of abandonment or dissolves (R.I. Gen. Laws 7-1.2-402), while a trade name must be renewed each year (R.I. Gen. Laws 6-1-7). DocDraft builds your Rhode Island fictitious business name or trade name filing from your facts, with attorney review available before you file.

Key Things to Know

  1. 1

    A Rhode Island DBA costs $50 for a corporation or LLC and $20 for a sole proprietor, and in every case it is a registration that lets you use a business name different from your legal name. It creates no separate legal entity and gives no liability protection.

  2. 2

    The filing is split by filer type. A corporation, LLC, or non-profit corporation files a Fictitious Business Name Statement with the Rhode Island Department of State (R.I. Gen. Laws 7-1.2-402); a sole proprietor or general partnership files a trade name with the Department of State (R.I. Gen. Laws 6-1-1).

  3. 3

    Rhode Island handles both filings at the state level, through the Department of State Business Services Division, rather than at a city or town clerk.

  4. 4

    Fees differ by filer. The business corporation Fictitious Business Name Statement (Form 624A) costs $50, and a trade name for a sole proprietor or partnership costs $20 (R.I. Gen. Laws 6-1-2).

  5. 5

    Rhode Island does not require you to publish a notice of your DBA in a newspaper for either the entity filing or the trade name filing.

  6. 6

    Renewal depends on the filing. A corporate Fictitious Business Name Statement stays in effect until the corporation files a statement of abandonment or dissolves (R.I. Gen. Laws 7-1.2-402); a trade name must be renewed each year (R.I. Gen. Laws 6-1-7).

  7. 7

    A Rhode Island DBA gives no ownership of or exclusive right to the name and does not limit your liability. A sole proprietor with a trade name is still personally responsible for the business.

Key decisions before you file

Before you file a DBA (Doing Business As) in Rhode Island, a few decisions shape the document: which option to choose and what each one means. The DBA (Doing Business As) guide walks through them.

Open the DBA (Doing Business As) guide

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RHODE ISLAND DBA FILING (FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME OR TRADE NAME) (Filed with the Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division)

This statement registers a name under which the registrant named below will conduct business in Rhode Island. Rhode Island splits the filing by filer type, and both filings are made with the Department of State, not with a city or town clerk. A corporation, LLC, or non-profit corporation files a Fictitious Business Name Statement under R.I. Gen. Laws section 7-1.2-402. A sole proprietor or general partnership files a trade name certificate under R.I. Gen. Laws chapter 6-1.

  1. Assumed Name. The name being registered is [ASSUMED NAME]. The name must be distinguishable from names already on file, and it must not use a word such as Corporation, Incorporated, LLC, or Limited unless the registrant is in fact that type of entity.

  2. Filer Type. The registrant is [a sole proprietor / a general partnership / a business corporation / a limited liability company / a non-profit corporation]. A sole proprietor or general partnership files a trade name; a corporation, LLC, or non-profit corporation files a Fictitious Business Name Statement.

  3. Registrant. The full legal name of the registrant is [REGISTRANT LEGAL NAME]. For an entity, list the entity ID number and the state or country of organization: [ENTITY ID AND JURISDICTION].

  4. Owners. Each owner who will use the name is [NAME AND ADDRESS OF EACH OWNER, OR STATE NONE]. For a general partnership, every partner is listed.

  5. Address. The principal business address in Rhode Island is [STREET ADDRESS, CITY, RI ZIP]. For an entity, the registered office address on file with the Department of State is [REGISTERED OFFICE ADDRESS].

  6. Nature of Business. The general type of business conducted under the name is [DESCRIBE THE BUSINESS].

  7. Filing and Fee. The registrant files with the Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division. The business corporation Fictitious Business Name Statement (Form 624A) states a filing fee of $50. A trade name for a sole proprietor or general partnership costs $20 (R.I. Gen. Laws 6-1-2). Rhode Island has no statewide newspaper publication requirement for either filing.

  8. Renewal. A corporate Fictitious Business Name Statement stays in effect until a statement of abandonment is filed or the corporation dissolves (R.I. Gen. Laws 7-1.2-402). A trade name must be renewed each year (R.I. Gen. Laws 6-1-7).

  9. Declaration. The registrant declares that the information in this statement is true. An authorized officer signs for a corporation, LLC, or non-profit corporation; the owner or a partner signs for a sole proprietor or general partnership. Filing does not create a separate legal entity, does not grant any exclusive right or trademark in the name, and does not limit the personal liability of a sole proprietor or general partner.

Dated: ____________

[REGISTRANT SIGNATURE] [PRINTED NAME AND TITLE]

Note: This Rhode Island filing follows R.I. Gen. Laws section 7-1.2-402 for corporations, LLCs, and non-profit corporations and R.I. Gen. Laws chapter 6-1 for sole proprietors and general partnerships. The Department of State sets the forms and fees, and there is no newspaper publication requirement. For other states and the generic template, see the DBA (Doing Business As) hub.

Rhode Island Requirements for DBA (Doing Business As)

File With the Department of State

In Rhode Island a DBA is filed with the Department of State, Business Services Division, not with a city or town clerk. Both the entity fictitious business name statement and the trade name filing are made at the state level.

Split by Filer Type

A corporation, LLC, or non-profit corporation files a Fictitious Business Name Statement under R.I. Gen. Laws 7-1.2-402. A sole proprietor or general partnership files a trade name under R.I. Gen. Laws 6-1-1. Confirm which filing applies to you.

The Fees Differ

The business corporation Fictitious Business Name Statement (Form 624A) states a fee of 50 dollars. A trade name for a sole proprietor or general partnership costs 20 dollars (R.I. Gen. Laws 6-1-2). Confirm the current fee with the Department of State.

The Assumed Name

The exact name to register. It must be distinguishable from names already on file, and it must not include a word such as Corporation, Incorporated, LLC, or Limited unless the registrant is that type of entity.

Registrant and Owners

The full legal name of the registrant and, for an entity, the entity ID number and jurisdiction of organization. For a general partnership, every partner is listed as an owner of the trade name.

No Newspaper Publication

Rhode Island does not require newspaper publication for either the entity Fictitious Business Name Statement or the trade name filing. You do not need to run a legal notice.

Renewal Rules

A corporate Fictitious Business Name Statement stays in effect until a statement of abandonment is filed or the corporation dissolves (R.I. Gen. Laws 7-1.2-402). A trade name must be renewed each year (R.I. Gen. Laws 6-1-7).

No Entity, No Trademark, No Liability Shield

A Rhode Island DBA is only a name registration. It creates no separate legal entity, gives no exclusive right or trademark in the name, and does not limit the personal liability of a sole proprietor or general partner.

Frequently Asked Questions

In Rhode Island a DBA is a public filing that lets a person or company do business under a name different from its legal name. A corporation, LLC, or non-profit corporation files a Fictitious Business Name Statement with the Department of State (R.I. Gen. Laws 7-1.2-402), and a sole proprietor or general partnership files a trade name with the Department of State (R.I. Gen. Laws 6-1-1). It connects the name to you on the public record. It does not create a separate legal entity, protect the name, or limit your liability.

In Rhode Island a DBA is only a name registration; it creates no new entity and gives no liability protection. An LLC is a separate legal entity you form by filing Articles of Organization with the Rhode Island Department of State, and it shields the owners personal assets. You can have both, since an existing LLC can file a Fictitious Business Name Statement to run a brand under another name. Choose based on whether you need liability protection or just a name.

Both filings go to the Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division, not a city or town clerk. A corporation, LLC, or non-profit corporation files a Fictitious Business Name Statement; the business corporation form (Form 624A) states a $50 filing fee (R.I. Gen. Laws 7-1.2-402). A sole proprietor or general partnership files a trade name certificate for $20 (R.I. Gen. Laws 6-1-1 and 6-1-2).

No. Rhode Island does not require newspaper publication for either a Fictitious Business Name Statement filed by a corporation, LLC, or non-profit corporation, or a trade name filed by a sole proprietor or general partnership. You file the statement or certificate with the Department of State and do not need to run a legal notice. Some other states require publication, but Rhode Island does not.

It depends on which filing you make. A corporate Fictitious Business Name Statement stays in effect until the corporation files a statement of abandonment or the corporation dissolves, so it has no fixed term (R.I. Gen. Laws 7-1.2-402). A trade name filed by a sole proprietor or general partnership must be renewed each year, because the Department of State requires annual renewal of trade names (R.I. Gen. Laws 6-1-7).

You generally need a Rhode Island DBA if you regularly do business under a name that is not your own legal name or your entity registered name. A sole proprietor or general partnership using an assumed name files a trade name with the Department of State (R.I. Gen. Laws 6-1-1). A corporation, LLC, or non-profit corporation using a name other than its registered name files a Fictitious Business Name Statement (R.I. Gen. Laws 7-1.2-402). Filing puts the name on the public record.

No. A Rhode Island DBA is a public record connecting a name to the person or entity using it, but it gives no ownership of or exclusive right to the name, so another business could use a similar name. It also creates no separate legal entity, so a sole proprietor filing a trade name remains personally liable for the business. For exclusive name rights you would seek a trademark, and for liability protection you would form an LLC or corporation.

Yes. A Rhode Island trade name filed by a general partnership lists each partner who owns the business and will use the name, and all listed owners are part of the filing. For a corporation, LLC, or non-profit corporation, the Fictitious Business Name Statement is filed by the entity itself and signed by an authorized officer, so the entity, not individual owners, holds the assumed name. The Department of State records the filing under the name used.