State guides · Rhode Island
How to register (and renew) a charity in Rhode Island
Rhode Island charitable solicitation registration is handled by the Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation, Securities Division, Charitable Organizations. Here is how the filing works, from the state’s own forms and instructions.
- Agency
- Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation, Securities Division, Charitable Organizations
- Forms
- An annual registration that expires one year after approval.
- How you file
- Online through the state’s eLicensing system (since November 3, 2025).
- Who signs
- Two officials, one of them a director or trustee, under penalty of perjury (R.I. Gen. Laws §5-53.1-2(c)).
- What to attach
- The Form 990, an audit at $1 million or more, fundraising contracts, and an officer list.
- State fee
- $90.
- Deadline
- The anniversary of approval.
- Audit or review
- An audit above $1 million (raised from $500,000 on July 1, 2025).
Sources
Researched October 2026 from the agency’s forms, instructions and statutes. Fees and deadlines change; we confirm the current rules each time we file. This page describes how the filing works and is not advice on whether your organization must register.
We can file this for you
We can prepare and file your Rhode Island registration and renewals for $95 a year, plus the state fee at cost. This is covered by the one batch of officer signatures we collect from you each year.