Which business structures each therapy license may use, where to file and what it costs, the taxes to expect, and the order to do it in. Every fee shows the date we checked it.
For all four licenses, we confirmed: LLC. A sole proprietorship works in every state and needs no company filing.
From state law and board rules as we last read them, not advice for your situation. “Yes” means we confirmed it. When we could not, the card says to confirm with your board.
Licensing board: Rhode Island Department of Health, Board of Mental Health Counselors and Marriage and Family Therapists
Join the waitlist for your counseling practiceLicensing board: Rhode Island Department of Health, Board of Mental Health Counselors and Marriage and Family Therapists
Join the waitlist for your marriage and family therapy practiceLicensing board: Rhode Island Department of Health, Board of Social Work Examiners
Join the waitlist for your social work practiceBefore you file: For an LLC rendering psychology services, carry the professional liability insurance required by R.I. Gen. Laws 7-16-3.3. For a professional service corporation, have proof of liability insurance (policy declaration page) ready; the Secretary of State requires it at registration.
Licensing board: Rhode Island Department of Health, Board of Psychology
Join the waitlist for your psychology practiceCounselors: Rhode Island's LLC Act gives every LLC the purpose of engaging in any lawful business (R.I. Gen. Laws 7-16-3). The professional-service rules for LLCs (7-16-3.1 to 7-16-3.3) and the Professional Service Corporation Act apply only to the professions listed in 7-5.1-2, and mental health counselors are not on that list, so a professional service corporation is not available and Rhode Island has no separate PLLC. The mental health counselor and marriage and family therapist licensing chapter (R.I. Gen. Laws 5-63.2) and the Department of Health's rules (216-RICR-40-05-11) contain no rule on business form, so an ordinary LLC is the normal choice.
Marriage and family therapists: Rhode Island's LLC Act gives every LLC the purpose of engaging in any lawful business (R.I. Gen. Laws 7-16-3). The professional-service rules for LLCs (7-16-3.1 to 7-16-3.3) and the Professional Service Corporation Act apply only to the professions listed in 7-5.1-2, and marriage and family therapists are not on that list, so a professional service corporation is not available and Rhode Island has no separate PLLC. The mental health counselor and marriage and family therapist licensing chapter (R.I. Gen. Laws 5-63.2) and the Department of Health's rules (216-RICR-40-05-11) contain no rule on business form, so an ordinary LLC is the normal choice.
Social workers: Rhode Island's LLC Act gives every LLC the purpose of engaging in any lawful business (R.I. Gen. Laws 7-16-3). The professional-service rules for LLCs (7-16-3.1 to 7-16-3.3) and the Professional Service Corporation Act apply only to the professions listed in 7-5.1-2, and clinical social workers are not on that list, so a professional service corporation is not available and Rhode Island has no separate PLLC. The social work licensing chapter (R.I. Gen. Laws 5-39.1) and the Department of Health's rules (216-RICR-40-05-7) contain no rule on business form, so an ordinary LLC is the normal choice.
Psychologists: Psychologists are a listed profession (R.I. Gen. Laws 7-5.1-2(2)(xviii)), so a professional service corporation is available (Chapter 7-5.1). An LLC may also render professional services as and to the extent permitted by law or by the rules of the regulatory agency, which for psychologists is the Board of Psychology (7-16-3.1, 7-5.1-2(3)(viii)). The psychology licensing chapter (R.I. Gen. Laws 5-44) and the Board's rules (216-RICR-40-05-15) contain no rule limiting or conditioning practice through an LLC. To keep the members' liability shield, an LLC that performs professional services must carry professional liability insurance of $50,000 per professional employee, at least $100,000 and no more than $500,000 (7-16-3.3), and a member's personal liability equals that of a professional service corporation shareholder (7-16-3.2(c)). Rhode Island has no separate PLLC.
$150 (Secretary of State start-your-business page). If the LLC renders psychology services, it must carry the liability insurance required by R.I. Gen. Laws 7-16-3.3.
$230 (Secretary of State start-your-business page). Online filers upload a scanned proof of liability insurance (policy declaration page). Available to psychologists only among the four license families.
This is an estimate, added up from the fees on this page: the state filing fee, the first annual report or yearly state fee, and any flat minimum tax our data names. It leaves out board application fees, a registered agent company, expedited filing, newspaper notices, name reservations, local licenses and income tax. The state sets the real amounts.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| State filing fee | $150 |
| First annual report or yearly state fee | $50 |
| Estimated state costs in year one | $200 |
Does not include state taxes unless a flat minimum is listed above.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| State filing fee | $230 |
| First annual report or yearly state fee | $50 |
| Minimum corporate taxR.I. Gen. Laws 44-11-2(e). | $400 |
| Estimated state costs in year one | $680 |
Check with the state tax agency which state taxes apply to your business type before you file. Its official pages are linked below.
State tax information More tax information
City and county: Ask your city or county whether a local business license or home occupation permit applies to a practice like yours.
Ask an accountant before you choose how the company is taxed. This page does not tell you which tax treatment to pick.
The order below follows the rules we found for Rhode Island. A board approval or a newspaper notice changes where a task falls, so a different state may order these differently.
Your Rhode Island licensing board can add its own rules to the state's business law. Read them for your license before you file anything.
Boards ask for different things, so follow the one for your license.
Check that no one in the state already has the name, and follow the state's name rules for professional practices.
The state requires a registered agent with a street address in the state. That can be you, if you have a street address in the state, or a registered agent company.
Use the form and fee for the structure you chose, listed above.
It is free. Apply only on irs.gov, after the state approves your filing.
You may already have one. Get a second, organization number only if your practice is a company that bills under its own name.
Bring your state filing, EIN letter and ID. Keeping practice money in its own account keeps your records clean.
Ask your city or county whether a local business license or home occupation permit applies to a practice like yours.
Put your yearly report and any state taxes on your calendar so your company stays in good standing.
SyncedUp builds your fees, paperwork, booking and website from a few answers, then runs the practice with you. We fill in Rhode Island for you. Everything on this page stays free to read.
Join the waitlistRegistration is paused. Joining the waitlist does not create an account or reserve a plan.
Last checked: Oct 18, 2026. We change this date only when someone re-checks the facts, never when the page is rebuilt.
We checked these facts against the official sources listed below, including the state filing office and the licensing boards.
See a mistake? Email us a correction. Please do not include any client or personal information.
