All businesses are required by Rhode Island State Law to register their trade name in the Town Clerk’s Office. Forms are available in the office during regular business hours. Applications must be filled out and brought in person to the Tax Collectors Office for approval. The applicant must then obtain a copy of the field card for the property from the Tax Assessor’s Office and get approval from the Zoning Official and Fire Marshall before a license can be issued. The Fire Marshall can be reached at (401) 231-8505 for inspection appointments. The fee for Trade Names Certificates is renewed annually.
Fees are as follows:
Trade Name Certificates – $25.00 Initial Fee ($25.00 renewal fee annually)
Home Occupancy – $125.00 Initial fee ($50.00 renewable fee annually)
For additional information on starting a business in the State of Rhode Island, consult the RI Secretary of State’s Business Information Center on-line or by phone: The Business Information Center is located at 148 W. River Street, Providence, RI 02904-2615, phone: 401-222-2185 Fax: 401-222-3890 E-mail: . Rele Abiade – Director Sherri L. Carrera- Deputy Director
A Guide To Starting A Business In North Providence (.pdf)
The Business Information Center was established to help cut through the red tape and to give you the information needed to get your business started. Since its creation in August of 1995, the Center has helped more than 5,000 Rhode Islanders realize their dream of starting their own businesses. For the first time, information was brought together in a single location, which was previously available, only by contacting numerous federal, state and local agencies. The Center works with individual clients to put together a business-specific package with all the forms and applications needed to launch a business.