What Rhode Island Department of State does

The Rhode Island Department of State is a state government entity — constitutionally the office of the Secretary of State — that administers business filings, elections, notarial commissions, public records management, the State Archives, the State Library, and civic education programs for Rhode Island residents and businesses. Founded in 1636 with the establishment of Providence by Roger Williams, it operates from four Providence locations and serves all 39 municipalities in the state. Current leadership is Secretary of State Gregg M. Amore, inaugurated in January 2023.

The Department's core product portfolio is delivered primarily through the sos.ri.gov portal and dedicated subdomains (business.sos.ri.gov, vote.sos.ri.gov, lobbytracker.sos.ri.gov, opengov.sos.ri.gov, rules.sos.ri.gov). Key services include the RI Business Assistant (interactive compliance checklist), Address Confidentiality Program (substitute-address mail forwarding for domestic violence victims), Notary Public commissions, Apostilles under the 1961 Hague Convention, Justice of the Peace commissions, One-Day Marriage Officiant certification, the State Archives (10M+ documents dating to 1638), the State Library (Federal Depository Library since 1895), Records Management, the State Records Center (RFID-tracked offsite storage), LobbyTracker, the Rhode Island Code of Regulations, and Building and Fire Code administration. A 2021 digitization initiative, funded by OLIS and IMLS grants, is converting the archives into digital form, with select exhibits distributed via Google Arts & Culture.

As a state government entity, the Department is funded primarily through Rhode Island General Assembly appropriations rather than commercial revenue. Modest fee income is collected from statutory services: $80 for notary public and justice of the peace commissions (four-year terms), $5 per apostille, and $22 online or $25 by mail for one-day marriage officiant certification. Distribution channels include in-person service at the Providence offices, online self-service portals, and mail submission. No private ownership, parent company, or external investors exist; Gregg M. Amore leads a 128-employee organization.

Name

Rhode Island Department of State

Legal name

Rhode Island Department of State

Website

https://sos.ri.gov

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Rhode Island Department of State is a state government entity administering business filings, elections, notarial commissions, the State Archives (10M+ documents since 1638), the State Library, and civic education for Rhode Island residents and businesses, led by Secretary Gregg M. Amore.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Providence

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Notary Public and Justice of the Peace Commissions: The Department collects filing fees for notary public commissions ($80 for new applications and renewals), justice of the peace commissions ($80), and apostille services ($5 per document).
2. One-Day Marriage Officiant Certification: Fees collected for one-day marriage officiant certification applications: $22 online or $25 by mail.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Rhode Island Department of State is a state government department that administers business registration, filings, and licensing for Rhode Island businesses and non-profits, manages election administration, commissions notaries public and justices of the peace, issues apostilles, provides a State Archives with over 10 million historical documents, operates a State Library, and offers civic education and address confidentiality services for victims of domestic violence.

Product overview

The Rhode Island Department of State operates as a unified platform delivering government services across multiple interconnected divisions. The core product portfolio centers on Business Services (RI Business Assistant, Notary Public, Apostilles, Marriage Officiant, Justice of the Peace), Government Records (State Archives, State Library, Records Management, State Records Center), and Regulatory Administration (Rhode Island Code of Regulations, Building/Fire Codes, LobbyTracker). These services are delivered through the sos.ri.gov portal with dedicated divisions for Elections, Open Government, and Civic Education, functioning as an integrated suite rather than standalone products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• RI Business Assistant An interactive online tool for business owners and non-profit members to create customized checklists of legal requirements, licensing applications, estimated costs, laws and regulations, and support resources tailored to their specific business needs.
• Address Confidentiality Program A mail forwarding service that provides a substitute address (Providence PO Box) for domestic violence, stalking, sexual assault, and trafficking victims to keep perpetrators from locating them through public records.
• Notary Public Services Administration of notary public commissions, including applications, renewals, updates, training, and compliance oversight for the state of Rhode Island.
• Apostilles Document legalization service for documents intended for use outside the United States in countries that subscribe to the 1961 Hague Convention, certifying signatures and stamps/seals of RI officials or notaries.
• One-Day Marriage Officiant Certification Program allowing family members or friends to perform civil marriage ceremonies in Rhode Island after completing a certification process and receiving authorization from the Department of State.
• Justice of the Peace Commission Administration of four-year Justice of the Peace commissions, including powers to perform acknowledgements, administer oaths, issue subpoenas, and depose witnesses.
• State Archives Home to over 10 million historical letters, photographs, and documents forming Rhode Island's permanent historical record, including vital records, census records, and government documents dating back to 1638.
• State Library A public legislative library and Federal Depository Library containing state and federal publications, executive orders, public laws, state budget books, and historical records accessible for research.
• Rhode Island Code of Regulations An online uniform code providing access to all proposed and final regulations filed by state agencies, boards, and commissions under the state's Administrative Procedures Act.
• Records Management Oversight of records management functions within state and local government, including guidance on records lifecycle, retention schedules, preservation, and destruction procedures.
• State Records Center Approved offsite storage facility for inactive state agency records, managed by Public Records Administration with RFID barcode tracking, environmental controls, and chain-of-custody procedures.
• LobbyTracker Online portal for registering and filing lobbying reports as part of the Frequent Filers program for government transparency.
• Building and Fire Codes Access to Rhode Island Building Code Rules and Fire Safety Code Rules promulgated by the Building Code Commission and Fire Safety Code Board of Appeal and Review.

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.

• Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic ViolencesupportingOthersResource partner for the Address Confidentiality Program, providing support services and helpline (1.800.494.8100) for domestic violence victims accessing the program.
• Statewide Victims of Crime HelplinesupportingOthers24/7 support and advocacy resource referenced for Address Confidentiality Program participants impacted by crimes of violence.
• Island Office of Library and Information Services (OLIS)Strategic or Co-development PartnerOLIS provides funding for digitization projects including public laws, acts, and resolves, and the Legislator Index project. Funding includes Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) grants.
• Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe State Library participates in the FDLP, collecting approximately 30% of published federal government documents since 1895.
• National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSecretary Amore participates in NASS initiatives including the #TrustedInfo2026 voter education effort and awards programs.
• Rhode Island Semiquincentennial 250 Commission (RI250)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSecretary Amore chairs the RI250 Commission coordinating Rhode Island's celebration of America's 250th anniversary in 2026.
• Rhode Island Historical Records Advisory BoardsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard coordinates and encourages the preservation of and access to historical records in Rhode Island.
• Google Arts & CulturesupportingTechnology or IntegrationState Archives provides virtual exhibits through Google Arts & Culture platform.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• California Secretary of State: Largest U.S. Secretary of State office delivering business filings, elections administration, and archives. Mirrors Rhode Island's mandate at state-government scale.
• Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth: Neighboring New England Secretary of State office providing parallel business filings, elections administration, archives, and notarial commissions. Highly comparable in scope and constituent expectations.
• Florida Department of State: State-level office delivering business registrations, elections oversight, and archival services. Comparable portfolio to Rhode Island's Department of State.
• Texas Secretary of State: Handles business filings, elections administration, and public records comparable to Rhode Island. Operates at much larger scale and offers a benchmark for service delivery.
• New York Department of State: State-level office overseeing business filings, licensing, and records management. Similar portfolio to Rhode Island but at significantly larger scale and complexity.
• Delaware Department of State: Premier U.S. state for business incorporations with Division of Corporations handling very high-volume filings. Same statutory functions as Rhode Island but at vastly greater scale.
• Vermont Secretary of State: Small New England Secretary of State office most comparable in scale and resource constraints to Rhode Island. Provides a benchmark for lean state-government operations.
• Connecticut Secretary of the State: Adjacent state Secretary of State office handling business registration, elections, public records, and notary oversight. Directly comparable in mandate and regional context.
• New Hampshire Department of State: Small-state Secretary of State office offering comparable services (business filings, elections, archives, notary) at a similar scale to Rhode Island.

Others

• National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS): Industry association of which Secretary Amore is an active member. Coordinates multi-state initiatives such as the #TrustedInfo2026 voter education effort and provides peer benchmarking across all 50 SOS offices.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/risecstate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rhode Island Department of State