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Rhode Island LLC Operating Agreement Template

Not required by statute. The operating agreement may be written or oral (§ 7-16-2(23)), but some defaults change only through a written agreement (§§ 7-16-14, 7-16-29). Fill in the form to build a Rhode Island operating agreement for a single-member or multi-member LLC, governed by the Rhode Island Limited Liability Company Act. Download it as PDF or Word and keep the signed copy with the company records; it is not filed with the state.

This template is a starting point, not legal advice, and Jupid is not a law firm. LLC law differs by state, and Rhode Island courts apply Rhode Island law. Have an attorney licensed in your state review the agreement before every member signs, especially if members contribute property, receive unequal rights, or plan to bring in investors.

Your LLC

Company

Governed by the Rhode Island Limited Liability Company Act. Not required by statute, but strongly recommended. Rhode Island rules

Owners

Member

Management

Match what your Articles of Organization says, if it states the management structure.

Taxes

Succession

Lets the LLC continue without a gap in ownership. Coordinate with your will or trust.

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Operating Agreement of Blue Harbor Studio LLC

A Rhode Island single-member, member-managed limited liability company

This Operating Agreement (this "Agreement") of Blue Harbor Studio LLC (the "Company") is made effective as of March 2, 2026 (the "Effective Date") by its sole member listed in Schedule A (the "Member").

Article 1. Formation

1.1 Formation. Blue Harbor Studio LLC (the "Company") was formed as a Rhode Island limited liability company on March 2, 2026 by filing its Articles of Organization with the Rhode Island Secretary of State. The Rhode Island Limited Liability Company Act (the "Act") and this Agreement govern the Company. Where this Agreement differs from a default rule of the Act, this Agreement controls to the extent the Act allows.

1.2 Purpose. The purpose of the Company is graphic design, branding and marketing services, and any other lawful business for which a limited liability company may be formed under the Act.

1.3 Principal Office. The Company's principal office is at 1200 Main Street, Suite 300, Providence, RI, or at another place the Member chooses.

1.4 Registered Agent. The Company's registered agent and registered office in Rhode Island are those stated in its most recent filing with the Rhode Island Secretary of State.

1.5 Term. The Company continues until it is dissolved and its affairs are wound up under Article 10.

Article 2. Sole Member and Capital

2.1 Sole Member. Alex Rivera (the "Member") is the sole member of the Company and owns 100% of the membership interests. The Member's address and Capital Contribution are listed in Schedule A.

2.2 Capital Contribution. The Member has contributed or will contribute the money, property or services stated in Schedule A. The Member is not required to make any additional contribution but may do so at any time.

2.3 No Interest on Capital. The Member earns no interest on its Capital Contributions. A loan from the Member to the Company is not a Capital Contribution.

Article 3. Allocations and Distributions

3.1 Profits and Losses. All profits and losses of the Company are allocated to the Member.

3.2 Distributions. The Member decides when the Company makes distributions and in what amounts.

3.3 Limits on Distributions. The Company will not make a distribution if, after the distribution, the Company could not pay its debts as they become due in the ordinary course of business, its total liabilities would exceed its total assets, or the distribution would otherwise violate the Act.

Article 4. Tax Classification

4.1 Classification. The Company has one Member. Under Treasury Regulations Section 301.7701-3(b)(1)(ii), it is disregarded as an entity separate from its owner for federal income tax purposes unless the Member elects otherwise by filing IRS Form 8832 or Form 2553. Being disregarded for income tax purposes does not change the Company's separate legal existence or the Member's limited liability under the Act.

Article 5. Management

5.1 Management by the Member. The Company is member-managed. The Member has full authority to run the business, sign contracts, open accounts and take any other action for the Company. The Member may act by signing a written consent and is not required to hold meetings.

5.2 Officers and Agents. The Member may appoint officers or agents, give them titles and delegate authority to them in writing.

Article 6. Transfers and Additional Members

6.1 Transfers. The Member may transfer all or part of its membership interest. A person who receives the Member's entire interest is admitted as a member when the transfer takes effect.

6.2 Additional Members. The Member may admit additional members by written consent. When a second member is admitted, the members will sign an amended operating agreement that covers voting, distributions and transfers. Once the Company has two or more members, it is classified as a partnership for federal income tax purposes unless it has elected to be taxed as a corporation.

Article 7. Death or Incapacity of the Member

7.1 Successor on Death. On the Member's death, the person who inherits the Member's interest under the Member's will or trust or under the laws of intestacy succeeds to the Member's entire interest and is admitted as the member effective as of the date of death, so that the Company continues without dissolution. Until the successor is admitted, the Member's personal representative may exercise all of the Member's rights to manage the Company.

7.2 Incapacity. If the Member becomes unable to manage the Company because of a physical or mental condition, the Member's agent under a durable power of attorney, or a court-appointed guardian or conservator, may exercise the Member's management rights until the Member can act again.

Article 8. Books, Records, Bank Accounts and Separateness

8.1 Books and Fiscal Year. The Company keeps complete and accurate books of account. Its fiscal year is the calendar year unless tax law requires otherwise, and its books are kept on the cash or accrual method the Member chooses for its tax returns.

8.2 Records. The Company keeps the records required by R.I. Gen. Laws § 7-16-22, at the location that section requires, including a copy of its Articles of Organization and all amendments, this Agreement and all amendments, a current list of its Member with addresses, Capital Contributions, and its federal, state and local tax returns and financial statements for at least the three most recent years.

8.3 Bank Accounts. All Company money is deposited in accounts in the Company's name and used only for Company purposes. Company funds are never mixed with the personal funds of the Member. The Member, and anyone they authorize in writing, may sign on Company accounts.

8.4 Separate Existence. The Company holds itself out as a legal entity separate from the Member. It signs contracts in its own name, pays its debts from its own funds, keeps its own books and accounts, and does not pay the personal expenses of the Member. These practices help preserve the limited liability the Act gives to the Member.

Article 9. Limited Liability, Exculpation and Indemnification

9.1 Limited Liability. To the fullest extent the Act allows, no Member or officer is personally liable for any debt, obligation or liability of the Company, whether arising in contract, tort or otherwise, solely because of that role. A failure of the Company to observe formalities is not a ground for imposing personal liability on the Member.

9.2 Exculpation. No Member or officer is liable to the Company for any act or omission in good faith on behalf of the Company, except for gross negligence, willful misconduct, a knowing violation of law, a transaction from which the person received an improper personal benefit, or a breach of this Agreement.

9.3 Indemnification. To the fullest extent the Act allows, the Company will indemnify and hold harmless the Member and each officer against losses, judgments, settlements and reasonable legal fees arising from claims related to the Company's business, except for conduct listed as an exception in Section 9.2. The Company may advance legal fees if the person agrees in writing to repay them if it is later determined that the person was not entitled to indemnification.

9.4 Insurance. The Company may buy insurance on behalf of any person it may indemnify.

Article 10. Dissolution and Winding Up

10.1 Events of Dissolution. The Company dissolves only on:

  1. the Member's written decision to dissolve;
  2. the sale of all or substantially all of its assets, after the sale proceeds are collected;
  3. the Company having no member, if no successor is admitted under Article 7 and the Company is not otherwise continued as the Act permits;
  4. entry of a court order of dissolution; or
  5. any other event that requires dissolution under the Act.

10.2 Winding Up. On dissolution, the Member will wind up the Company's affairs, sell or distribute its assets, and file the dissolution or cancellation documents the Rhode Island Secretary of State requires.

10.3 Order of Payment. Company assets are applied in this order: first, to creditors, including the Member if it is a creditor, in satisfaction of the Company's debts; second, to reasonable reserves for contingent liabilities; and third, to the Member.

Article 11. General Provisions

11.1 Governing Law. This Agreement is governed by the laws of the State of Rhode Island, including the Rhode Island Limited Liability Company Act (R.I. Gen. Laws § 7-16-1 et seq.).

11.2 Entire Agreement. This Agreement, including its schedules, is the entire agreement of the Member about the Company and replaces any earlier oral or written agreement on the same subject.

11.3 Amendments. This Agreement may be amended only by a writing signed by the Member.

11.4 Severability. If any provision of this Agreement is held invalid or unenforceable, the rest of the Agreement stays in effect, and the provision is enforced to the greatest extent allowed.

11.5 Binding Effect; No Third-Party Beneficiaries. This Agreement binds and benefits the Member and its permitted successors and assigns. No creditor or other third party may enforce it.

Signatures

The Member signs this Agreement effective as of the Effective Date.

Member: Alex Rivera

Date: ________________

Schedule A: Member

MemberAddressCapital contributionPercentage interest
Alex Rivera48 Oak Lane, Providence, RI$5,000 (Cash)100%
Total$5,000100%

Template from jupid.com. Not legal advice; Rhode Island law varies, so have an attorney review this document before signing.

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Rhode Island Operating Agreement Facts

LLC statute

Rhode Island Limited Liability Company Act (R.I. Gen. Laws § 7-16-1 et seq.)

Required?

Not required by statute. The operating agreement may be written or oral (§ 7-16-2(23)), but some defaults change only through a written agreement (§§ 7-16-14, 7-16-29).

Filed with the state?

No. You file the Articles of Organization with the Rhode Island Secretary of State; the operating agreement stays with the company records.

What the statute calls it

operating agreement

Records rule

Keep a copy of any written operating agreement at the principal office, with member lists, capital value records and five years of tax returns and financial statements (R.I. Gen. Laws § 7-16-22(a)).

Annual or biennial report

Annual Report (Form 632), $50, due February 1 to May 1 each year.

Series LLCs

Not authorized (no series provisions in chapter 7-16)

Community property state

No.

State entity tax

Annual charge to the Division of Taxation equal to the corporate minimum tax, currently $400, for an LLC not taxed as a corporation (R.I. Gen. Laws § 7-16-67(c)(2)).

Rhode Island law on operating agreements

The Rhode Island Limited Liability Company Act (R.I. Gen. Laws § 7-16-1 et seq.) does not require an operating agreement. It defines one as "any agreement, written or oral, of the members as to the affairs of a limited liability company and the conduct of its business," including a document adopted by a sole member (§ 7-16-2(23)). Some defaults, though, change only in writing: management by managers must appear in the articles or a written operating agreement (§ 7-16-14), and a payout to a withdrawing member must be provided "in writing in an operating agreement" (§ 7-16-29).

The Department of State describes the operating agreement as an internal document and says such records are not filed with it or open to public inspection under normal circumstances. The LLC must keep a copy of any written operating agreement at its principal office, along with member lists and five years of tax returns and financial statements (§ 7-16-22(a)).

Rhode Island defaults built on capital value

Members manage the company unless the articles of organization or a written operating agreement provide for managers (§ 7-16-14). Members vote in proportion to the capital value of their unassigned membership interests (§ 7-16-21(a)). A majority of capital values must approve dissolution, a sale of all or substantially all assets, a merger, a conflict of interest transaction with a manager, and any amendment to the articles or the operating agreement (§ 7-16-21(b)). Distributions are allocated to each member on the basis of capital value (§ 7-16-27).

A withdrawing member has no right to a distribution because of the withdrawal unless a written operating agreement provides one. The member keeps only an assignee's right to distributions while the business continues and at winding up, less any damages if the withdrawal violated the agreement (§ 7-16-29). An assignee receives only the distributions the assignor would have received and cannot manage, and a member who assigns the whole interest stops being a member (§ 7-16-35(a)).

Rhode Island filings and the annual charge

Each LLC files an annual report (Form 632) with the Department of State between February 1 and May 1; the fee is $50. Separately, an LLC not treated as a corporation for federal tax purposes pays an annual charge to the Division of Taxation equal to the corporate minimum tax, currently $400 (§ 7-16-67(c)(2)). The Act has no series LLC provisions, and Rhode Island is not a community property state. Check the current statute before relying on a default rule.

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