Where to file bankruptcy in Rhode Island

Which Rhode Island court you file in, its divisions and phone, and what happens after you file.

Checked against official sources: October 25, 2026.

Short answer

You file in the federal district where you lived (your domicile) for most of the last 180 days. Rhode Island has one bankruptcy court, in Providence, for the whole state.

Federal bankruptcy courts: 1
Courts: U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Rhode Island

Which court you file in, in Rhode Island

You file in the federal district where you lived (your domicile) for most of the last 180 days. Rhode Island has one bankruptcy court, in Providence, for the whole state.

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1408

U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Rhode Island

Divisions: Providence (one statewide court)

Clerk's phone: (401) 626-3100

Court's self-help page

In nearby states

Massachusetts: U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Massachusetts
Connecticut: U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Connecticut
Vermont: U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Vermont

Steps to file in Rhode Island

Find your district
The court is set by where you lived for most of the past 180 days.
Check local rules
Court websites: U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Rhode Island.
Get your counseling certificate
Take it before you file and keep the certificate. U.S. Trustee list of approved credit counseling agencies.
Fill in the forms
Get the official bankruptcy forms.
Get help
Free help: Rhode Island Free Bankruptcy Legal Clinic (30-minute free consultation with a volunteer attorney, run with the Bankruptcy Court) and Rhode Island Legal Services.

Where to get free help in Rhode Island

Questions about filing in Rhode Island

Which bankruptcy court do I use in Rhode Island?

You file in the federal district where you lived (your domicile) for most of the last 180 days. Rhode Island has one bankruptcy court, in Providence, for the whole state.

What are the Rhode Island means test numbers?

For cases filed on or after April 1, 2026: 1 person: $77,653; 2 people: $98,736; 3 people: $119,419; 4 people: $137,479; Each extra person: +$11,100.

Where can I get free help with bankruptcy in Rhode Island?

Rhode Island Free Bankruptcy Legal Clinic (30-minute free consultation with a volunteer attorney, run with the Bankruptcy Court), Rhode Island Legal Services and Rhode Island Bar Association Volunteer Lawyer Program.

More for Rhode Island

Filing fees

Chapter 7 filing fee. To file Chapter 7 you pay $338 to the court: a $245 filing fee, a $78 administrative fee and a $15 trustee fee. A married couple filing one joint case pays one set of fees.

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1930(a)(1)(A); Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, items 8 and 9 (effective December 1, 2023)

Chapter 13 filing fee. To file Chapter 13 you pay $313 to the court: a $235 filing fee and a $78 administrative fee.

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1930(a)(1)(B); Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, item 8 (effective December 1, 2023)

Paying in installments. If you cannot pay the whole fee at once, you can ask to pay it in installments. File Official Form 103A with your petition. The court decides the plan: no more than 4 payments, all paid within 120 days after you file. For a good reason the court can give you more time, but the last payment must be made within 180 days. Until the fee is paid in full, you may not pay your lawyer or petition preparer.

Law: Fed. R. Bankr. P. 1006(b) (as amended Dec. 1, 2024)

Fee waiver. In Chapter 7 only, the court may waive the fee. You must have income below 150% of the official poverty line for your family size, and you must be unable to pay the fee even in installments. Ask by filing Official Form 103B with your petition. The judge decides.

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1930(f)(1); Fed. R. Bankr. P. 1006(c)

After you file: the meeting

About a month after you file, you must attend the 'meeting of creditors' (341 meeting). The trustee asks you questions under oath about your property and debts. Creditors may come and ask questions. No judge attends. Chapter 7: 21 to 40 days after filing. Chapter 13: 21 to 50 days after filing. Bring photo ID and proof of your Social Security number. If you file jointly, both spouses must attend.

Law: 11 U.S.C. 341, 343; Fed. R. Bankr. P. 2003(a), 4002(b)(1)

The courses you must take

Credit counseling before you file. Before you file, you must take a credit counseling course (a 'briefing') from an agency approved by the U.S. Trustee Program. You must take it within 180 days before you file. It can be in person, by phone or online, alone or in a group. Keep the certificate: you file it with your case. If you skip it, your case can be dismissed.

Law: 11 U.S.C. 109(h), 111

Debtor education after you file. After you file, you must take a second, separate course on personal financial management (debtor education) from an approved provider. In most cases you get no discharge without it. Chapter 7: file the certificate within 60 days after the first date set for the meeting of creditors. Chapter 13: by the date of your last plan payment. Some providers send the certificate to the court for you.

Law: 11 U.S.C. 727(a)(11), 1328(g); Fed. R. Bankr. P. 1007(b)(7), 1007(c)(4)

Where to file bankruptcy in Rhode Island

Short answer

Which court you file in, in Rhode Island

In nearby states

Steps to file in Rhode Island

Find your district

Check local rules

Get your counseling certificate

Fill in the forms

Get help

Where to get free help in Rhode Island

Questions about filing in Rhode Island

More for Rhode Island