A Rhode Island Certificate of Authority (Foreign Non Profit Corp) is an official document that allows a foreign non-profit corporation to conduct business in the state of Rhode Island. This type of certificate must be obtained in order for the foreign non-profit corporation to establish a legal presence in the state, transact business, and maintain a corporate bank account. A foreign non-profit corporation must file an Application for Authority (Form RING) with the Rhode Island Secretary of State in order to obtain a Certificate of Authority. The application must include the name of the corporation, the purpose of the corporation, the address of the corporation’s principal office, and the name and address of the corporation’s registered agent in Rhode Island. Once the application is approved, the corporation will receive a Certificate of Authority. There are two types of Rhode Island Certificate of Authority (Foreign Non Profit Corp): General Authority and Limited Authority. A General Authority Certificate allows the corporation to conduct all activities allowed by law, while a Limited Authority Certificate is more specific and restricts the corporation to conducting only the activities listed in the certificate.