Skip to content
The Mandate Monitor

RISavers: next employer deadline December 9, 2026

In effectChecked November 7, 2026Run by Rhode Island Office of the General Treasurer

Short answer

Rhode Island’s Secure Choice law, passed in 2024, requires employers with 5 or more employees that don’t offer a qualified retirement plan to join RISavers, the state’s automatic individual retirement account (auto-IRA), or certify an exemption. The program launched in October 2025, and compliance phases in by size: more than 100 eligible employees by October 15, 2026, 51–99 by October 15, 2027, and 5–49 by October 15, 2028. Treasury said in December 2025 that the initial registration window, which closed December 12, 2025, was for program administration and didn’t trigger enforcement. A new-business registration window closes December 9, 2026.

Next date: December 9, 2026: Registration window closes for new businesses notified in 2026 (5+ employees).

Does your payroll handle RISavers? See the free state route and the 1 payroll system with help docs that cover it.

What changed recently

  1. · New law

    Rhode Island amends RISavers: who can enroll at small employers, and which payroll IRAs exempt an employer

    Rhode Island Public Law 2026, chapter 397, effective on passage, changed the RISavers law so that employees of employers with fewer than 5 employees may enroll, where the law previously had those employers enroll. An employer offering any payroll deduction individual retirement account (IRA) that qualifies for favorable federal tax treatment is now exempt, not only one with automatic enrollment.

Every change, newest first

RISavers deadlines

  1. · Retirement mandate

    Registration window closes for new businesses notified in 2026

    5+ employees

  2. · Retirement mandate

    Compliance deadline for businesses with 51–99 eligible employees

  3. · Retirement mandate

    Compliance deadline for businesses with 5–49 eligible employees

Dates already passed (6)
  • : Compliance deadline for businesses with more than 100 eligible employees. (101+ employees)
  • : P.L. 2026, ch. 397 takes effect: employees of employers with fewer than 5 employees may enroll (the law previously had those employers enroll), and an employer offering any payroll deduction individual retirement account (IRA) that qualifies for favorable federal tax treatment is exempt, not only one with automatic enrollment.
  • : Initial registration window closed: employers were to give employees program information and send employee details to the administrator. Treasury says this window is administrative and doesn’t trigger enforcement. (5+ employees)
  • : RISavers launched; employers were notified in November 2025 and an initial registration window opened.
  • : RISavers program rule (120-RICR-00-00-6) takes effect.
  • : Rhode Island Secure Choice Retirement Savings Program Act takes effect (P.L. 2024, ch. 350 and 351).

What employers have to do

  1. Use the Access Code from your RISavers notice to register or certify an exemption.
  2. Give employees the program information and send each eligible employee’s details within 30 days after your registration date, or after a new hire’s 120th day.
  3. After employees’ 30-day opt-out window, start payroll deductions and send contributions every pay period for those who stay in.
  4. Keep employee information current, and tell the program within 30 days if you stop being an eligible employer (for example, because you adopt your own plan).
  5. Don’t contribute or match, and don’t advise employees on investments or contribution rates. Employers have no fiduciary role.

Handling RISavers in payroll

The free route: register directly with the state

You can register and report on your own through Rhode Island Office of the General Treasurer. You’ll still need your payroll to send the employee contributions each pay period.

Payroll systems with a help document covering RISavers

SystemWhat the documentation saysLink
GustoGusto’s auto-IRA help article lists RISavers among the state programs that integrate with Gusto through Vestwell, which adds a "Vestwell State IRA" deduction to payroll. Read their help doc, Nov 8, 2026See plans for Gusto

Listed alphabetically. We may earn a commission from these links; it never decides who’s listed.

How RISavers works

Default is 5% of pay into a Roth individual retirement account (IRA), rising by 1% each January 1 after enrollment until it reaches 10%. Employees can opt out of the increases, choose a different increase or a rate of 1% or more, or opt out entirely.

Free for employers. Employer contributions are prohibited.

Questions employers ask

Who has to follow RISavers?

Rhode Island private employers (for-profit or nonprofit) with 5 or more employees that don’t offer a qualified retirement plan. Headcount is the average number of eligible employees in the previous calendar year as reported to the Department of Labor and Training on Form TX-17. Eligible employees are 18 or older and have worked for the employer at least 120 days. The law sets no minimum years in business. Employees of employers with fewer than 5 employees may elect to participate. Those employers must give employees the program’s information packet and, if an employee elects to participate, facilitate that employee’s participation (120-RICR-00-00-6, § 6.8).

How do employers get an exemption from RISavers?

Employers that offer a defined benefit, 401(k), 403(b), 457(b), Simplified Employee Pension (SEP) or SIMPLE plan, or a payroll deduction individual retirement account (IRA), that qualifies for favorable federal tax treatment are exempt. If you get a RISavers notice, certify the exemption online with your Access Code and Employer Identification Number (EIN). If you offer a plan and never get a notice, you don’t have to tell the program.

What happens if an employer doesn’t comply?

Under R.I. Gen. Laws § 35-23-15, the General Treasurer first sends a notice of noncompliance. An eligible employer that, without good cause, still doesn’t let its eligible employees participate within 30 days of a notice of penalty is subject to a penalty of $250 per eligible employee. Treasury says no compliance action starts before each size group’s deadline (October 15 of 2026, 2027 or 2028).

Everything employers in Rhode Island must do ·Retirement mandates in every state

Sources

  1. R.I. Gen. Laws ch. 35-23 (§§ 35-23-1 to 35-23-19), as amended by P.L. 2026, ch. 397; 120-RICR-00-00-6
  2. Employer program details and registration window, RISavers (Rhode Island Office of the General Treasurer) (read Nov 8, 2026)
  3. Important Information Regarding RISavers Program (Treasury memo, December 2, 2025), Rhode Island Office of the General Treasurer (read Nov 8, 2026)
  4. 120-RICR-00-00-6, Rules and Regulations Pertaining to the RISavers Retirement Savings Program, Rhode Island Department of State (read Nov 8, 2026)
  5. R.I. Gen. Laws § 35-23-2, Definitions, State of Rhode Island General Assembly (read Nov 7, 2026)
  6. R.I. Gen. Laws § 35-23-9, Employer participation, State of Rhode Island General Assembly (read Nov 8, 2026)
  7. P.L. 2026, ch. 397 (2026-S 3086), enacted June 23, 2026, effective on passage, State of Rhode Island General Assembly (read Nov 8, 2026)
  8. R.I. Gen. Laws § 35-23-15, Penalties, State of Rhode Island General Assembly (read Nov 7, 2026)
  9. RISavers Program Description (September 2025), RISavers / Vestwell (read Nov 7, 2026)
  10. RISavers employer fact sheet, RISavers (read Nov 7, 2026)
  11. Comptroller Scanlon joins Treasurer Diossa to launch RISavers (October 21, 2025), Connecticut Office of the State Comptroller (read Nov 7, 2026)
  12. Treasurer’s testimony on 2026-S 3086 (technical amendments), May 26, 2026, Rhode Island Office of the General Treasurer (via RI General Assembly) (read Nov 7, 2026)