<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2017-12-11</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001220754</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>PROVIDENCE SERVICE CORP</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>PRSC</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001409751</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Coliseum Capital Management, LLC</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>105 ROWAYTON AVE.</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>ROWAYTON</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>CT</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>06853</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001430708</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Shackelton Christopher S</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>105 ROWAYTON AVE.</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>ROWAYTON</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>CT</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>06853</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001409585</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Coliseum Capital, LLC</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>105 ROWAYTON AVE.</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>ROWAYTON</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>CT</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>06853</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001356974</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>COLISEUM CAPITAL PARTNERS, L.P.</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>105 ROWAYTON AVE.</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>ROWAYTON</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>CT</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>06853</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001567187</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Coliseum Capital Partners II, L.P.</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>105 ROWAYTON AVE.</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>ROWAYTON</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>CT</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>06853</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001454123</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Gray Adam</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>105 ROWAYTON AVE.</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>ROWAYTON</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>CT</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>06853</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001572285</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Coliseum Capital Co-Invest, L.P.</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>105 ROWAYTON AVE.</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>ROWAYTON</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>CT</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>06853</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2017-12-11</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate></deemedExecutionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>314605</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>56.07</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>1653755</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>See Footnote</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">The Issuer's common stock (the &quot;Common Stock&quot;) is held directly by (a) Coliseum Capital Partners, L.P. (&quot;CCP&quot;), an investment limited partnership of which Coliseum Capital, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (&quot;CC&quot;) is general partner and for which Coliseum Capital Management, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (&quot;CCM&quot;), serves as investment adviser, (b) Coliseum Capital Partners II, L.P. (&quot;CCP2&quot; and, together with CCP, the &quot;Funds&quot;), an investment limited partnership of which CC is general partner and for which CCM serves as investment adviser, and (c) a separate account investment advisory client of CCM (the &quot;Separate Account&quot;).</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Christopher Shackelton (&quot;Shackelton&quot;) and Adam Gray (&quot;Gray&quot;) are managers of and have an ownership interest in each of CCM and CC and may be deemed to have an indirect pecuniary interest in the shares held by the Funds and the Separate Account due to CCM's right to receive performance-related fees from the Separate Account and CC's right to receive performance-related fees from the Funds. Each of Shackelton, Gray, CCP, CCP2, the Separate Account, CC, CCM and Coliseum Capital Co-Invest, L.P. (&quot;CCC&quot;) disclaims beneficial ownership of these securities except to the extent of that person's pecuniary interest therein.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">Following the transactions reported herein, CCP, CCP2, the Separate Account and CCC directly owned 903,554; 252,585; 497,616; and 0 shares of Common Stock, respectively.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks>Shackelton is a director of the Issuer. As a result, the following persons may be deemed directors by deputization of the Issuer solely for purposes of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended: CCM; CC; CCP; CCP2; CCC; and Gray.</remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Coliseum Capital Management, LLC, By: /s/ Chivonne Cassar, Attorney-in-fact</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2017-12-13</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Christopher Shackelton, By: /s/ Chivonne Cassar, Attorney-in-fact</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2017-12-13</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Coliseum Capital, LLC, By: /s/ Chivonne Cassar, Attorney-in-fact</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2017-12-13</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Coliseum Capital Partners, L.P., By: Coliseum Capital, LLC, its General Partner, By: /s/ Chivonne Cassar, Attorney-in-fact</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2017-12-13</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Coliseum Capital Partners II, L.P., By: Coliseum Capital, LLC, its General Partner, By: /s/ Chivonne Cassar, Attorney-in-fact</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2017-12-13</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Adam Gray, By: /s/ Chivonne Cassar, Attorney-in-fact</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2017-12-13</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Coliseum Capital Co-Invest, L.P., By: Coliseum Capital, LLC, its General Partner, By: /s/ Chivonne Cassar, Attorney-in-fact</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2017-12-13</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
