◆ RHODE ISLAND · CARRY LAW
Rhode Island.
Information, not legal advice. Confirm with the state before you carry.
Kept in this browser only. Never sent to us.
◆ THE SHORT ANSWEREvery tile below is one of the answers further down this page, with its citation.
Concealed, no permit
No
Open, no permit
No
In a vehicle, no permit
No
Getting a permit
Yes, shall-issue
- Magazine capacity is capped here.
- A permit is required to buy a firearm, not just to carry one.
- This state has an extreme-risk protective order law.
◆ CARRYING HERE
What Rhode Island requires
The state's permit is the License to Carry a Pistol, issued by your city or town licensing authority, or the Attorney General.
Carrying without a permit3
Can I carry concealed here without a permit?
Permitless or "constitutional" carry. "Limited" means some adults qualify and others do not. Read the qualifier.
No
You need a license. Rhode Island reaches carrying a pistol on your person or in a vehicle, hidden or not, except at home, at your business, or on your own land.
Can I carry openly here without a permit?
No
No, and this is what catches people. Rhode Island’s license covers carrying “whether visible or concealed”, so open carry needs the license too.
Can I keep a loaded handgun in my car without a permit?
No
No. The statute names “any vehicle or conveyance” in the same sentence as the person.
Permits and age3
If I want this state's permit, will they issue one?
Shall-issue means the state must issue to any qualified applicant. May-issue leaves it to an official's discretion.
Yes, shall-issue
Your city or town SHALL issue to a qualified applicant 21 or older. A separate discretionary route runs through the Attorney General.
R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 11-47-11(a), 11-47-18Read at the Rhode Island General Assembly ↗Checked 9 days ago
Can I get this state's permit if I live somewhere else?
Yes
Yes, and unusually: a non-resident may apply if they have a bona fide residence anywhere in the United States AND already hold a carry permit from another state.
How old do I have to be to carry here?
The floor for the least restrictive lawful route. Where permitless and permit ages differ, the qualifier says so.
If an officer stops you1
Do I have to tell an officer I am armed?
"Required" means you must volunteer it on contact. "On request" means only when asked.
Not required
No statute read here requires you to announce it. Carry the license.
No duty-to-inform provision found in R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 11-47-8, 11-47-11Read at the Rhode Island General Assembly ↗Checked 9 days ago
How we checked there is no such law
Read §§ 11-47-8 and 11-47-11 on 2026-09-06. The carrying offense and the licensing section. Neither contains a notification requirement.Buying and owning2
Do I need a state-issued card just to own or buy a firearm here?
Illinois' FOID is the main example. Distinct from a carry permit.
Required
In effect yes. Rhode Island requires a state-issued safety certificate. The “blue card”, before you may buy a handgun, plus a seven-day waiting period.
Is there a limit on magazine capacity here?
Only in some cases
10 rounds, and possession is banned. Rhode Island gave owners a window to surrender or modify larger magazines rather than grandfathering them.
How the state governs guns2
Can a city here write its own gun rules on top of the state's?
Full preemption means state law is the only law. Partial means some cities may go further. Check locally.
No, state law is the only law
The state occupies the field. Cities and towns may not regulate firearms.
Does this state have a red-flag law?
An extreme risk protection order lets a court order firearms surrendered temporarily.
Yes, this state has one
Yes. Since 2018 a law enforcement agency may petition for an extreme risk protection order.
◆ RECIPROCITY
Permits Rhode Island honors
If you are visiting Rhode Island, this is whether your permit counts here.
Pick a state for the full answer with its citation, or find it in the grid below.
Not honored54
◆ RECIPROCITY, THE OTHER WAY
Where Rhode Island permits are honored
If you live in Rhode Island, this is where your permit travels.
Pick a state for the full answer with its citation, or find it in the grid below.
Honored30
Honored, with a condition1
Not honored21
Not settled2
◆ NFA ITEMS
Suppressors and NFA legality
Federal registration is required everywhere these are legal. A state can prohibit them regardless, and several do.
Can I possess a suppressor here?
Federal NFA registration is required everywhere it is legal. State law can prohibit it regardless.
Prohibited
Prohibited. Federal registration does not make a suppressor lawful in Rhode Island.
Can I possess a short-barreled rifle here?
Prohibited
Prohibited. A sawed-off rifle is among the weapons § 11-47-8 prohibits outright.
Can I possess a short-barreled shotgun here?
Prohibited
Prohibited. A sawed-off shotgun is among the weapons § 11-47-8 prohibits outright.
Can I possess a machine gun here?
Federally, civilian possession is limited to pre-1986 registered transferables.
Prohibited
Prohibited. Rhode Island bans machine guns outright for private owners.
Can I possess an AOW here?
Legal
Lawful with the federal paperwork.
No any-other-weapon provision in R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-47-8Read at the Rhode Island General Assembly ↗Checked 9 days ago
How we checked there is no such law
Read § 11-47-8 in full on 2026-09-07 and searched chapter 11-47 for “cane gun”, “pen gun”, “wallet gun”, “zip gun” and “any other weapon”. None appears.◆ SOURCES
Where this comes from
This is information, not legal advice. Gun law changes often and the penalty for getting it wrong is criminal. Confirm every answer with the state before you carry there.
- The authority
- your city or town licensing authority, or the Attorney General ↗
- ATF’s index
- Rhode Island firearm statutes ↗ (PDF)