Rhode Island Gun Laws And Concealed Carry Guide

Rhode Island is not a permitless carry state. You need a license or permit to carry a pistol or revolver, whether it is visible or concealed, on your person or in a vehicle. You must be 21 to apply, and every applicant must pass a live-fire range qualification.

Rhode Island also has two different permit routes: a local license from your city or town, and a permit from the Attorney General. This guide explains both, plus training, reciprocity, open carry, vehicle carry, places you can’t carry, and Rhode Island’s self-defense law.

Do You Need A Permit To Carry In Rhode Island?

Yes. Under R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-47-8, no one may carry a pistol or revolver in a vehicle or on their person, “visible or concealed,” without a license or permit issued under §§ 11-47-11 or 11-47-18. The penalty is one to ten years in prison, a fine of up to $10,000, or both.

The license requirement does not apply in your own home, your place of business, or on land you possess. Section 11-47-9 also exempts police, on-duty military, and people transporting an unloaded pistol between places such as home, a gun store, or a repair shop. During that transport, ammunition cannot be readily accessible from the passenger compartment.

A valid out-of-state permit only helps if you are merely passing through Rhode Island without intending to stay. Rhode Island does not otherwise honor other states’ permits.

You cannot get a license if state or federal law bars you from possessing firearms. Rhode Island’s red flag law, an extreme risk protection order under R.I. Gen. Laws chapter 8-8.3, can also remove your right to possess firearms for a period of time.

How To Get A Rhode Island Concealed Carry Permit

Rhode Island gives you two routes. Most residents start with the local license.

Route 1: Local License From Your City Or Town

The local license is issued by the police chief or other licensing authority of the city or town where you live or have a place of business. It allows concealed carry everywhere in Rhode Island. It does not allow open carry.

Under § 11-47-11, the authority “shall” issue the license if you are 21 or older, are a suitable person, and have good reason to fear injury or “any other proper reason” for carrying. The Attorney General’s post-Bruen guidance says local authorities cannot require applicants to show need. Towns still check suitability through fingerprints, background checks, and similar steps.

Route 2: Attorney General Permit

The Attorney General’s permit under § 11-47-18 is for people 21 or older who make a “proper showing of need.” It is discretionary. The AG permit covers carry “whether concealed or not,” so it is the only Rhode Island permit that allows open carry.

Steps For Either Route

1. Pass the range qualification. Shoot a qualifying score with a certified instructor or police range officer (details in the next section).
2. Get the application. Ask your local police department, or download the AG’s form from the Attorney General’s office.
3. Submit fingerprints, photos, and your qualification certificate. The license form includes your fingerprint, photo, description, and stated reason for carrying.
4. Pay the $40 fee. Under § 11-47-12, the fee is $40 for each license or permit.
5. Wait for a decision. The statutes we reviewed set no processing deadline. Ask your licensing authority how long it usually takes.

A license or permit is valid for four years from the date it is issued. Rhode Island keeps license holders’ names and addresses confidential from the public.

Do You Need A Class For A Rhode Island Carry Permit?

Yes, and it must be done in person on a range. Rhode Island’s requirement is a shooting qualification, not a set number of classroom hours.

Under § 11-47-15, you must qualify with a handgun of equal or larger caliber than the one you plan to carry. The course of fire is:

• 30 consecutive rounds of slow fire
• At 25 yards
• On the army “L” target
• A score of 195 or better out of a possible 300

Under § 11-47-16, only these people can certify your score: a Rhode Island State Police range officer, a range officer from a city or town police department with a regular training program, an NRA- or USRA-certified pistol instructor, or another person the Attorney General designates. The certification goes on a form the Attorney General prescribes.

An online course cannot satisfy this requirement. The qualification is a supervised live-fire score. If you have never shot a handgun at 25 yards, plan on range practice first.

A short online safety course is a good primer before you book your in-person qualification. It can cover safe handling, storage, and carry basics so your range time goes further. It does not count toward the Rhode Island requirement and is not a permit.

Can Non-Residents Get A Rhode Island Carry Permit?

Yes, in limited cases. Under § 11-47-11, a person with a bona fide residence in the United States who holds a concealed carry license or permit from another state may apply for a local Rhode Island license. You can also apply locally if you have a place of business in a Rhode Island city or town.

The Attorney General’s office describes its own permit as being for state residents. Nonresidents should confirm with the local licensing authority, or the AG’s office, before applying. The same range qualification and $40 fee apply.

Which States Honor The Rhode Island Concealed Carry Permit?

About 22 states honor a Rhode Island license or permit, according to handgunlaw.us. Many of these are states that honor any valid permit, such as Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Utah, and Virginia. Handgunlaw.us reports that Texas honors only permits issued by the Rhode Island Attorney General.

Neighboring states are a different story. Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey do not honor Rhode Island permits.

Rhode Island does not honor any other state’s permit. The only out-of-state exception is for a permit holder merely passing through the state under § 11-47-8. Visitors who want to carry in Rhode Island need a Rhode Island license.

Reciprocity changes often. Check each state’s official list before you travel.

Going next door? See our guides to Massachusetts gun laws and Connecticut gun laws, or browse gun laws by state.

Can You Open Carry In Rhode Island?

Only with an Attorney General permit. Section 11-47-8 requires a license or permit to carry a pistol, “visible or concealed.” The local license under § 11-47-11 covers concealed carry only. The AG permit under § 11-47-18 covers carry “whether concealed or not.”

So in practice, open carry of a handgun is legal only for AG permit holders, and it is rare. If you hold a local license, keep your handgun concealed.

Long guns have their own rule. Under § 11-47-51, it is illegal to have a loaded rifle or shotgun on or along any public highway, road, lane, or trail, unless you are lawfully hunting or fall into another exception. That section was amended in 2025.

Can You Keep A Gun In Your Car In Rhode Island?

With a Rhode Island license or permit, yes. Section 11-47-8 treats carry in a vehicle the same as carry on your person, so a license holder may carry a pistol in the car.

Without a license, you can only transport a handgun under the § 11-47-9 rules:

• The pistol must be unloaded.
• You must be going between specific places, such as the place of purchase, your home, your business, a gun shop, a repair shop, a police station, or a buy-back site.
• Ammunition must not be readily accessible from the passenger compartment.
• If the vehicle has no separate trunk, the firearm or ammunition must be in a locked container.

Employer parking lots. We found no Rhode Island law that requires employers to allow guns in employee vehicles. Check your employer’s policy.

School parking lots. Rhode Island’s school grounds ban, § 11-47-60, does not apply to a firearm that is unloaded and kept in a locked container or locked rack inside a motor vehicle. The statute does not list carry permit holders as exempt. So on school property, unload and lock up your gun before you arrive.

Where You Can’t Carry A Gun In Rhode Island

Even with a license or permit, these places and situations are off-limits:

• Elementary and secondary school grounds. Public or private K-12 school property, school buses while students ride, and structures being used for a school-sponsored activity (§ 11-47-60). The penalty is one to five years in prison or a fine of $500 to $5,000. The ban does not apply to colleges and universities.
• Carrying while impaired. It is illegal to carry or transport a firearm while intoxicated or under the influence of alcohol or narcotic drugs (§ 11-47-52).
• Loaded long guns on public roads and trails. See § 11-47-51 above.
• Federal property. Federal buildings, post offices, and other federal facilities follow federal law.
• Private property where the owner says no. If the owner asks you to leave, leave.

Handgunlaw.us also reports that state rules restrict carry in state parks, state forests, and wildlife management areas. Check with the Department of Environmental Management before carrying there.

Duty to inform: We found no Rhode Island statute that requires you to tell an officer you are carrying. Handgunlaw.us also lists Rhode Island as a state with no duty to inform. Carry your license and ID, and be ready to show them if asked.

Rhode Island Castle Doctrine And Stand Your Ground Law

Rhode Island does not have a stand your ground law. Outside the home, the state supreme court has held that you have a duty to retreat before using deadly force, according to the Giffords Law Center, citing State v. Guerrero (2019) and State v. Garrett (2014).

Castle doctrine. Inside your home, you have no duty to retreat. Rhode Island’s intruder statute, § 11-8-8, adds strong protection when someone is committing a burglary or breaking and entering under §§ 11-8-2 through 11-8-6:

• The owner, tenant, or occupier has no duty to retreat from the intruder.
• It is rebuttably presumed that you acted in reasonable self-defense and reasonably believed the intruder was about to cause great bodily harm or death to you or someone lawfully there.
• That presumption applies in any civil or criminal proceeding.

Civil immunity. We found no separate Rhode Island statute granting civil immunity for self-defense, like the ones some states have. The § 11-8-8 presumption can help you in a civil suit, but it can be rebutted.

None of this prevents an arrest or criminal charges. In a duty-to-retreat state, prosecutors may look closely at whether you could have safely left. A legal defense can be expensive, even when you acted lawfully.

Rhode Island Gun Laws FAQ

Is Rhode Island A Constitutional Carry State?

No. You need a local license or an Attorney General permit to carry a handgun in Rhode Island, visible or concealed, on foot or in a car.

How Much Is A Rhode Island Concealed Carry Permit?

The state fee is $40 for a local license or an AG permit, and each lasts four years. Budget separately for range time and the instructor’s qualification fee.

What Score Do You Need To Qualify For A Rhode Island Permit?

You need 195 out of 300, shooting 30 rounds of slow fire at 25 yards on the army “L” target. A certified instructor or police range officer must certify the score.

Can You Open Carry In Rhode Island?

Only with an Attorney General permit. Local licenses allow concealed carry only.

Can You Carry A Gun In Church In Rhode Island?

We found no Rhode Island statute that bans licensed carry in places of worship. A church can still set its own policy and ask you not to carry, and church-run K-12 schools fall under the school grounds ban. Talk to your church leadership first. If your church has a volunteer safety team, look into legal protection for church security teams.

Does Rhode Island Honor Out-Of-State Permits?

No. Rhode Island honors no other state’s permit, except for a holder merely passing through. Nonresidents with a home-state permit can apply for a Rhode Island local license.

What Rhode Island Gun Laws Changed Recently?

A 2025 law signed on June 26, 2025, bans the manufacture, sale, purchase, and transfer of certain assault-style weapons starting July 1, 2026. It does not ban possession by current lawful owners, and it did not change carry permits.

Sources

• R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-47-8, License or permit required for carrying pistol
• R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-47-9, Persons exempt from restrictions
• R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-47-11, License to carry concealed pistol
• R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-47-12, License fee
• R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-47-15, Qualification
• R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-47-16, Certification of qualification
• R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-47-18, License by Attorney General
• R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-47-51, Loaded rifles and shotguns
• R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-47-52, Carrying while intoxicated
• R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-47-60, Possession of firearms on school grounds
• R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-8-8, Use of force against intruder
• Rhode Island Attorney General, Pistol Permits
• Rhode Island Attorney General, Bruen Guidance
• Office of the Governor, Governor McKee Signs Bill Banning Sale of Assault Weapons
• Giffords Law Center, Stand Your Ground in Rhode Island (backup source)
• Handgunlaw.us, Rhode Island (backup source)
• Handgunlaw.us, States My State Honors (backup source)