Is firearms legal in Rhode Island?

Q: Is firearms legal in Rhode Island?

Firearms in Rhode Island is restricted. Rhode Island requires a permit to carry concealed, and issuance is partly discretionary. The Attorney General "may issue" a carry permit to applicants 21 and older on a showing of need, and local authorities may also issue, so the state is effectively may-issue. The minimum age is 21.

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RHODE ISLAND · FIREARMS

Firearms

Restricted: Rhode Island requires a permit to carry concealed, and issuance is partly discretionary.

Restricted

Summary

Rhode Island requires a permit to carry concealed, and issuance is partly discretionary. The Attorney General "may issue" a carry permit to applicants 21 and older on a showing of need, and local authorities may also issue, so the state is effectively may-issue. The minimum age is 21.

Source: https://riag.ri.gov/about-our-office/divisions-and-units/bureau-criminal-identification-bci/pistol-permits · Updated July 12, 2026

Rhode Island Firearms topics

Concealed Carry in Rhode Island →Restricted
Rhode Island requires a permit to carry concealed, and issuance is partly discretionary.
Open Carry in Rhode Island →Restricted
Open carry in Rhode Island requires a carry permit.
Magazine Capacity in Rhode Island →Restricted
Rhode Island limits magazines to 10 rounds — magazines that hold more than 10 rounds are banned, and possession had to be brought into compliance by December 18, 2022.
Gun Possession in Rhode Island →Restricted
Rhode Island has a red-flag law (Extreme Risk Protection Order Act, 2018) and a ban on large-capacity magazines, set at 10 rounds.
Transporting Firearms in Rhode Island →Restricted
In Rhode Island, without a permit you may transport a handgun between specified lawful locations only if it is unloaded and secured.
Duty to Inform Police in Rhode Island →Info
Rhode Island has no statutory duty to inform: R.I. Gen. Laws chapter 11-47 contains no provision requiring a carrier to notify an officer, and no statute requires the permit to be carried or displayed on demand.
Suppressors & Silencers in Rhode Island →Restricted
Firearm silencers are banned in Rhode Island.
Reciprocity — where is my Rhode Island permit honored? →
State-by-state map of which states honor a Rhode Island concealed-carry permit.

Other Rhode Island laws

Firearms in nearby states

Browse all state laws →

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