Who Cannot Carry
R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-47-5 — a crime of violence, a domestic violence conviction or a protective order, and two to ten years for a firearm anyway
- A person convicted in Rhode Island or elsewhere of a crime of violence.
- A fugitive from justice.
- A person convicted of, or who pleaded nolo contendere to, a domestic violence felony, or a domestic simple assault, cyberstalking, protective order violation or disorderly conduct involving force or a dangerous weapon.
- A person subject to a protective order issued after notice and a chance to be heard.
- A person in community confinement or on electronic monitoring as a condition of parole, who has a crime of violence on the record.
None of them may purchase, own, carry, transport or possess a firearm. A violation is punished by imprisonment for not less than two nor more than ten years, without suspension, deferment or probation.
When the domestic bar ends. The domestic violence prohibitions apply until the matter has been expunged, or the filing or probation period that no longer counts as a conviction has been completed.
A person under guardianship or confinement as a mental incompetent, or adjudicated a drug addict, may not possess a firearm either. Five years after being pronounced cured, a person not found criminally insane may apply to purchase one with a medical affidavit.
A person under eighteen years of age may not possess and use a firearm except with a parent, guardian or supervising adult at an approved camp or range, lawful supervised hunting, ROTC, competitive shooting or a basic firearms education program.
Federal law adds prohibitions of its own. A particular record is a question for a licensed Rhode Island attorney.
Sources for this section (3)
- R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-47-5 — Possession of firearms by certain persons prohibited
- R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-47-6 — Mental incompetents and drug addicts prohibited from possession of firearms
- R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-47-33 — Possession of firearms by minors
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Rhode Island attorney.