RIGL 11-47-18 authorizes the Rhode Island Attorney General to issue a license to carry a pistol or revolver, whether concealed or openly, upon a "proper showing of need."[1] This creates the second track of Rhode Island's dual-track carry permitting system, operating alongside the local shall-issue provisions of RIGL 11-47-11.
The "Proper Showing of Need" Standard
The Attorney General has historically interpreted the need standard strictly. Under AG Neronha, applicants have generally been required to demonstrate a specific, documented threat to their personal safety, a work-related necessity (such as employment in private security or cash transport), or retired law enforcement status. General self-defense concerns have not typically been sufficient to satisfy the AG's standard, though this interpretation exists in tension with the Supreme Court's 2022 ruling in NYSRPA v. Bruen.[2]
Open Carry Authorization
The AG permit under 11-47-18 is the only permit in Rhode Island that authorizes open carry. A local LCCW issued under 11-47-11 authorizes concealed carry only. This distinction means that any person who wishes to carry a firearm openly in public must obtain a permit from the Attorney General. Without an AG permit, open carry is limited to one's dwelling house, place of business, or land one possesses under RIGL 11-47-8(a). Section 11-47-51 prohibits carrying a loaded rifle or shotgun upon or along any public highway, road, lane, or trail. This restriction originated in 1959 and was broadened by P.L. 2022, ch. 133/134.[1]
Application Requirements
The AG permit application must be signed or stamped by the local police chief or a city hall official in the applicant's municipality of residence. The applicant must meet the same firearms qualification standard as the local track: a minimum score of 195 out of 300 on an Army "L" target at 25 yards, firing 30 rounds. The application fee is $40 and the permit is valid for four years. Non-residents who do not hold a valid out-of-state concealed carry permit may apply through the AG track, as the local track under 11-47-11 requires either residency or a valid out-of-state CCW.[2]
Post-Bruen Constitutional Questions
Following NYSRPA v. Bruen, which invalidated New York's "proper cause" requirement for concealed carry permits, the Rhode Island AG issued formal guidance (AG 2022-01) addressing the impact on the state's dual-track system. The AG's position is that because Rhode Island residents have access to the shall-issue local track under 11-47-11, the existence of a parallel may-issue track under 11-47-18 does not unconstitutionally burden the right to carry. In August 2025, the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island upheld this position in O'Neil v. Neronha[4]. Judge William E. Smith granted summary judgment for the state, ruling that Bruen does not require states to permit open carry specifically and that the manner of public carry may be regulated as long as one lawful method of carrying remains available. The plaintiffs have appealed to the First Circuit Court of Appeals, and the case remains pending. If the First Circuit reverses or if the shall-issue local track proves functionally inaccessible in certain municipalities, the AG's reasoning could face renewed scrutiny.[3]