Ammunition Purchase Requirements in Rhode Island

Rhode Island regulates the purchase of ammunition separately from the purchase of firearms. The requirement is set by RIGL 11-47-64^[1], enacted as part of the 2022 firearms package and in force since January 1, 2023. It makes Rhode Island one of a small number of states that gate ammunition sales behind a safety credential.

What the Law Requires

Under RIGL 11-47-64(b), no person, firm, or corporation may sell ammunition to a buyer unless that buyer is at least 21 years old and holds a valid pistol/revolver safety certificate (the "Blue Card") or a Rhode Island hunter education course card issued by the Department of Environmental Management^[2]. The seller verifies the credential at the point of sale. There is no separate ammunition background check in Rhode Island. The control is the age-and-credential check, not a NICS-style check run for each ammunition purchase.

What Counts as Ammunition

RIGL 11-47-64(a) defines ammunition as a loaded cartridge consisting of a primed case, propellant, or projectile, designed for use in any firearm. The requirement applies to all ammunition, not just handgun ammunition. Buyers of rifle, shotgun, and rimfire ammunition are equally required to present a qualifying credential.

Who Is Exempt

RIGL 11-47-64(c) exempts several categories from the credential requirement: full-time state police, the state marshal's office, full-time city or town police, state marshals and correctional officers, persons on active duty in the United States armed forces or the organized reserves or National Guard, and persons licensed to carry a firearm under RIGL 11-47-11 (local license) or RIGL 11-47-18 (Attorney General license). A License to Carry holder can therefore buy ammunition without a separate Blue Card or hunter education card.

How Federal Law Fits

Federal law under 18 U.S.C. 922(b)(1)^[3] independently bars licensed dealers from selling handgun ammunition to anyone under 21 and rifle or shotgun ammunition to anyone under 18, and 18 U.S.C. 922(g) bars sales to prohibited persons. Rhode Island's credential requirement sits on top of those federal rules, and a buyer must satisfy both.

Penalties

A violation of RIGL 11-47-64 is a felony. A person who sells ammunition without verifying the required credential, or a buyer who is not eligible, may be punished by up to five years imprisonment, a fine of up to $5,000, or both.

A Note on Proposed Background-Check Bills

Rhode Island has considered, but not enacted, a separate point-of-sale background check for ammunition. As of 2026, no ammunition background-check statute is in force. The operative law remains the age-and-credential requirement of RIGL 11-47-64. Buyers should not assume a NICS-style check is run on ammunition sales, because the law does not require one.