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, enacted by P.L. 2022, ch. 135 and ch. 136, effective June 21, 2022, with the credential requirement applying to sales after December 31, 2022^[1].

What the Law Requires

Except for buyers exempt under RIGL 11-47-64(c), 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]. Unless the buyer is exempt under RIGL 11-47-64(c), the seller may not sell ammunition unless the buyer is at least 21 and holds a valid pistol/revolver safety certificate or Rhode Island hunter education course card. 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 as defined in RIGL 11-47-2. The definition contains no carve-out by caliber or firearm type, so the requirement applies to all ammunition, not just handgun ammunition. Unless the buyer is exempt under RIGL 11-47-64(c), the statutory duty rests on the seller, who may not sell rifle, shotgun, or rimfire ammunition, any more than handgun ammunition, to a buyer who is under 21 or lacks a qualifying credential.

Who Is Exempt

RIGL 11-47-64(c) provides that the age and credential requirements of subsection (b) do not apply to full-time members of the state police, the state marshal's office and city or town police departments, state marshals, correctional officers, persons on active duty in the armed forces, organized reserves or National Guard, and the other persons it lists. A person licensed to carry a firearm under RIGL 11-47-11 or 11-47-18 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) bars licensed dealers from selling ammunition to buyers they know or have reasonable cause to believe are under 18, or under 21 for ammunition other than rifle or shotgun ammunition. This age restriction does not apply to transactions between licensed importers, manufacturers, dealers and collectors. Under 18 U.S.C. 922(d), a person may not sell or otherwise dispose of ammunition to someone they know or have reasonable cause to believe falls within its listed categories. Under 18 U.S.C. 922(g), the listed persons may not possess ammunition in or affecting commerce^[3]. 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 in violation of RIGL 11-47-64 is guilty of a felony and 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.