The Rhode Island assault weapons ban, signed into law on June 26, 2025, takes effect on July 1, 2026[1]. This one-year implementation window gives current owners time to understand the law and take any necessary compliance steps. This guide breaks down the key provisions.
What the Enacted Law Does and Does Not Require
The law (P.L. 2025, ch. 281, now codified at RIGL Chapter 11-47.2) prohibits the manufacture, sale, purchase, and transfer of prohibited firearms beginning July 1, 2026. It does not prohibit possession. It contains no registration requirement. Owners who possessed a prohibited firearm before July 1, 2026 may keep it. No government notification, registration, or compliance filing is required to retain a pre-ban firearm.
The proposed bill H8073 and its Senate companion S2710 (2026 session), which would have eliminated the grandfathering provision and made possession a crime, were both heard and held for further study by their respective Judiciary committees in April 2026. Neither bill advanced. The enacted law has not been amended. Owners relying on the grandfather clause are protected under RIGL Chapter 11-47.2 as enacted.
What Is Banned
The law creates RIGL Chapter 11-47.2 and defines "prohibited firearms" using a characteristics-based approach. There is no named firearms list. A semi-automatic rifle that accepts a detachable magazine and has one or more of the following features qualifies: a pistol grip or thumbhole stock, a folding or telescoping stock, a bayonet mount, a grenade launcher, a flash suppressor or threaded barrel designed to accommodate one, or a barrel shroud. Additional categories include semi-automatic shotguns with fixed magazines exceeding 6 rounds, any shotgun with a revolving cylinder, semi-automatic rifles with fixed magazines exceeding 10 rounds, semi-automatic pistols with fixed magazines exceeding 10 rounds, and any semi-automatic firearm capable of accepting a belt ammunition feeding device.
What Is NOT Banned
The following are not affected by the ban: manually operated firearms (bolt-action, lever-action, pump-action), semi-automatic rifles with fixed magazines of 10 rounds or fewer that lack any prohibited features, semi-automatic rifles with attached tubular devices that operate only with .22 caliber rimfire ammunition, and antique firearms as defined by federal law. Handguns that do not meet the prohibited firearm definition remain legal.
Continued Possession
The statute prohibits the manufacture, sale, purchase, and transfer of prohibited firearms but does not prohibit possession. Persons who lawfully possess a prohibited firearm may retain it. There is no mandatory registration requirement. However, after the effective date, owners may only sell or transfer a prohibited firearm to a federally licensed firearms dealer or to an individual outside the state who may lawfully possess it. Owners should maintain proof of possession before the effective date, such as purchase receipts or dated photographs.[2]
Compliance Steps Before July 1, 2026
- Inventory all firearms and compare against the feature tests and additional prohibited categories
- Determine which firearms qualify as prohibited firearms under the statute
- For firearms you wish to keep: document proof of possession before the effective date (no registration required, but documentation is prudent)
- For firearms you wish to sell or transfer: complete all transfers before July 1, 2026, or transfer to an FFL or out-of-state buyer after that date
- Consider whether any firearms can be modified to remove prohibited features and thus fall outside the definition
Penalties After July 1, 2026
After the effective date, manufacturing, selling, purchasing, or transferring a prohibited firearm within Rhode Island is a felony offense punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment or a fine of up to $10,000. The prohibited firearm is subject to mandatory forfeiture. The law does not include a mandatory buyback or confiscation program, and possession alone is not a criminal offense.[3]