Firearms Penalties Overview:
Civil Infractions to Felonies

Rhode Island's firearms penalty structure spans a wide range, from civil fines for first-time storage violations to lengthy felony sentences for violent crimes involving firearms. Understanding the penalty tiers is critical for anyone subject to Rhode Island firearms law. This article provides a consolidated overview of the most significant penalty provisions.

Civil Infractions: Unsafe Storage

The lowest tier of firearms penalties in Rhode Island involves safe storage violations under Section 11-47-60.1^[1]. RIGL 11-47-60.1(b) provides that a person who stores or leaves a firearm in any place is guilty of unsafe storage unless the firearm is secured in a locked container or equipped with a tamper-resistant mechanical lock or other safety device, with amendments effective June 13, 2024. Penalties escalate: a first offense is a civil infraction with a fine of not more than $250, a second offense a civil infraction with a fine of not more than $1,000, and a third or subsequent violation is punishable by imprisonment for not more than six months, a fine of not more than $500, or both. Section 11-47-60.1(b) expressly classifies the first two unsafe-storage violations as civil infractions.

Misdemeanors and Lower Felonies

Several firearms offenses occupy the middle tier of Rhode Island's penalty structure:

• Carrying without a license (Section 11-47-8): Carrying a pistol or revolver, visible or concealed, without a license or permit is punishable by imprisonment of not less than 1 year and not more than 10 years, or a fine of up to $10,000, or both^[2]
• Large capacity magazine violation: Manufacturing, selling, transferring, purchasing or possessing a large capacity feeding device is punishable by imprisonment of not more than 5 years or a fine of up to $5,000, and the device is subject to forfeiture
• Straw purchases: Purchasing a firearm on behalf of a prohibited person is a felony offense

Serious Felonies: Assault Weapons and Ghost Guns

The most recently enacted prohibitions carry severe penalties:

• Assault weapons ban violation: Manufacturing, selling, offering to sell, transferring or purchasing a prohibited firearm (as defined by P.L. 2025, ch. 281, RIGL Chapter 11-47.2) is punishable by imprisonment of not more than 10 years or a fine of up to $10,000, and the prohibited firearm is subject to forfeiture. Possession is not prohibited.
• Ghost gun violation: Manufacturing, selling, offering to sell, transferring, purchasing or possessing a ghost gun, an undetectable firearm or a 3D-printed firearm is punishable by imprisonment of not more than 10 years, a fine of up to $10,000, or both. A second or subsequent ghost gun offense carries no eligibility for probation or suspended sentence

Crime of Violence Enhancement

Section 11-47-3 sets penalties for committing or attempting a crime of violence while armed with or having available a firearm, and Section 11-47-3.2 for using a firearm while committing a crime of violence^[3]. Committing or attempting a crime of violence while armed with a firearm is a distinct offense with its own penalty, although the statute does not state whether the sentence runs consecutively to the sentence for the underlying crime. Penalties escalate with each conviction under Section 11-47-3, from imprisonment of not less than 3 nor more than 10 years for a first conviction, to not less than 10 nor more than 20 years for a second conviction, and 15 years to life for a third or subsequent conviction. A person sentenced under this section is not eligible for suspension or deferment of sentence or for probation. This provision ensures that firearms involvement in violent offenses is treated as an aggravating factor at sentencing.

Forfeiture and Collateral Consequences

Beyond imprisonment and fines, firearms convictions carry significant collateral consequences. Firearms used in the commission of an offense are subject to forfeiture. A conviction for a crime of violence bars purchasing, owning, carrying, transporting or possessing any firearm under RIGL 11-47-5(a), unless and until the matter has been expunged, and federal law bars possession after a conviction punishable by more than one year under 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(1). A license or permit may be revoked for just cause at any time by the authority that granted it (RIGL 11-47-13). For non-citizens, certain firearms convictions may trigger deportation proceedings under federal immigration law.