Large Capacity Magazine Ban:
The 10-Round Limit

Rhode Island General Laws Chapter 11-47.1^[1] establishes a ban on large capacity feeding devices, defined as any magazine, box, drum, tube, belt, feed strip, or other ammunition feeding device capable of holding, or readily extendable to hold, more than 10 rounds of ammunition to be fed continuously and directly into a semi-automatic firearm. An attached tubular device capable of holding only .22 caliber rimfire ammunition is excluded from the definition. Enacted as the Rhode Island Large Capacity Feeding Device Ban Act of 2022 (P.L. 2022, ch. 99), effective June 20, 2022, the statute prohibits any person other than a federally licensed firearm dealer from manufacturing, selling, offering to sell, transferring, purchasing, possessing, or having under their control such a device. June 20, 2022 is the statutory baseline date for the 180-day possession-compliance window.

Compliance Period and Permanent Modification

The law provided a 180-day compliance window that ran from June 20, 2022. Individuals who lawfully possessed large capacity magazines on June 20, 2022 had 180 days from that date to permanently modify them so they cannot hold more than ten rounds, surrender them to the police department of their city or town or, if there is no such department or they reside out of state, to the Rhode Island State Police, or transfer or sell them to a federally licensed firearm dealer or to a person outside the state who may lawfully possess them. Under RIGL 11-47.1-3(b)(1)(i), permanent modification means modifying the device permanently so that it cannot hold more than ten rounds of ammunition. The statute specifies the required result but does not identify approved modification methods.

Exemptions

The statute exempts law enforcement officers who are exempt under RIGL 11-47-9 and 11-47-9.1, and retired law enforcement officers exempt under those sections who are not otherwise prohibited from receiving such a device from their agency upon retirement and who hold a carry permit issued under RIGL 11-47-18(b). It also exempts active duty members of the Armed Forces of the United States or the National Guard who are authorized to possess and carry such a device. Federally licensed firearm dealers are excepted from the prohibition itself and may lawfully possess and transfer large capacity feeding devices. The exemptions in RIGL 11-47.1-3(b) cover persons who lawfully possessed a device on June 20, 2022 and complied within 180 days, listed law enforcement officers, and active duty members of the Armed Forces or National Guard.

Penalties

A person who violates the large capacity magazine ban faces imprisonment of not more than 5 years or a fine of up to $5,000, and the device is subject to forfeiture.^[3] The statute does not specify a separate offense for each magazine. The compliance deadline has passed, so possession of an unmodified large capacity magazine is prohibited unless the person is a federally licensed firearm dealer or qualifies for a law enforcement or military exemption under RIGL 11-47.1-3(b).

Legal Status: Certiorari denied June 2, 2025, no pending challenge found

Ocean State Tactical LLC v. Rhode Island challenged the magazine ban under the Second Amendment, and on March 7, 2024, the First Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of a preliminary injunction. The United States Supreme Court denied certiorari on June 2, 2025, leaving the First Circuit's 2024 decision in place.^[4] Three justices (Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch) indicated they would have granted review. With certiorari denied, a search of the District of Rhode Island dockets on CourtListener on October 17, 2026 shows no new challenge to the ban filed after June 1, 2025, and no injunction or stay affects the law. The magazine ban has been in effect since June 20, 2022, and the Supreme Court's denial ended the Ocean State Tactical appeal of the preliminary injunction ruling.