Non-Resident Carry and Interstate Transport

Rhode Island does not recognize or honor concealed carry permits issued by any other state for carrying within the state. There are no reciprocity agreements in effect. A person holding a valid concealed carry permit from Massachusetts, Connecticut, or any other state cannot legally carry a concealed firearm in Rhode Island based on that out-of-state permit alone. The one narrow form of recognition, described below, covers an out-of-state permit holder who is merely transporting a firearm through the state without any intent to stop or remain.^[1]

The Transient Provision

RIGL 11-47-8(a) contains a provision addressing transient persons. Under this provision, a person who holds a valid license or permit to carry a pistol or revolver issued by the licensing authority of another state, territory, or political subdivision may transport the firearm through Rhode Island in a vehicle or other conveyance, provided the person has no intent to detain themselves or remain within the state. Two limits matter. First, the exemption applies only to holders of a valid out-of-state carry license or permit. A traveler without an out-of-state permit may qualify for federal FOPA safe passage or another Rhode Island exemption. RIGL 11-47-9(a) covers unloaded pistol or revolver transport from the place of purchase to a residence or place of business, between residence and place of business, to a federal firearms licensee for sale, to or from a bona fide gunsmith or repair facility, or to a police station or designated gun buy-back site, with ammunition not readily or directly accessible from the passenger compartment and, in a vehicle without a compartment separate from the passenger compartment, the firearm or ammunition in a locked container. RIGL 11-47-10 also covers transport between home or business and a bona fide target practice range if the pistol or revolver is broken down, unloaded and carried as openly as circumstances permit, or is unloaded and secured in a suitable separate container. Second, the unloaded and locked-container conditions often associated with interstate transport come from federal law and RIGL 11-47-9, not from the transient provision itself. The provision protects a person who is merely transporting the firearm through Rhode Island in a vehicle or other conveyance (for example, driving from Connecticut to Massachusetts on Interstate 95) without any intent to detain themselves or remain in the state. An extended stop, a visit or business activity is outside this provision when the person intends to detain themselves or remain in Rhode Island.^[1]

Federal FOPA Safe Passage

The safe-passage provision of the federal Firearms Owners' Protection Act of 1986 (FOPA), codified at 18 U.S.C. 926A, provides additional protection for persons transporting firearms through any state where possession would otherwise be unlawful. Under 18 U.S.C. 926A, a person not otherwise prohibited may transport a firearm for any lawful purpose from any place where the person may lawfully possess and carry it to any other such place if the firearm is unloaded and neither the firearm nor any ammunition is readily or directly accessible from the passenger compartment, and in a vehicle without a compartment separate from the driver's compartment the firearm or ammunition must be in a locked container other than the glove compartment or console. The text of 926A speaks only of transportation between such places. A traveler arrested after an overnight hotel stay was outside FOPA protection because his firearm and ammunition were readily accessible to him during that stay.^[2]

Non-Resident Permit Options

A non-resident who wishes to carry a concealed firearm in Rhode Island (not merely transport through) has two options. First, under RIGL 11-47-11, a non-resident who is 21 or older, has a bona fide residence within the United States and holds a valid concealed carry permit issued by the authorities of any other state or subdivision of the United States may apply for a local LCCW through a Rhode Island city or town. A non-resident who is 21 or older and has a bona fide place of business within that city or town may also apply without holding an out-of-state permit. This path uses the 11-47-11 standard: the licensing authority issues the license if it appears that the applicant has good reason to fear an injury to person or property or any other proper reason for carrying and is a suitable person, with the qualification certificate under 11-47-15. Second, under RIGL 11-47-18, any person 21 or older may apply for a permit through the Attorney General. The AG track does not require the applicant to hold an out-of-state permit. The statute authorizes the Attorney General to issue a license or permit to any person 21 or over to carry a pistol or revolver upon a proper showing of need, subject to the fee and license provisions of RIGL 11-47-12 and the qualification certificate requirement of RIGL 11-47-15.^[3]

Neighboring State Considerations

Rhode Island shares borders with Massachusetts and Connecticut, each of which generally requires its own license or permit to carry a pistol or revolver outside statutory exceptions and does not treat a Rhode Island permit as a substitute. Persons traveling between these states with firearms must comply with applicable state laws, except where federal law protects the transportation despite state or local restrictions. A Rhode Island LCCW holder generally needs a Massachusetts license to carry, or a temporary license issued to non-residents by the State Police, to carry in Massachusetts outside statutory exceptions. Under MGL c. 140, section 129C(k), a nonresident may carry a firearm on their person in a vehicle lawfully traveling through Massachusetts if the firearm remains in the vehicle and is stored in accordance with section 131C when outside the owner's direct control. A Rhode Island LCCW holder generally needs a Connecticut permit to carry a pistol or revolver on their person in Connecticut outside their dwelling house, land they own or lease, or their place of business, subject to the other exceptions in CGS section 29-35(a)(3)-(4). FOPA safe passage covers transportation between places where the firearm may lawfully be possessed and carried, subject to the federal transport conditions described above. Carrying within Massachusetts or Connecticut generally requires that state's own license or permit unless a statutory exception applies.^[4]