Vehicle Carry:
Transporting Firearms in Your Car

Rhode Island law requires the same license or permit to carry a pistol or revolver in a vehicle as on or about one's person, unless a statutory exception applies. Under RIGL 11-47-8, a license or permit is required to carry a pistol or revolver in any vehicle or conveyance or on or about one's person, visible or concealed, with the exceptions in that section and in RIGL 11-47-9 and 11-47-10. A person who carries a loaded or unloaded handgun anywhere in the car, whether in the glove compartment, center console, under a seat or in a bag, needs a license or permit unless an exception applies^[1].

Carrying with an LCCW

A person who holds a valid LCCW issued under RIGL 11-47-11 (local authority) or RIGL 11-47-18 (Attorney General) may carry a loaded, concealed handgun in their vehicle. The firearm may be on the person or in the vehicle, but RIGL 11-47-60.1(b) requires a stored or left firearm to be secured in a locked container or rendered inoperable by a properly engaged tamper-resistant mechanical lock or other safety device, unless it is being carried by or can be readily carried by a lawfully authorized user in proximity to it. The same rules that govern on-person carry apply: the Attorney General's office describes the local license as a concealed carry license and its own permit under 11-47-18 as a concealed or open carry permit, and prohibited places restrictions still apply.

Transport Without a Permit

RIGL 11-47-10 provides a narrow exception to the permit requirement. A person who does not hold an LCCW may carry or transport a pistol or revolver from their home or place of business to a bona fide target practice range, and from the range back home or to their place of business, to engage in a shoot meet or practice. The statute requires that the pistol or revolver be broken down, unloaded, and carried as openly as circumstances permit, or that it be unloaded and secured in a separate container suitable for the purpose. Transport for other purposes, such as bringing a newly purchased handgun home or taking one to a gunsmith, is covered instead by the separate list in § 11-47-9(a), described below.^[2] Best practice is to transport the unloaded firearm in a locked case, separate from ammunition, in the trunk or a locked storage area of the vehicle.

Long Guns in Vehicles

Rifles and shotguns are not subject to the LCCW requirement, as the permit system applies specifically to pistols and revolvers. However, subject to its exceptions for specified officials and persons legally engaged in hunting activity under chapter 13 or 18 of title 20, § 11-47-51 prohibits possessing a loaded rifle or shotgun, or one whose magazine has not been emptied, upon or along any public highway, road, lane, or trail. This restriction applies to loaded long guns in vehicles on public roadways. Section 11-47-51 bars possessing a loaded rifle or shotgun, or one whose magazine has not been emptied, upon or along a public highway, road, lane or trail, subject to its exemptions for specified officials and military personnel and for persons legally engaged in hunting under title 20 chapters 13 or 18, and does not bar an unloaded long gun in a vehicle. Hunters should also be aware of Department of Environmental Management regulations regarding loaded firearms in vehicles during hunting seasons.

Broader Transport Provisions: § 11-47-9(a)

Section 11-47-9(a)^[3] provides broader transport provisions beyond the target range exception in § 11-47-10. Lawful transport without an LCCW is permitted under 11-47-9 for a pistol or revolver, unloaded, from the place of purchase to residence or place of business, between residence and place of business, to a federal firearms licensee for sale, to or from a gunsmith, and to a gun buy-back program. For lawful transport under this provision, the pistol or revolver must be unloaded, any ammunition must not be readily or directly accessible from the passenger compartment, and in a vehicle without a compartment separate from the passenger compartment the firearm or the ammunition must be in a locked container.

Common Misconceptions

Keeping a handgun unloaded or in a locked container in a vehicle does not by itself eliminate the need for a permit. Rhode Island law provides no general exception for an unloaded pistol or revolver in a vehicle, since 11-47-8(a) bars carrying one in any vehicle without a license or permit except as provided in that subsection, 11-47-9 and 11-47-10. The exceptions under RIGL 11-47-9(a) and 11-47-10 are limited to specific activities and destinations. A person who keeps an unloaded handgun in their vehicle for general self-defense purposes, without an LCCW and without traveling to or from a qualifying activity, risks prosecution under RIGL 11-47-8.^[1]