How to Apply for a RI Concealed Carry Permit (LCCW)

Quick Answer: Rhode Island issues concealed carry permits through two tracks. The licensing authority of your city or town must issue a permit under RIGL 11-47-11 to an applicant who is 21 or older with a bona fide residence or place of business there, 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, and who presents the qualification certificate required by RIGL 11-47-15. The Attorney General may issue a permit under RIGL 11-47-18 on a proper showing of need. Both tracks use a $40 fee and a four-year term. Rhode Island generally requires a permit to carry a pistol or revolver outside your dwelling, business or land, subject to statutory exceptions.

Who can apply?

The local track under RIGL 11-47-11^[1] is open to any person 21 or older who has a bona fide residence or place of business in the city or town, and to any person 21 or older with a bona fide residence in the United States who holds a license or permit to carry a pistol or revolver concealed, issued by another state or subdivision of the United States. The Attorney General track under RIGL 11-47-18^[2] is open to any person 21 or older who can make a proper showing of need.

Which track should you use?

Local licensing authorities must issue permits to applicants who meet the statutory criteria. The statute says the licensing authority shall issue the permit when the applicant meets the statutory criteria, which the Rhode Island Supreme Court enforced in Gadomski v. Tavares (2015), and the Attorney General's July 19, 2022 guidance advises that the dual permitting scheme is constitutional after Bruen.^[3] The Attorney General track is discretionary and requires a showing of need. The two tracks are described in detail in our dual-track system guide.

How do you complete the qualification?

Both tracks require the shooting qualification in RIGL 11-47-15.^[4] You must score 195 or better out of a possible 300 with 30 consecutive rounds at 25 yards on the army L target, fired slow fire, using a pistol or revolver of a caliber equal to or larger than the one you intend to carry. The course allows ten minutes for each of three ten-shot strings. The State Police range officer, the range officer of a city or town police department maintaining a regular and continuing firearms training program, pistol instructors certified by the National Rifle Association or the United States Revolver Association, and other qualified persons the Attorney General designates are authorized to certify the qualification. Keep the signed qualification certificate, because it goes into your application packet.

What does the application require?

On the local track, the license or permit is issued in triplicate on a form prescribed by the Attorney General.^[5] The license bears the licensee's fingerprint, photograph, name, address, description, signature and the reason given for desiring it, so expect to supply a photograph and fingerprints, the qualification certificate required by RIGL 11-47-15, and, on the local track, proof of residence or place of business. Local departments may list additional submission instructions, so check with the licensing authority before you file.

How much does it cost and how long is it valid?

The statutory fee is $40 under RIGL 11-47-12, and a permit is valid for four years from the date of issue on either track, unless sooner revoked.^[6] Neither RIGL 11-47-11 nor 11-47-18 sets a statutory deadline for the licensing authority to decide an application. Renewals follow the process described in our renewal guide.

Do you need a Blue Card first?

No. The Blue Card under RIGL 11-47-35 is a purchase requirement for handguns, not a carry-permit requirement.^[7] If you already hold an 11-47-11 permit, the purchase statutes exempt you from the Blue Card and the seven-day waiting period. Details are in our DEM handgun safety course guide.

What happens after you apply?

The licensing authority decides whether it appears that the applicant has good reason to fear an injury to person or property or has any other proper reason for carrying, and is a suitable person to be licensed. On the local track the permit must issue when the statutory criteria are met. If a local authority denies your application, the denial can be challenged in court, as in Gadomski v. Tavares, where the Rhode Island Supreme Court quashed a denial resting on bare conclusions and an incorrect standard. Our dual-track system guide covers the review standards that apply on each track.

How to Apply for a Rhode Island Concealed Carry Permit