2022 Firearms Legislation Package

The magazine ban was enacted on June 20, 2022 (P.L. 2022, ch. 99), and the age and ammunition acts were enacted on June 21, 2022 (P.L. 2022, ch. 135 and ch. 136)^[1]. The legislation was passed in the wake of mass shootings in Buffalo, New York and Uvalde, Texas.

Large Capacity Magazine Ban

The centerpiece of the package was a ban on large capacity magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition. Under the new law, it became illegal to manufacture, sell, transfer, or possess a magazine that accepts more than 10 rounds. The law included a 180-day grace period for existing owners to modify, surrender, or transfer their magazines to a jurisdiction where they remain legal. Violations are punishable by imprisonment of not more than 5 years or a fine of up to $5,000, and the device is subject to forfeiture^[2].

Age Requirement Raised to 21

The package raised the minimum age to buy a rifle or shotgun from 18 to 21 and extended the age-21 sale rule in RIGL 11-47-37 from pistols and revolvers to all firearms. This applied to both handguns and long guns. Previously, Rhode Island followed the federal framework allowing 18-year-olds to purchase rifles and shotguns. The new age requirement brought Rhode Island in line with a small number of states that have raised the purchase age above the federal minimum. RIGL 11-47-37 sets the age-21 sale threshold, and RIGL 11-47-37.1 exempts full-time members of the state police, state marshals, city or town police, correctional officers, and persons serving on active duty in the armed forces, organized reserves or National Guard. RIGL 11-47-37.1 applies that exemption to the age-21 sale rule itself.

Ammunition Sales Requirements

The same two acts, P.L. 2022, ch. 135 and ch. 136, created RIGL 11-47-64, imposing new requirements on ammunition sales^[4]. The statute took effect on June 21, 2022, and its credential requirement applies to sales made after December 31, 2022, in practice from January 1, 2023. Under the statute, no one may sell ammunition to a buyer unless the buyer is at least 21 years old and holds a valid pistol/revolver safety certificate (Blue Card) or a Rhode Island hunter education course card issued by DEM. Violation of RIGL 11-47-64 is a felony punishable by up to 5 years imprisonment and/or a $5,000 fine. The law applies to all ammunition types, not just handgun ammunition. Under subsection (c), both the age threshold and the credential requirement do not apply to full-time members of the state police, the state marshal's office, or city or town police departments, state marshals or correctional officers, persons serving on active duty in the armed forces, organized reserves, or National Guard, or persons licensed to carry under RIGL 11-47-11 or 11-47-18. Retired law enforcement officers are not separately exempt and qualify only if they hold a carry license. For a full breakdown of the ammunition law, see the dedicated article on Ammunition Purchase Requirements (2023 Law).

Legal Challenges

The large capacity magazine ban was challenged in federal court on June 23, 2022. In Ocean State Tactical LLC v. Rhode Island, plaintiffs argued that the ban violated the Second Amendment under the framework established by the Supreme Court in NYSRPA v. Bruen^[3]. The case proceeded through the First Circuit Court of Appeals, where the ban was ultimately upheld.