Legislative updates, court decisions, and regulatory changes affecting Rhode Island firearms law.
Senate bill that would create a rebuttable legal defense for vehicle owners or occupants who injure or kill a person committing robbery of their motor vehicle while acting in self-defense.
Several pro-gun bills address enforcement gaps: S2285 increases stolen firearm penalties, H7753/S2292 create a felony for disarming police, H7128/S2053 mandate armed campus police, and S2283 creates civil liability for gun-free zone operators.
Senate Bill 2306 would legalize the use of suppressors (silencers) on firearms over 17 inches for hunting with a valid license, preempting local and state agencies from restricting this right.
Companion bills H7035 and S2295 would restrict Rhode Island firearm purchases to one handgun per 30-day period, with exemptions for law enforcement, inheritance, training, range rentals, and licensed collectors.
House Bill 7754 would eliminate the reciprocity-based pathway for non-resident concealed carry permits in Rhode Island, barring out-of-state permit holders from applying for RI permits based on their home state credentials.
Five bills (H7553, S2163, S2164, S2277, S2153) propose sweeping reforms to Rhode Island's concealed carry system — from a formal appeal process for denied permits to interstate reciprocity agreements and a complete overhaul of the permitting framework.
Senate Bill 2155 would allow Rhode Island residents age 21 and older to carry a concealed handgun without a permit, provided they meet existing qualification, safety certificate, and identification requirements.
On June 26, 2025, Governor McKee signed S 0359A into law, establishing Rhode Island's first assault weapons ban. The law, codified as P.L. 2025, ch. 281, bans the sale, transfer, and future acquisition of assault weapons using a feature-based test. It takes effect July 1, 2026, with grandfathering for weapons lawfully possessed before that date.
On June 2, 2025, the Supreme Court of the United States denied certiorari in Ocean State Tactical LLC v. Rhode Island, declining to review the First Circuit's decision upholding Rhode Island's large capacity magazine ban. Justices Thomas, Alito, and Gorsuch dissented from the denial, arguing that the case presented an important Second Amendment question that the Court should have addressed.
P.L. 2024, ch. 107 and ch. 108 expanded Rhode Island's safe storage requirements, broadening the definition of secure storage and establishing tiered penalties including civil fines for first offenses and felony charges when minors or prohibited persons are harmed.
In June 2022, the Rhode Island General Assembly passed a package of three firearms bills that significantly changed the state's regulatory landscape. The legislation banned large capacity magazines (over 10 rounds), raised the minimum age for firearms purchases to 21, and imposed new requirements on ammunition sales.
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