Non-Resident permit · WA → RI
Is a Washington Non-Resident Permit Valid in Rhode Island?
Your permit stops at the state line. Rhode Island recognizes no Washington non-resident permit, and without a Rhode Island-issued license there is no lawful way for a visitor to carry concealed.
Why
- Rhode Island does not recognize any out-of-state carry permit.
No reciprocity for carrying within the state. Sole exception (§ 11-47-8(a)): a holder of a valid carry license from another state may transport a handgun through Rhode Island in a vehicle only while merely passing through, with no intent to stop or remain in the state.
The permit (Washington)
- Permit
- Concealed Pistol License (CPL)
- Issued by
- County sheriff or municipal police chief (nonresidents may apply to any issuing authority in the state)
- Issue policy
- Shall-issue
- Issued to non-residents?
- Yes — Nonresidents may apply anywhere in the state (RCW 9.41.070); same 21+ shall-issue standards apply.
The destination (Rhode Island)
- Recognition policy
- Honors no out-of-state permits
- Permitless carry
- No
- Duty to inform
- No (present permit on demand)
- Magazine limit
- 10 rounds
Carry rules in Rhode Island
Recognition is only half the question. Once you're inside Rhode Island, its carry rules apply to you exactly as they do to locals.
- No Rhode Island statute imposes a duty to proactively inform police that you are carrying; licenses must be carried and produced on demand.
- Rhode Island limits magazine capacity to 10 rounds — a limit that applies to visitors, and one of the easiest laws to break by accident.
- Rhode Island is not a permitless-carry state: concealed carry there requires a permit Rhode Island recognizes.
- Carrying a loaded handgun in a vehicle requires a Rhode Island carry license; an out-of-state permit holder may only transport through the state without stopping (§ 11-47-8(a)).
Off-limits places in Rhode Island
Rhode Island bans carry in 2 kinds of places. The first on the list:
- Elementary and secondary school premises (R.I.G.L. § 11-47-60)
- Courthouses (barred by judicial administrative order rather than statute)
Washington vs Rhode Island: what changes at the state line
Crossing from Washington into Rhode Island changes 2 rules: magazine limit (None → 10 rounds); out-of-state permits honored (10 states → None).
| Rule | Washington | Rhode Island |
|---|---|---|
| Permitless carry | No | No |
| Duty to inform police | No | No |
| Magazine limit | None | 10 rounds |
| Out-of-state permits honored | 10 states | None |
Going the other way, a Rhode Island non-resident permit in Washington: not recognized.
Driving on from Rhode Island
How a Washington non-resident permit fares in the states bordering Rhode Island:
- Connecticut — Not recognized
- Massachusetts — Not recognized
Frequently asked questions
- Does Rhode Island honor a Washington resident permit?
- Not recognized. The answer is the same as for the non-resident permit on this page.
- Can a Rhode Island non-resident permit holder carry in Washington?
- Not recognized. Reciprocity is decided by the destination state, so the answer in this direction depends on Washington's law, not Rhode Island's.
- Where does Rhode Island publish its official reciprocity list?
- Rhode Island publishes its recognition policy on an official state page, linked in the sources on this page. That page is the authority — check it shortly before travel, because recognition lists change without much notice.
Official sources
- RI Attorney General — Pistol Permits (BCI) — accessed 2026-08-08
- R.I.G.L. § 11-47-8 — Carrying of weapons (out-of-state pass-through exception) — accessed 2026-08-08
- R.I.G.L. § 11-47-11 — License or permit to carry concealed (municipal shall-issue, non-resident eligibility) — accessed 2026-08-08
- R.I.G.L. § 11-47.1-3 — Large capacity feeding devices prohibited (10-round limit, eff. 2022-06-20) — accessed 2026-08-08
- RI Attorney General — Concealed-Carry Permit Guidance (AG 2022-01, post-Bruen) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Town of Middletown, RI — Concealed Carry Permits — accessed 2026-09-27
- City of East Providence — Weapons Carry and Permit Package (rev. 04/2019) — accessed 2026-09-27
- R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-47-12 (license fee; term) — accessed 2026-09-27
- Washington Attorney General — Concealed Pistol License Reciprocity (list as of 07/10/2026) — accessed 2026-08-08
- RCW 9.41.070 — Concealed pistol license — accessed 2026-08-08
- RCW 9.41.050 — Carrying firearms — accessed 2026-08-08
- RCW 9.41.300 — Weapons prohibited in certain places — accessed 2026-08-08
- RCW 9.41.370 — Large capacity magazines — accessed 2026-08-08
- RCW 9.41.240 — Possession of pistol by person from eighteen to twenty-one — accessed 2026-09-27