State profile · RI
Rhode Island Concealed Carry Reciprocity: Where Your Permit Works
A Rhode Island resident permit (License to Carry a Concealed Pistol or Revolver (municipal licensing authority, § 11-47-11)) is honored in 26 of the other 50 US jurisdictions, and 8 more allow permitless carry even though they do not recognize the permit itself. In the other direction, Rhode Island recognizes no out-of-state carry permits. Rhode Island is not a permitless-carry state: concealed carry there requires a permit Rhode Island recognizes.
Where a Rhode Island permit is honored
Click any destination for the full rules — duty to inform, magazine limits, off-limits places, and official sources.
* a load-bearing fact could not be fully verified — confirm with the official source before carrying.
Whose permits Rhode Island honors
Rhode Island does not recognize any out-of-state concealed-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.
Rhode Island at a glance
- Permit
- License to Carry a Concealed Pistol or Revolver (municipal licensing authority, § 11-47-11) · Weapons Carry Permit (Attorney General, § 11-47-18)
- Issued by
- City or town licensing authority (shall-issue path); Attorney General (discretionary alternative path)
- Issue policy
- Shall-issue
- Resident minimum age
- 21
- Non-resident permits
- Issued
- Permitless carry
- No
- Duty to inform
- No
- Magazine limit
- 10 rounds
Under § 11-47-11 a person 21+ with a bona fide residence anywhere in the United States who holds a carry license issued by another state or subdivision may apply to a municipal licensing authority; the AG path (§ 11-47-18) is discretionary.
Vehicle carry
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
- Elementary and secondary school premises (R.I.G.L. § 11-47-60)
- Courthouses (barred by judicial administrative order rather than statute)
Frequently asked questions
- Which states honor a Rhode Island carry permit?
- Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin. The table on this page links to the detailed rules for each destination.
- Does Rhode Island recognize out-of-state carry permits?
- 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.
- Can I carry in Rhode Island without a permit?
- Rhode Island is not a permitless-carry state: concealed carry there requires a permit Rhode Island recognizes.
- Do I have to tell police in Rhode Island that I am carrying?
- No Rhode Island statute imposes a duty to proactively inform police that you are carrying; licenses must be carried and produced on demand.
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