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S 2155Criminal Justice

Criminal Offenses - Weapons

This bill allows qualified adults over twenty-one to carry concealed handguns without a permit if they possess specific safety certificates.

Held for study
Population
Affected
15
Email Legislator
Introduced Jan 16, 2026Committee Senate Judiciary

Plain-English Summary

This legislation updates Rhode Island's weapons laws to allow residents aged twenty-one and older to carry a concealed handgun without a specific permit, provided they meet certain requirements. To qualify, an individual must not be prohibited from owning a firearm, must hold a qualification certificate from a certified instructor or police range, and must possess a safety certificate from the Department of Environmental Management. Additionally, individuals must carry valid photo identification and present it immediately if asked by a law enforcement officer. The bill essentially establishes a "conditional permitless carry" system for qualified residents.

For younger readers

Right now, adults need a special permission slip called a permit to carry a hidden handgun outside their home. This new rule says that adults who are at least 21 years old can carry a hidden handgun without that special permit, but they still have to follow some safety rules. They must pass a test to show they know how to use the gun safely and have a safety certificate. They also must carry their ID card. If a police officer asks to see their ID, they have to show it right away.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups
Gun ownersLaw enforcement officersFirearm safety instructorsDepartment of Environmental ManagementGeneral public
Impacted communities
All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

The bill generally expands Second Amendment rights, reducing the risk of unconstitutionality under the *Bruen* standard. However, the requirement to present identification "immediately, upon demand by a law enforcement officer" could be challenged under the Fourth Amendment if interpreted to authorize stops and seizures without reasonable suspicion of a crime solely to verify credentials. Courts generally uphold "stop and identify" statutes only when reasonable suspicion exists.

Estimated cost
None
Estimated revenue
None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints
For Progressives
  • Eliminates the financial barrier of permit application fees, ensuring that the ability to carry for self-defense is not restricted only to those who can afford government costs.
  • Reduces the discretionary power of local licensing authorities, potentially decreasing systemic bias and discrimination regarding who is granted or denied the right to carry.
  • Maintains a requirement for safety training and qualification certificates, ensuring that individuals carrying firearms have demonstrated a baseline level of competence and safety knowledge.
  • Increases the number of firearms carried in public spaces, which many advocates argue leads to higher rates of gun violence and puts the community at greater risk.
  • Bypasses the comprehensive background checks and suitability reviews often associated with the formal permitting process, potentially allowing unstable individuals to carry weapons.
  • Complicates law enforcement interactions by removing the clear distinction of a permit, potentially escalating tensions during police stops and increasing danger for both officers and civilians.
For Conservatives
  • Restores Second Amendment rights by allowing law-abiding citizens to exercise their right to bear arms for self-defense without requiring government permission or a license.
  • Removes bureaucratic red tape and administrative delays associated with the current permitting system, streamlining the process for responsible gun owners.
  • Empowers citizens to protect themselves and their families in public, potentially serving as a deterrent to criminal activity through the presence of armed, law-abiding individuals.
  • Fails to implement true "Constitutional Carry" by still mandating government-approved training certificates and safety courses as a condition for exercising a right.
  • Infringes on personal privacy and Fourth Amendment rights by mandating that individuals present identification "immediately upon demand" to law enforcement, potentially encouraging harassment.
  • Restricts the right to carry to those twenty-one and older, denying young adults aged eighteen to twenty their full constitutional right to self-defense.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 21 additions · 4 deletions

SECTION 1. Sections 11-47-8 and 11-47-10 of the General Laws in Chapter 11-47 entitled "Weapons" are hereby amended to read as follows: 11-47-8. License or permit required for carrying pistol — Other weapons prohibited. Firearm prohibitions.

(a) Except as provided in § 11-47-10, no No person shall, without a license or permit issued as provided in §§ 11-47-11, 11-47-12, and 11-47-18, carry a pistol or revolver in any vehicle or conveyance or on or about his or her person whether visible or concealed, except in his or her dwelling house or place of business or on land possessed by him or her or as provided in §§ 11-47- 9 and 11-47-10. The provisions of these sections shall not apply to any person who is the holder of a valid license or permit issued by the licensing authority of another state, or territory of the United States, or political subdivision of the state or territory, allowing him or her to carry a pistol or revolver in any vehicle or conveyance or on or about his or her person whether visible or concealed, provided the person is merely transporting the firearm through the state in a vehicle or other conveyance without any intent on the part of the person to detain him or herself or remain within the state of Rhode Island. No person shall manufacture, sell, purchase, or possess a machine gun except as otherwise provided in this chapter. Every person violating the provision of this section shall, upon conviction, be punished by imprisonment for not less than one nor more than ten (10) years, or by a fine up to ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or both, and except for a first conviction under this section, shall not be afforded the provisions of suspension or deferment of sentence, nor a probation.

(b) No person shall have in his or her possession or under his or her control any sawed-off shotgun or sawed-off rifle as defined in § 11-47-2. Any person convicted of violating this subsection shall be punished by imprisonment for up to ten (10) years, or by a fine of up to five thousand dollars ($5,000), or both.

(c) No person shall have in his or her possession or under his or her control any firearm while the person delivers, possesses with intent to deliver, or manufactures a controlled substance. Any person convicted of violating this subsection shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than two (2) years nor more than twenty (20) years, and the sentence shall be consecutive to any sentence the person may receive for the delivery, possession with intent to deliver, or the manufacture of the controlled substance. It shall not be a defense to a violation of this subsection that a person has a license or permit to carry or possess a firearm.

(d) It shall be unlawful for any person to possess a bump-fire device, binary trigger, trigger crank, or any other device that when attached to a semi-automatic weapon allows full-automatic fire. Individuals who possess these items shall have ninety (90) days from the enactment of this section to either sell, destroy, or otherwise remove these items from the state of Rhode Island. Every person violating the provisions of this section shall, upon conviction, be punished by imprisonment for not less than one nor more than ten (10) years, or by a fine up to ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or both, and, except for a first conviction under this section, shall not be afforded the provisions of suspension or deferment of sentence, nor a probation.

(e) No person shall manufacture, sell, offer to sell, transfer, purchase, possess, or have under his or her control a ghost gun or an undetectable firearm or any firearm produced by a 3D printing process. Any person convicted of violating this subsection shall be punished by imprisonment of not more than ten (10) years, or by a fine up to ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or both and except for a first conviction under this section shall not be afforded the provisions of suspension or deferment of sentence, probation, nor fine. These provisions shall not apply to federally licensed manufacturers (Federal Firearm License Type 07) pursuant to Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) regulations. 11-47-10. License or permit not required to carry to target range.Exceptions to license requirement.

(a) A lawful resident of this state, who is twenty-one (21) years of age or older, who is not otherwise prohibited from owning or possessing a firearm, shall be allowed to carry a concealed handgun without a permit, subject to the following conditions:

(1) The individual shall have a certificate of qualification issued in accordance with § 11- 47-15 (law enforcement personnel may possess a Certification of the RI Combat Course) from an N.R.A. instructor or a police range office. The certificate shall include the date of the qualification, the printed name, phone number of the instructor, instructor N.R.A. number, the caliber of the weapon and a passing score. The qualification certification may not be more than four (4) years old.

(2) The individual shall have a pistol/revolver safety certificate or hunter safety certificate, issued and/or recognized by the Rhode Island department of environmental management.

(3) The individual shall have in their possession, a valid photo identification issued by a state or governmental agency and present the identification immediately, upon demand by a law enforcement officer.

(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, no No license or permit shall be required for the purpose of carrying or transporting any pistol or revolver from one’s home or place of business to a bona fide target practice range, nor from a bona fide target practice range to one’s home or place of business, to engage in any shoot meet, or practice, provided that the pistol or revolver is broken down, unloaded and carried as openly as circumstances will permit, or provided that the pistols or revolvers are unloaded and secured in a separate container suitable for the purpose.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.