Rhode Island Non-Resident Guide

Apply to a Rhode Island Town Police Chief, Not the State. You Must Already Hold Your Home State's Carry License. Valid 4 Years.

At a glance (checked Nov 1, 2026):

• Can a New Yorker apply? Yes, if you are 21+ and already hold a valid NY or NYC carry license. State law lets any city or town issue to a U.S. resident with a carry license from another state.

• Which office? A town or city police department (the "local" route). Confirmed to take non-resident applications: Foster, South Kingstown and Providence. Any other town: call the town first. The Attorney General's permit is a separate, discretionary route meant for Rhode Islanders.

• Training: A shooting qualification: 30 rounds at 25 yards, score 195 of 300 or better, certified by an NRA instructor or police range officer

• Fingerprints: Depends on the town (Providence wants an FD-258 card for new applicants)

• In person: At least one trip to Rhode Island (South Kingstown takes non-resident applications only in person; Foster and Providence hand out the permit in person)

• Cost: $40 (state law), paid when you pick up or after approval

• Processing: South Kingstown says up to 90 days

• Valid for: 4 years

• Rhode Island law (R.I.G.L. 11-47-11) says a city or town shall issue a license to a person 21 or older who either lives or has a business in that town, or lives anywhere in the U.S. and holds a license to carry a concealed pistol from another state. For more information click here

• So a NY or NYC carry license is the key. A premises license is not a carry license.

• The statute still says the applicant should have "good reason to fear an injury" or "any other proper reason." The Attorney General's official guidance says that under this statute and the Rhode Island Supreme Court case Gadomski v. Tavares (2015), local police cannot require a showing of need. The town still decides whether you are a "suitable person." For more information click here

• You must not be barred from having a gun (felony, certain crimes, protective orders, etc.).

Rhode Island has two routes. Non-residents use the town route.

• Town or city police (R.I.G.L. 11-47-11): "shall issue" to qualified, suitable applicants, including non-residents with a home-state carry license. Each town sets its own paperwork and some limit how they accept non-residents. For more information click here

• Attorney General (R.I.G.L. 11-47-18): "may issue" only "upon a proper showing of need." The AG's page describes it as a route for Rhode Islanders. It is not the practical route for a New Yorker. For more information click here

• South Kingstown Police: accepts non-residents who are 21+ and hold a valid carry permit from another state. Non-resident applications must be handed in in person at the police station, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mailed, emailed, online or third-party applications are denied. For more information click here

• Foster Police: the town's application says anyone who does not live in Foster must include a notarized copy of their out-of-state carry permit. Applicants report getting non-resident permits from Foster. For more information click here

• Providence Police: its October 2026 instructions list "a residence anywhere in the United States" plus a valid permit from another state as eligible, and ask non-residents for a notarized copy of their home-state permit. (Its new limit applies to Rhode Island residents of other towns.) For more information click here

• Confirmed: Foster, South Kingstown and Providence. Other towns, such as Lincoln and Narragansett, publish packets that mention non-resident applicants, but this is not confirmed. For any other town, call the town first. Policies change.

• State law: before a license is issued you must qualify with a pistol or revolver of a caliber equal to or larger than the one you will carry. For more information click here

• The course: 30 rounds (three 10-shot strings, 10 minutes each) at 25 yards, slow fire, on the army "L" target. Passing score: 195 out of 300.

• Who can certify it: a Rhode Island State Police or town police range officer, an NRA-certified pistol instructor, or others the Attorney General names, on the form the AG prescribes. For more information click here

• Towns add their own rules. South Kingstown wants the instructor's certification copied with the score sheet. Foster wants its own qualification form filled out by the instructor (no other agency's form) and a copy of the instructor's active NRA card. For more information click here

• Some NRA instructors outside Rhode Island can certify the course, but ask the town first whether it accepts an out-of-state instructor.

• Use the application of the town you chose (each town has its own). What towns ask for:

• A copy of your NY carry license (Foster and Providence want it notarized).

• Two forms of government ID, copied (Foster and Providence want them notarized).

• Three references with letters (South Kingstown wants typed, dated letters written for South Kingstown, not identical; Foster asks for three references). For more information click here

• A typed, signed, notarized statement (South Kingstown). Foster asks for a letter explaining why you want the permit; Providence asks for a letter on how you will safely handle the firearm in public. For more information click here

• Photos and fingerprints: Providence wants two 1-inch photos and an FD-258 fingerprint card for new applicants. Other towns differ; follow the town's packet.

• The application is notarized. Fill out every line; incomplete applications are denied or returned.

• Fee: $40, set by state law, for a license valid 4 years. For more information click here

• Do not send the fee with the application in South Kingstown, Foster or Providence. South Kingstown bills online after approval; Foster takes cash or money order at pickup; Providence takes a check or money order at pickup. For more information click here

• South Kingstown: non-residents hand in the full packet in person.

• Foster and Providence: if approved, you must come in person to pick up the license.

• South Kingstown says processing can take up to 90 days; incomplete files are denied after 30 days if not fixed. For more information click here

• Providence and Foster notify you by mail or phone. Providence does not take phone inquiries. For more information click here

• The license is valid for 4 years. Rhode Island does not remind you; renewing is your job (South Kingstown: no earlier than 3 months before it expires).

• Report a change of address to the police chief. Keep your NY license valid; the Rhode Island license is based on it.

• Not valid in New York.

• Rhode Island honors no other state's permit, so a Rhode Island license is the only way to carry there. (Out-of-state license holders may only pass through in a vehicle without stopping to stay.) For more information click here

• States that require a permit and honor Rhode Island include Minnesota (by its own list), North Carolina and Virginia. Wisconsin also honors out-of-state permits. New Mexico does not. For more information click here

• Most other states that honor it already let visitors 21 and older carry with no permit. Some honor only resident permits (for example Michigan and Florida). Check the map before you travel.

• Magazine limit: 10 rounds. Rhode Island bans possessing magazines that hold more than 10 rounds (since 2022). This applies to visitors too. For more information click here

• No carry on school grounds (public or private K-12, school events, school buses), even with a permit. A gun that is unloaded and locked in a container or rack in a vehicle is allowed. Colleges are not covered by this law. For more information click here

• It is illegal to carry or transport any firearm while intoxicated or under the influence. For more information click here

• A town license is for concealed carry only. Open carry needs an Attorney General permit. For more information click here

• Since July 1, 2026 Rhode Island bans the sale and purchase of many semi-automatic "assault weapons" (2025 law). It does not change handgun carry for a license holder. For more information click here

• Passing through: a person with a carry license from another state may transport a pistol through Rhode Island in a vehicle only if they are not stopping to stay in the state. For more information click here

Every state has different laws pertaining to carrying, restrictions etc. It is your responsibility to know these laws and be familiar with them before visiting that state.

This guide summarizes the state's published instructions as of November 1, 2026 and is not legal advice. Fees, forms and rules change; always check the official page before you apply. Tips from others' experience come from users on the chats; they are personal experiences, not official rules.

Checked November 1, 2026.

• R.I.G.L. 11-47-11 (town license; non-residents with another state's carry license; 4 years). For more information click here

• R.I.G.L. 11-47-12 ($40 fee, 4 years). For more information click here

• R.I.G.L. 11-47-15 and 11-47-16 (shooting qualification, who certifies it). For more information click here

• R.I.G.L. 11-47-18 (Attorney General permit, showing of need). For more information click here

• RI Attorney General, Pistol Permits page. For more information click here

• RI Attorney General, Concealed-Carry Permit Guidance AG 2022-01 (local route is "shall issue" incl. non-residents; no showing of need). For more information click here

• South Kingstown Police, License to Carry (non-resident rules, in person, 90 days, 4 years). For more information click here

• Foster Police, Concealed Carry Permit Application. For more information click here

• Providence Police, License to Carry application (revised October 2026). For more information click here

• R.I.G.L. 11-47.1-3 (10-round magazine limit). For more information click here

• R.I.G.L. 11-47-60 (school grounds) and 11-47-8 (license required; passing through). For more information click here

• Minnesota BCA, Permit to Carry Reciprocity (Minnesota honors Rhode Island permits). For more information click here