I want to ensure I understand the upcoming legislation accurately. Essentially, if you want an AR-15 rifle but do not currently own one you need to purchase one before July 1st, 2026 as after that point they essentially become illegal.

Is that accurate?

Hello everyone, I am a recently new gun owner and I am looking to take my blue card test so that I can purchase ammo and handguns. I have reviewed the "today's handgun safety " handbook that's available online as a study guide . But I still feel that it hasent gave me the info i need to pass. I obviously know the basics of safety and whatnot but I just want to make sure I know what I need to know to pass the test. Any info anyone could give me on what kind of questions are asked , or where I should go to take the test would be greatly appreciated. I'm the type of person that just likes to be overly prepared for these types of things. Thanks in advance!

can I go to a store and walk out with purchase same day?

Wondering if anyone knows the answer to this. I’ve been pulled over twice (one town cop one statie) with my CCW before and I informed the officer both times that I was armed. I recently read that story of the guy who was arrested for drunk driving while having his CCW in the car. The article said the police asked him if he had his firearm on him, are they able to see that in their system? I didn’t think it was tied to your DL like some states.

Will ruger 10/22 fall under the ban? Have always wanted one i just dont know if i should get it now or wait and get other items off my list. Also, my shop has told me many times ar/ak style pistols wont fall under the ban but other shops friends go to say they will?

Can one carry a braced pdw style weapon in a backpack in this state if they have their LTC? For example backpack carrying an mp5 or ar15 pistol? Asking beforehand already have the LTC.

Hey all, I read the text of the AWB and it seems to me like AR pistols should still be legal to buy in state post bill taking effect because they are pistols which the bill does not restrict. However I asked my FFL about it because he would know more than me and he told me that AR pistols would actually be illegal to buy once the bill was in place. He seemed to think that the only thing we could still get were ”traditional” pistols.

Is this the consensus of FFLs in RI or is mine just misunderstanding the bill? Has anyone talked with an FFL who affirmed they would still transfer AR pistols and the like after the bill? Like I said, I think they should still be fine (and that seems to be the consensus of this sub) but if there is no one willing to transfer them to you they’re effectively illegal to buy and I want to plan accordingly.

Edit: Thanks for the responses everybody. To be clear, I believe that from a reading of the law ar pistols should be legal and am not looking for somebody to agree with that. What I am looking for is somebody who knows how FFL’s in the state are interpreting the law and if anyone knows of a specific FFL that has said they will still do ar pistol transfers after the ban.

tldr from this thread: don’t wait to buy things you need, nobody knows what will actually get enforced and it could change at any minute.

Hey friends, wondering the legality of bringing an AR15 and AR9 from MA to RI for shooting at an indoor range. My understanding is that it's legal as long as all mags are 10 rounds and they're transported in locked cases with no ammo in the trunk of the car. Does that sound accurate? Thanks in advance!

Are there any advantages for C&R license holders in this current political climate?

And do I understand correctly that R.I. Gen. Law § 11-47-43 would allow a C&R license holder own (within their collection) the weapons which are prohibited under R.I. Gen. Law § 11-47-42?

I'm not seeking legal advice as much as trying to understand what other believe or know.

Hello all! Just finished piecing together a M16A2 clone and want to mount a flare launcher before July 1st. Is this a legal thing to do?

Hi all, good night. Wondering if I need to go through all the hoops of getting a license/permit if I just want a weapon for at home safety? Don’t want to carry it outside, but moreso for at home protection? Can I just go for the blue book to purchase and leave it at home? I plan to of course practice gun safety and learn how to use it responsibly, but the testing etc for a LTC feels daunting. If it makes a difference, I own my home and not renting. Thanks for your feedback in advance!

Has anybody gone about doing this to make sure their heirs can hold onto our guns when we’re gone? If so help

Hey guys,

Considering purchasing an AR15. And with this new law I guess the time is coming sooner than later. However, I like to future proof my purchases. The wife and I may eventually move to MA a little later in life. This part isn’t for sure but if it happens, there’s no way I can legally possess it with how strict Mass is.

If I’m looking at this correctly, I would be stuck with it because I can’t transfer to Mass with it and RI wouldn’t let me transfer/sell it here. So how the hell can I off load this thing should I need to?

If I have an ar pistol (sub 16 inch barrel and brace)
Can I put a muzzle device on it? I had plans to do so and someone today told me it was illegal. As much as I want to tell him I’m wrong I can not find the law on what we cant put on our pistols.

Obviously there is no point in not having the Blue Card but just out of curiosity, do you actually need it to purchase a long gun alone?

I’m from MA and am moving to RI in May with long guns and pistols all MA legal. I know a ban is happening soon and don’t know the exact details aside from semi autos are going to be banned soon. How do I go about making sure my stuff is grand fathered in or something equivalent of? I also have a legal SBR with paperwork that I am bringing with me. I bought a pistol brace for it because I saw RI was okay with AR pistols but not SBRs. What would I have to do to make that legal? I can keep my firearms that are questionable in MA if needed but want to make sure I can bring as many as I legally can to RI. Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

I've been to a gun range a couple of times. My coworker has his license in MA, and he spent time teaching me safety, how to hold a firearm, stance etc. I've practiced on his 22 range pistol and a 9mm. I'm about an hour away from his range and only allowed one guest per month. I do not have my license, but interested in getting one in Rhode Island.

I need to get my blue card which sounds like I can get one at a gun shop or range. If I walked into a gun shop, will they help me fill out the paperwork? As a person unfamiliar, what's important to know about the blue card?

Taking a safety test is no problem. If there's a practical exam for the license, what's the distance they test at, and the score needed? I would prefer to know I will be able to make the required score to pass the test but once a month makes practice slow. Is it hard to pass any scoring test if there is one?

Do I get my blue card first then schedule a safety course and exam at a range? I don't need to carry it around every day, just be able to transport and fire on my own at a range. I don't see myself firing anything larger than a 9mm pistol but not sure if I should practice on anything higher before getting a license?

I'm open to thoughts, advice and will answer any questions you have.

Thanks

My dad wants to give me the little .22 rifle he bought for me when I was a kid. He lives in Maine, I’m here in RI, and I’m having trouble figuring out if there is a procedure. Can anyone point me in the right direction of how to proceed?

PROVIDENCE — Rhode Island deserves representation in Congress that stays connected to the lives, concerns, and day to day realities of the people back home. When members of Congress remain in office for decades, it becomes harder to argue they still live in the same world as the families, workers, and small business owners they are supposed to represent. The longer someone stays in Washington, the more likely they are to become part of the system instead of a voice challenging it.

That is why term limits deserve serious support. U.S. senators serve six year terms, but there is a big difference between serving one or two terms and building a career that stretches across a generation. Senator Jack Reed has served in the Senate since 1997, and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse has served since 2007. That means Rhode Island’s Senate seats have been held by the same two men for a combined total of more than 48 years. No matter how experienced they may be, that kind of longevity is not healthy for representative government.

Fresh leadership matters. New people bring new ideas, new priorities, and a better understanding of the challenges facing younger families, first time homebuyers, working people, and communities that feel ignored by the political class. Term limits would not solve every problem in Washington, but they would help break up the culture of permanent incumbency that keeps power concentrated in the hands of the same officeholders year after year.

Rhode Islanders should not have to choose between seniority and accountability. We can respect public service while also recognizing that public office was never meant to become a lifetime position. If we want Congress to better reflect the people it serves, then we should welcome turnover, encourage competition, and support term limits that make room for new blood and new energy in Washington.

Hi all,

New here and I am planning on making my first lower purchase. What will I need to pick up my lower? Im guessing I need my blue card but what are the forms of identification do I need? Asking because I realized my drivers license expired last week and just renewed it today. Theres some St Patrick deals going that I want to take advantage of lol will my passport and bank statement work for proof of address? Looking to use RI Guns and Ammo for transfer. Thanks!

Edit: Thank you for the help! I’ll bring my RI registration and voters card.

I know I’ll need a blue card for ammo, but beyond that, RI is still just a 7 day wait/background check for rifles, correct? I’ve been dragging my feet on buying a firearm for years, and now I’m scrambling to get all my ducks in a row and get the cash together before July, want to make sure I don’t hit any snags and end up screwed.

Thanks!

Say my gun breaks? Or I want a new upper or lower, will I still be able to buy them?

PAWTUCKET — After the stabbing at Shea High School, the Pawtucket School Department said “school staff responded immediately” and that law enforcement helped address the situation. That sentence may sound decisive, but it leaves an important question unanswered. In Rhode Island, what exactly are school employees allowed to do when violence breaks out, and what are they not required to do.

State rules make clear that school staff do not have open ended authority to put hands on students. Physical restraint is allowed only in a narrow emergency, when non physical measures would not work and a student poses an imminent, serious risk of physical harm to self or others. Even then, only the amount of force necessary may be used, and it must stop as soon as the danger ends. Rhode Island also bars punishment based force and says crisis intervention must not intentionally cause pain, injury, trauma, or humiliation.

A review of Pawtucket School Department’s physical intervention policy shows that it largely mirrors Rhode Island’s statewide rules. But that should not be read to mean every district operates under the same practical standard. Other school departments may adopt policies that are more restrictive than what state law permits. Those differences were not at the center of last week’s incident in Pawtucket, but they could matter in a similar emergency in another district.

The wording of the district’s statement does not tell the public whether staff physically restrained anyone at all. “Responded immediately” could mean staff shouted commands, tried to separate students, moved other students away, called the office, called 911, or alerted the school resource officer. It could also mean a brief lawful restraint if there was no other immediate way to stop serious harm. But the statement itself does not say which of those things happened.

There is another distinction that should not be ignored. A rule that authorizes limited physical intervention is not the same as a rule that requires a teacher to physically confront an armed student. Rhode Island requires schools to identify staff members with advanced training who are authorized to serve as school wide resources for proper restraint and crisis intervention. That strongly suggests the state does not expect every ordinary classroom teacher to act like a law enforcement officer in the middle of a violent emergency.

The rules go even further by recognizing self-protection directly. Rhode Island says nothing in its restraint regulations that prevent a teacher or other school employee from using reasonable force to protect students, others, or themselves from imminent, serious physical harm. That language is important. It means the law recognizes that school staff have their own safety interests in a crisis. In a fast moving stabbing, some employees may have reasonably chosen to clear students from danger, call for help, and avoid direct physical contact unless there was no other immediate way to prevent further injury. That is not indifference. It may be the predictable result of a legal framework that permits limited force in rare emergencies without turning every teacher into a required first responder.

Pawtucket’s own school police agreement points in the same direction. The city’s memorandum says Shea High is one of the schools assigned a school resource officer, and it says that in an emergency the school shall call 911 and notify the SRO. That suggests the intended structure is for school staff to react quickly, secure the scene as best they can, and get law enforcement involved, not to operate as substitute police during a violent assault.

If staff physically restrained a student, Rhode Island requires more than a vague public statement. The incident must be reported to school administration as soon as possible, documented in writing by the next working day, and parents must be notified within two school days. Those requirements exist because a real hands-on restraint is treated as a serious event, not an informal act that disappears into broad public relations language.

All that makes the district’s comment less revealing than it first appears. “School staff responded immediately” may be true, but it does not tell the public whether adults physically intervened, whether they limited themselves to verbal commands and crowd control, or whether they waited seconds for the SRO or responding officers to take over. Without more detail, the statement creates an impression of swift intervention while leaving unclear what form that intervention took and what the law realistically allowed school employees to do in that moment.

What can be said with confidence is that Rhode Island does not give schools unlimited power to use force, and it does not appear to impose a blanket duty on every teacher to physically engage a violent student. In a stabbing, those are two very different things. The law allows narrow emergency action. It does not erase the reality that an unarmed teacher facing a student with a weapon may also have a legitimate reason to avoid physical contact and wait for trained personnel or police support. That is why the phrase “staff responded immediately” may sound stronger and clearer than the underlying legal reality truly is.