R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-47-9 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-47 / Section 31-47-9
§ 31-47-9. Penalties.
Status: in_force

(a) Any owner of a motor vehicle registered or required to be registered in this state who shall knowingly operate the motor vehicle or knowingly permit it to be operated in this state without having in full force and effect the financial security required by the provisions of this chapter, and any other person who shall operate in this state any motor vehicle registered or required to be registered in this state with the knowledge that the owner of it does not have in full force and effect financial security, except a person who, at the time of operation of the motor vehicle, had in effect an operators policy of liability insurance with respect to his or her operation of the vehicle, may be subject to a mandatory suspension of license and registration as follows:

(1) For a first offense, a suspension of up to three (3) months and may be fined one hundred dollars ($100) up to five hundred dollars ($500);

(2) For a second offense, a suspension of six (6) months and may be fined five hundred dollars ($500); and

(3) For a third and subsequent offense, a suspension of up to one year. Additionally, any person violating this section a third or subsequent time shall be punished as a civil violation and may be fined one thousand dollars ($1,000).

(b) An order of suspension and impoundment of a license or registration, or both, shall state that date on or before which the person is required to surrender the persons license or certificate of registration and registration plates. The person is deemed to have surrendered the license or certificate of registration and registration plates, in compliance with the order, if the person does either of the following:

(1) On or before the date specified in the order, personally delivers the license or certificate of registration and registration plates, or causes the delivery of those items, to the administrator of the division of motor vehicles or court, whichever issued the order; or

(2) Mails the license or certificate of registration and registration plates to the administrator of the division of motor vehicles, in an envelope or container bearing a postmark showing a date no later than the date specified in the order.

(c) The administrator of the division of motor vehicles shall not restore any operating privileges or registration rights suspended under this section or return any license, certificate of registration, or registration plates impounded under this section unless the rights are not subject to suspension or revocation under any other law and unless the person, in addition to complying with all other conditions required by law for reinstatement of operating privileges or registration rights, complies with all of the following:

(1) Pays a reinstatement fee of thirty dollars ($30.00). The reinstatement fee may be increased, upon approval of the administrator of the division of motor vehicles, up to an amount not exceeding fifty dollars ($50.00); and

(2) Files and maintains proof of financial security. To facilitate the administration of this chapter the clerk of the courts shall notify the administrator of the division of motor vehicles of all persons against whom judgments have been entered arising out of a motor vehicle collision.

(d) For the purpose of this section, an operators policy of liability insurance means a policy issued by an insurance carrier duly authorized to transact business in this state that shall insure the person named in it as insured, against loss from the liability imposed upon him or her by law for damages, including damages for care and loss of services, because of bodily injury to or death of any person and injury to or destruction of property arising out of the use by him or her of any motor vehicle not owned by him or her, subject to the same minimum provisions and approval required by this chapter with respect to an owners policy of liability insurance. With respect to a nonresident, the policy may also be issued by a nonadmitted insurance carrier provided the requirements of this chapter, with respect to issuance of an owners policy of liability insurance by the carrier, have been met.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-24-27 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-24 / Section 31-24-27
§ 31-24-27. Display of lighted lamps required.
Status: in_force

At all times specified in § 31-24-1, at least two (2) lighted lamps shall be displayed one on each side at the front of every motor vehicle other than a motorcycle or motor-driven cycle, except when the vehicle is parked subject to the regulations governing lights on parked vehicles. Violations of this section are subject to fines enumerated in § 31-41.1-4.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-32-18 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-32 / Section 31-32-18
§ 31-32-18. Action on default.
Status: in_force

In the event the judgment debtor fails to pay any installment as specified by the order, then upon notice of default, the division of motor vehicles shall immediately suspend the license, registration, or nonresidents operating privilege of the judgment debtor until the judgment is satisfied, as provided in this chapter.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-3-13 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-3 / Section 31-3-13
§ 31-3-13. Plates for rental or leased vehicles.
Status: in_force

The division of motor vehicles shall issue for every passenger motor vehicle rented or leased without a driver, the same type of registration plates as the type of plates issued for private passenger vehicles. However, if the renter or lessee uses his or her own registration plate on the rented or leased vehicle, that registration plate shall be promptly returned to him or her upon termination of the rental or lease agreement. Should the registration plate not be returned, the division of motor vehicles may be notified by the renter or lessor and the registration shall be cancelled by the division of motor vehicles and the registration plate shall be reissued to the person who rented or leased the motor vehicle.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-26-11 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-26 / Section 31-26-11
§ 31-26-11. Penalties for failure to report.
Status: in_force

The administrator of the division of motor vehicles shall suspend the license or permit to drive, and any nonresident operating privileges, of any person failing to report an accident as provided in this chapter until the report has been filed. Any person convicted of failing to make a report as required in this chapter shall be punished as provided in § 31-27-13.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-14-1 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-14 / Section 31-14-1
§ 31-14-1. Reasonable and prudent speeds.
Status: in_force

No person shall drive a vehicle on a highway at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions and having regard to the actual and potential hazards then existing. In every event, speed shall be so controlled as may be necessary to avoid colliding with any person, vehicle, or other conveyance on or entering the highway in compliance with legal requirements and the duty of all persons to use due care. Violations of this section are subject to fines enumerated in § 31-41.1-4.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-11-25 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-11 / Section 31-11-25
§ 31-11-25. Suspension for failure to pay fine.
Status: in_force

(a) The division of motor vehicles shall suspend the license of a person to operate a motor vehicle upon certification of the clerk of any county of the superior court or any supervising deputy clerk of the district court or a clerk of the traffic tribunal that the person has failed to pay fines or costs imposed for a violation of any provision of this title within the time period provided for payment by the court, or has failed to make satisfactory arrangements with the court for payment of the fines or costs; provided, however, the person shall first be entitled to request an ability to pay hearing by filing a request with the court that imposed the fines or costs.

(b) The suspension shall remain in force until all fines or costs are paid to the respective court or satisfactory arrangements have been made with the court for payment of the fines or costs.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-4-5 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-4 / Section 31-4-5
§ 31-4-5. Dealers exempt from new registration.
Status: in_force

When the transferee of a vehicle is a dealer who holds the vehicle for resale and lawfully operates the vehicle under dealers number plates or when the transferee does not drive the vehicle or permit it to be driven upon the highways, the transferee shall not be required to obtain a new registration of the vehicle.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-47-2 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-47 / Section 31-47-2
§ 31-47-2. Definitions.
Status: in_force

As used in this chapter the term:

(1) Accident or motor vehicle accident means any accident involving a motor vehicle that results in bodily injury to, or death of, any person, or damage to the property of any person in excess of five hundred dollars ($500).

(2) Administrator  means the administrator of the division of motor vehicles in the department of revenue.

(3) Commissioner means the insurance commissioner of this state.

(4) Dealer engaged in the business of leasing motor vehicles means any person engaged in the business of regularly making available, offering to make available, or arranging for another person to use a motor vehicle pursuant to a bailment, lease, or other contractual arrangement.

(5) Driver means every person who drives, or is in actual physical control of, a motor vehicle.

(6) Financial security bond means for each motor vehicle a bond executed by the owner and by a surety company duly authorized to transact business in this state.

(7) Financial security deposit means for each motor vehicle the deposit with the assistant director of seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000) in cash or securities, such as may legally be purchased by savings banks or trust funds, of a market value of seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000).

(8) License includes any license, permit, or privilege to operate a motor vehicle issued under the laws of this state including:

(i) Any temporary instruction permit or examiners driving permit;

(ii) The privilege of any person to drive a motor vehicle whether or not the person holds a valid license; or

(iii) Any nonresidents operating privilege.

(9) Motor vehicle means every vehicle required to display registration plates for operation upon public highways of this state.

(10) Nonresident means every person who is not a resident of this state.

(11) Nonresidents operating privilege means the privilege conferred upon a nonresident by the laws of this state pertaining to the operation by that person of a motor vehicle, or the use of a motor vehicle owned by that person, in this state.

(12) Owner means a person who holds the legal title of a motor vehicle. If a motor vehicle is the subject of an agreement for conditional sale or lease with the right of purchase upon performance of the conditions stated in the agreement and with an immediate right of possession vested in the conditional vendee or lessee, the vendee or lessee is the owner. If a mortgagor of a motor vehicle is entitled to possession, the mortgagor is the owner.

(13)(i) Owners policy of liability insurance means a policy:

(A) Affording coverage as defined in the minimum provisions prescribed in a regulation that shall be promulgated by the commissioner. The commissioner, before promulgating the regulations or any amendments to them, shall consult with all insurers licensed to write automobile liability insurance in this state and shall not prescribe minimum provisions that fail to reflect the provisions of automobile liability insurance policies issued within this state at the date of the regulation or amendment of it. Nothing contained in regulation or in this chapter shall prohibit any insurer from affording coverage under an owners policy of liability insurance more liberal than that required by the minimum provisions. Every owners policy of liability insurance shall provide insurance subject to the regulation against loss from the liability imposed by law for damages, including damages for care and loss of services, because of bodily injury to, or death of, any person and injury to, or destruction of, property arising out of the ownership, maintenance, use, or operation of a specific motor vehicle or motor vehicles within the state of Rhode Island or elsewhere in the United States, in North America, or the Dominion of Canada, subject to a limit, exclusive of interest and costs, with respect to each motor vehicle of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) because of bodily injury to, or death of, one person in any one accident; and subject to the limit for one person, to a limit of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000), because of bodily injury to, or death of, two (2) or more persons in any one accident; and a limit of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) because of injury to, or destruction of, property of others in any one accident; or seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000) combined, single limit. Any insurer authorized to issue an owners policy of liability insurance as provided for in this chapter may, pending the issue of the policy, make an agreement to be known as a binder, or may, in lieu of the policy, issue a renewal endorsement or evidence of renewal of an existing policy, each of which shall be construed to provide indemnity or protection in like manner and to the same extent as the policy. The provisions of this chapter shall apply to such binders, renewal endorsements, or evidences of renewal; and

(B) In the case of a vehicle registered in this state, a policy issued by an insurer duly authorized to transact business in this state; or

(C) In the case of a vehicle registered in another state in the name of a nonresident, either a policy issued by an authorized insurer, or a policy issued by an unauthorized insurer authorized to transact business in the state of the nonresidents residence if the unauthorized insurer files with the commissioner, in a form to be approved by him or her, a statement consenting to service of process and declaring its policies shall be deemed to be varied to comply with the requirements of this chapter; and

(D) The form of which has been approved by the commissioner.

(ii) No such policy shall be issued or delivered in this state until a copy of the form of the policy shall have been on file with the commissioner for at least thirty (30) days, unless sooner approved in writing by the commissioner, nor, if within that period of thirty (30) days, the commissioner shall have notified the carrier in writing that in the commissioners opinion specifying the reasons for it, the form of the policy does not comply with the laws of the state.

(14) Person includes every natural person, firm, partnership, association, or corporation.

(15) Proof of financial security means proof of ability to respond in damages for liability arising out of the ownership, maintenance, or use of a motor vehicle as evidenced by an owners policy of liability insurance, a financial security bond, a financial security deposit, or qualification as a self-insurer under this title, or in the case of a nonresident, under self-insurance provisions of the laws of the jurisdiction of that nonresident. Proof of financial security may be produced in either paper or electronic format. Acceptable electronic formats include display of documentation on any mobile electronic device.

(16) Registration means registration certificates and registration plates issued under the laws of this state pertaining to the registration of motor vehicles.

(17) Self insurer means a person who shall have been determined by the department of business regulation, in accordance with this title, to be financially responsible.

(18) State, when used in this chapter, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, means any state, territory, or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia, or any province of the Dominion of Canada.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-18-12 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-18 / Section 31-18-12
§ 31-18-12. Hitchhiking in road.
Status: in_force

No person shall stand in a roadway for the purpose of soliciting a ride from the driver of any vehicle. Violations of this section are subject to fines enumerated in § 31-41.1-4.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-36-9 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-36 / Section 31-36-9
§ 31-36-9. Assessment on determination of incorrectness of report or on failure to file report.
Status: in_force

(1) Deficiency determination; interest. If the tax administrator is not satisfied with any statement or report or the amount of tax paid to the tax administrator by any person, the tax administrator may compute and determine the amount required to be paid upon the basis of the facts contained in the statement or report or upon the basis of any information in the tax administrators possession or that may come into the tax administrators possession. One or more deficiency determinations may be made of the amount due for one or for more than one month. The amount of the determination, exclusive of penalties, shall bear interest at the annual rate provided by § 44-1-7, as amended, from the twenty-fifth day after the close of the month for which the amount, or any portions of it, should have been paid until the date of payment.

(2) Pecuniary penalties for deficiencies. If any part of the deficiency for which a deficiency determination is made is due to negligence or intentional disregard of the provisions of this chapter, a penalty of ten percent (10%) of the amount of the determination shall be added to it. If any part of the deficiency for which a deficiency determination is made is due to fraud or an intent to evade the provisions of this chapter, a penalty of fifty percent (50%) of the amount of the determination shall be added to it.

(3) Notice of determination. The tax administrator shall give to the distributor or other person against whom any claim is asserted a written notice of the tax administrators determination. Except in the case of fraud, intent to evade the provisions of this article, failure to make a return, or claim for additional amount pursuant to subsections (6) to (9) of this section, every notice of a deficiency determination shall be mailed within three (3) years after the twenty-fifth day of the calendar month following the month for which the amount is proposed to be determined or within three (3) years after the return is filed, whichever period expires later, unless a longer period is agreed upon by the tax administrator and the taxpayer.

(4) Determination without report; interest and penalties. If any person fails to file a report, the tax administrator shall make an estimate of the amount (number of gallons) of fuels purchased, sold or used which is subject to tax. The estimate shall be made for the month or months in respect to which the person failed to file a report and shall be based upon any information which is in the tax administrators possession or may come into the tax administrators possession. Upon the basis of this estimate, the tax administrator shall compute and determine the amount required to be paid to the state, adding to the sum thus arrived at a penalty equal to ten percent (10%) of it. One or more determinations may be made for one or for more than one month. The amount of the determination, exclusive of penalties, shall bear interest at the annual rate provided by § 44-1-7, as amended, from the twenty-fifth day after the close of the month for which the amount or any portion of it should have been paid until the date of payment. If the failure of any person to file a report is due to fraud or an intent to evade the provisions of this chapter, a penalty of fifty percent (50%) of the amount required to be paid by the person, exclusive of penalties, shall be added to it in addition to the ten percent (10%) penalty provided in this section. After making his or her determination the tax administrator shall mail a written notice of the estimate, determination, and penalty.

(5) Jeopardy determinations. If the tax administrator believes that collection of any tax or any amount of tax required to be collected and paid to the state or of any determination will be jeopardized by delay, the tax administrator shall thereupon make a determination of the tax or amount of tax required to be collected, including interest and penalties, if any, noting that fact upon the determination. The amount so determined shall be due and payable immediately upon the mailing by the tax administrator of the notice of that determination.

(6) Finality of determination; time payment due. Unless a hearing shall have been requested as provided in subsection (7) of this section, any determination made by the tax administrator under subsections (1)  (4) of this section shall become final and shall be paid within ten (10) days after mailing by the tax administrator of the notice of the determination. If the determination is not so paid, a further penalty of ten percent (10%) of the amount of the determination, exclusive of interest and other penalties, shall be added to it.

(7) Hearing by administrator on application. Any person aggrieved by any assessment, deficiency, or otherwise, shall notify the tax administrator in writing within thirty (30) days from the date of mailing by the tax administrator of the notice of the assessment and shall request a hearing relative to it. The tax administrator shall, as soon as practicable, fix a time and place for the hearing and shall, after the hearing, determine the correct amount of the tax, interest, and penalties; provided, that when a jeopardy assessment or determination shall be made the hearing shall not be had unless the jeopardy assessment with penalties and interest shall have been paid. The tax administrator may decrease or increase the amount of any determination.

(8) Petition for judicial review; citation and hearing. After a hearing, and provided all taxes, interest, and penalties as determined by the tax administrator have been paid, any person aggrieved by the determination may, within fifteen (15) days from the date of mailing by the tax administrator of the determination, petition the sixth division of the district court, setting forth the reasons why the assessment is alleged to be erroneous and praying relief from it. The clerk of the court shall then issue a citation, substantially in the form provided in § 44-5-26, to summon the tax administrator to answer the petition, and the court shall proceed to hear the petition and to determine the correct amount of the tax, interest, and penalties.

(9) Judgment on review. If, upon final determination of the petition, it shall appear that the tax administrators assessment was correct, the court shall confirm the assessment; or, if incorrect, the court shall determine the proper amount of the tax, interest, and penalties, and it shall appear that the petitioner, by reason of the payment of the tax, interest, and penalties, is entitled to recover the payment or any part of it, the court may order a refund with interest at the annual rate provided by § 44-1-7, as amended, or order a credit, as the circumstances may warrant. If a refund is so ordered, it shall be paid by the general treasurer upon certification of the tax administrator with the approval of the director of administration. If it shall appear that the state is entitled to a greater amount of tax, interest, and penalties than assessed or determined by the tax administrator and paid by the petitioner, the court shall order the payment by the petitioner of any additional amount that the court shall determine, and the petitioner shall immediately pay the amount to the tax administrator. A party aggrieved by a final order of the court may seek review thereof in the supreme court by writ of certiorari in accordance with the procedures contained in § 8-8-32.

(10) Interest and penalties on delinquent payments. Any person who fails to pay any tax to the state or any amount of tax required to be collected and paid to the state, except amounts of determinations made by the tax administrator under subsections (1)  (4) of this section within the time required, shall pay a penalty of ten percent (10%) of the tax or amount of the tax, in addition to the tax or amount of the tax, plus interest at the annual rate provided by § 44-1-7, as amended, from the date on which the tax or amount of the tax required to be collected became due and payable to the state until date of payment.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-20-3 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-20 / Section 31-20-3
§ 31-20-3. Stop signs at dangerous railroad crossings.
Status: in_force

The state traffic commission and local authorities with the approval of the state traffic commission are authorized to designate particularly dangerous highway grade crossings of railroads and to erect stop signs at those crossings. When the stop signs are erected, the driver of any vehicle shall stop within fifty feet (50²) but not less than fifteen feet (15²) from the nearest rail of the railroad and shall proceed only upon exercising due care.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-17-9 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-17 / Section 31-17-9
§ 31-17-9. Yielding to riders on bicycle lane.
Status: in_force

(a) The driver of a vehicle about to cross or to turn left or right across a bicycle lane shall yield the right-of-way to any person operating a bicycle or motorized wheelchair upon the bicycle lane.

(b) Any driver of a vehicle convicted of violating the provisions of this section shall be subject to the fines enumerated in § 31-41.1-4.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-15-14 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-15 / Section 31-15-14
§ 31-15-14. Entry or leaving of limited-access roadways.
Status: in_force

No person shall drive a vehicle onto or from any limited-access roadway except at those entrances and exits that are established by public authority. Violations of this section are subject to fines enumerated in § 31-41.1-4.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-44-7 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-44 / Section 31-44-7
§ 31-44-7. Lease.
Status: in_force

All terms and conditions of the occupancy must be fully disclosed in a written lease by the mobile and manufactured home park owner to any prospective mobile and manufactured home park resident at a reasonable time prior to the rental or occupancy of a mobile and manufactured home space or lot. The disclosures shall include, but shall not be limited to, the following:

(1) The licensee shall agree at all times during the tenancy to:

(i) Maintain the premises when necessary to prevent the accumulation of stagnant water;

(ii) Keep each mobile and manufactured home space or lot marked in such a way that each resident will be certain of his or her area of responsibility;

(iii) Keep any exterior area of the mobile and manufactured home park within his or her control, not the responsibility of each resident, free from any species of weed or plant growth which are noxious or detrimental to the health of the residents;

(iv) Be responsible for the extermination of any insect, rodent, vermin, or other pest dangerous to the health of the residents whenever infestation exists in the area of the mobile and manufactured home park not the responsibility of the resident or in the area for which the resident is responsible including the mobile and manufactured home if the infestation is not the fault of the resident and particularly if the infestation existed prior to the occupancy of the resident claiming relief;

(v) Maintain all mobile and manufactured homes rented by the owner in a condition which is structurally sound and capable of withstanding adverse effects of weather conditions;

(vi) Maintain all electrical, plumbing, gas, or other utilities provided by the licensee in good working condition. In the event of any repairs or construction to any utility in any mobile and manufactured home park, written notice shall be given twenty-four (24) hours prior to the repairs or construction to each tenant of the mobile and manufactured home park, except in cases of emergencies, after which any repair shall be completed within seventy-two (72) hours unless good cause is shown as to why the action or repair has not been completed. No utility shall be discontinued during the repairs or construction for more than three (3) consecutive hours unless the plans have been reviewed by the city or town engineer;

(vii) Maintain all utilities provided to mobile and manufactured homes within the park up to and including the connection to the individual mobile/manufactured home, and all water and sewage lines and connections in good working order, and in the event of any emergency, make necessary arrangements if possible for the provisions of the service on a temporary basis; and there shall be no additional charge for the use of water because a resident has children;

(viii) If the park operator fails to comply with paragraph (vi) or (vii) of this subdivision, the resident may notify the park operator of the residents intention to correct the condition at the park operators expense. After being notified by the resident in writing, if the park operator fails to comply within fourteen (14) days or more promptly as conditions reasonably require in case of emergency, the resident may cause the work to be done by a contractor and, after submitting to the park operator an itemized statement, deduct from the residents rent the actual and reasonable cost of the work.

(ix) Respect the privacy of the resident and if only the mobile and manufactured home space or lot is rented, agree to enter the mobile and manufactured home only with the permission of the owner only after notice to the resident;

(x) Allow all residents freedom of choice in the purchase of all services, pursuant to § 31-44-3 rules and regulations;

(xi) Allow a resident to terminate a rental agreement whenever a change in the location of the residents employment requires a change in the location of his or her residence if the resident gives thirty (30) days notice; provided, that a resident who is a member of the armed forces of the United States may terminate his or her rental agreement with less than thirty (30) days if he or she receives reassignment orders which do not allow prior notification;

(xii) Maintain any road in the mobile and manufactured home park within the licensees control in good condition, provide adequate space for parking of one car for each lot and be responsible for damage to any vehicle, excluding damages from speed bumps, which is the direct result of any unrepaired or poorly maintained access road within the park and that is within the licensees control;

(xiii) Make reasonable rules for guest parking which shall be clearly stated in the rules of the park;

(xiv) Provide a written lease having a term of not less than one year unless the resident requests, in writing, a term for less than one year, or unless a resident in writing states that he or she does not desire a written lease; provided, nothing in this section shall prevent prospective residents from assuming from the current resident the balance of leasehold if same shall have a period of less than one year; provided further the notice of any rental increase shall be provided to the prospective resident in the event that less than sixty (60) days of the leasehold is remaining on the assumed portion of the lease.

(2) The resident shall agree at all times during the tenancy to:

(i) Keep the unit and his or her area of responsibility as marked by the owner in a clean and sanitary condition, free of garbage and rubbish;

(ii) Keep the supplied, basic facilities including any plumbing fixture, cooking and refrigeration equipment, and electrical fixtures in a rented mobile and manufactured home unit in a clean and sanitary condition and exercise reasonable care in their proper use and operation;

(iii) Observe all reasonable rules and regulations of the licensee concerning the use, occupation, and maintenance of the premises, provided the rules and regulations comply with the provisions of § 31-44-3;

(3) Any action on the part of the resident which may be grounds for eviction from the mobile and manufactured home park or termination of the rental agreement shall be clearly stated in it.

(4) The terms for the payment of rent shall be clearly set forth and any charges for services, mobile and manufactured home space or lot rent, unit rent, or any other charge shall be specifically itemized in the rental agreement and in any billing to the resident by the owner. The total rent for the term of the rental agreement shall be stated in it.

(5) The right of the mobile and manufactured home park owner to designate himself or herself as the sole and exclusive agent for the sale of any mobile and manufactured home pursuant to § 31-44-4 sale of mobile and manufactured homes of this chapter shall be clearly stated in the rental agreement.

(6) The lease prescribed by this chapter shall not contain the following:

(i) Any provision allowing less than a seven (7) day grace period in which to pay rent without the assessment of a late charge;

(ii) Any provision allowing the licensee to assess a late charge in excess of five percent (5%) of the monthly rent due;

(iii) Any provision which allows the owner to increase the total rent or change the payment arrangements during the term of the rental agreement; provided that prorated increases for increased taxes only may be added if stated in the original lease;

(iv) Any provision allowing the owner to charge an entrance fee to a resident assuming occupancy, except as provided in this section;

(v) Any provision which denies to the resident the right to treat as a breach of the agreement, a continuing violation by the owner, substantial in nature, of any provisions set forth in the lease or of any state statute unless the owner discontinues the violation within a reasonable time after written notice is given by the resident by registered or certified mail;

(vi) Any provision waiving the restrictions of § 31-44-7.1;

(7) Except as provided in this section, the lease shall be signed by both the mobile and manufactured home park licensee and the mobile and manufactured home park resident and shall contain the notice set forth in § 31-44-8, printed verbatim in a clear and conspicuous manner.

(8) It shall be the obligation of the licensee to abide by all the terms and conditions set forth in this section notwithstanding the execution of written lease of any resident.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-37-11 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-37 / Section 31-37-11
§ 31-37-11. Prices shown on pumps.
Status: in_force

(a) Every retail dealer shall conspicuously display and maintain on each pump or other dispensing device from which motor fuel is sold by the dealer at least one sign and not more than two (2) signs stating the price per gallon and if the sale is by liter, the price per gallon and per liter of each and every motor fuel sold by the dealer from the pump or device. The sign or signs shall be of a size not larger than twenty-four inches (24") by forty-eight inches (48") and shall clearly and legibly state in numbers of uniform size the selling price or prices per gallon, and if the sale is by liter, the price or prices per gallon and per liter of such gasoline sold or offered for sale from the pump or other dispensing device.

(1) The amount of governmental tax to be collected in connection with the sale of the motor fuel shall be stated on the sign or signs separately and apart from the selling price or prices.

(2) All figures upon the signs, except fractions, shall be of the same size. Where fractions are used, the numerator and denominator of the fraction combined shall be of the same size as the whole number used on the sign, and the numerator and denominator shall be of equal size in relation to each other.

(3) All figures or numerals on each sign shall be at least two inches (2") high and all lines or marks used in the making of the figures or numerals shall be at least one-eighth inch (18") in width, and the over-all height of any figure or numeral, except the figure one, shall not be greater than three (3) times the over-all width of the figure or numeral.

(4) Any figure or fraction used in any price computing mechanism, constituting a part of the pump or dispensing device, shall not be considered a sign under the provisions of this chapter.

(b) Any retail dealer operating a full-service and self-service pump, who fails to post the signs as required by this section, shall not charge more for full service than the price listed for self-service pumps.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-36-22 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-36 / Section 31-36-22
§ 31-36-22. Rules and regulations  Forms.
Status: in_force

(a) The tax administrator shall prescribe rules and regulations, not inconsistent with law, to carry into effect the provisions of this chapter and chapter 37 of this title. These rules and regulations, when reasonably designed to carry out the intent and purpose of these chapters, shall be prima facie evidence of their proper interpretation. The rules and regulations may from time to time be amended, suspended, or revoked, in whole or in part, by the tax administrator.

(b) The tax administrator shall prescribe, and shall furnish, any forms necessary or proper for the administration of these chapters.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-10-13 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-10 / Section 31-10-13
§ 31-10-13. Record from other jurisdiction.
Status: in_force

(a) Whenever an application is received from a person previously licensed in another jurisdiction, the division of motor vehicles may request a copy of the operators record from that other jurisdiction. When received, the operators record shall become a part of the operators record in this state with the same force and effect as though entered on the operators record in this state in the original instance.

(b) Whenever the division of motor vehicles receives a request for an operators record from another licensing jurisdiction the record shall be forwarded without charge.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-29-4 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-29 / Section 31-29-4
§ 31-29-4. Agreements subject to statutes  Discretion of governor.
Status: in_force

All agreements entered into by the governor with respect to any subject as to which provision is expressly made by statute shall conform to the provisions of the statute. As to any other subject of reciprocity appropriate to the powers vested in the governor by this chapter, the governor shall have full authority, with the advice of the board, to agree to any terms and conditions that in the governors judgment are best calculated to promote the interests of the state.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-3-93 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-3 / Section 31-3-93
§ 31-3-93. Special plate for the Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation.
Status: in_force

(a) The administrator of the division of motor vehicles is empowered to make available special design motor vehicle registration plates for the not-for-profit entity the Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation. The plates shall be designed to reference the Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation.

(b) The special design plates shall be displayed upon the same registration number assigned to the vehicle for which it was issued and shall be used in place of and in the same manner as the registration plates issued to the vehicle. The original registration plates for the vehicle shall be removed from the vehicle and returned to the division of motor vehicles. The registration certificate for the plates shall be carried in the vehicle, in accordance with § 31-3-9. The registration certificate shall be in effect for the special design plates.

(c) The Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation motor vehicle plates shall be the same size as regular motor vehicle plates and shall be designed in conjunction with the division of motor vehicles and with final approval from the Rhode Island state police.

(d) The Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation plates shall be subject to compliance with § 31-3-117 relating to the number of minimum prepaid orders of plates, per plate type (i.e., passenger, commercial, etc.). The Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation plates shall not be issued unless the minimum order(s) requirements are met. The initial order will be handled by the Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation and shall not be submitted to the division of motor vehicles for production until the minimum order(s) has been met and the proper paperwork submitted to the division.

(e) The administrator of the division of motor vehicles shall develop prepayment procedures and any other procedures deemed necessary to carry out the purposes of this section.

(f) In addition to the regular prescribed motor vehicle registration fees, the Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation plates shall be subject to a forty dollar ($40.00) issuance surcharge.

(g) The forty dollar ($40.00) issuance surcharge shall be allocated as follows: Twenty dollars ($20.00) shall be deposited in the division of motor vehicles manufacturing account and the remaining twenty dollars ($20.00) shall be distributed annually to the Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation in furtherance of their mission to raise breast cancer awareness, increase breast health education, and generate funding for critical breast health programs that are in desperate need of being brought to fruition.

(h) A ten-dollar ($10.00) surcharge for subsequent registration renewals will go to the Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation.

(i) The Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation will be required to submit an annual audit, prepared by a certified public accountant before such monies are distributed.

(j) In consideration of the receipt of funds from the registration of the Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation, the foundation must use any Rhode Island-sourced funds in and for the benefit of Rhode Island.

(k) There shall be no refunds for early cancellation of the Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation plates.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-44-3.1 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-44 / Section 31-44-3.1
§ 31-44-3.1. Sale of mobile home parks  Tenants association right of first refusal.
Status: in_force

(a) In any instance in which a mobile home park owner has been sent a certified letter from an incorporated home owner households association indicating that the association has at least fifty-one percent (51%) of the home owner households residing within that park as members, and has articles of incorporation specifying all rights and powers, including the power to negotiate for, acquire, and operate the mobile home park on behalf of the member residents, then, before a mobile home park may be sold for any purpose and before it may be leased for any purpose that would result in a discontinuance, the owner shall notify the association by certified mail return receipt requested of any bona fide offer that the owner intends to accept, to buy the park or to lease it for a use that would result in a discontinuance. The park owner shall also give notice by certified mail return receipt requested to the incorporated homeowners association of any intention to sell or lease the park for a use which will result in a discontinuance within fourteen (14) days of any advertisement or other public notice by the owner or his or her agent that the park is for sale or the land upon which the park is located is for lease. Nothing in this section shall limit the association from acting as an agent of the residents in any other cause of action, objective or purpose in advancing a stated purpose in the articles of incorporation of the homeowners association.

(b) The notice of pending bona fide sale from the owner must contain at a minimum the following if known and available and applicable to the sale:

(1) An affidavit from the buyer or lessee stating the offered purchase price or offered lease payment;

(2) The terms of seller financing, including the amount, the interest rate and its amortization rate;

(3) The terms of assumable financing, if any, including the amount, the interest rate and its amortization rate;

(4) The legal description and a statement of appraised or assessed value of property included in any land trade involved in the sale of the park;

(5) Proposed improvements to the property to be made by the owner in connection with the sale, or other economic concessions by the owner in connection with the sale, if any;

(6) A statement that the owner will allow reasonable access to the property by parties involved in the potential purchase including, but not limited to, the tenants association, consultants, and lenders;

(7) A statement that the owner will make available to the residents copies of any easements either on or off the property to which the owner is a party and copies of all permits or licenses in force within seven (7) days of a signed purchase and sale agreement with the residents;

(8) A statement that the owner will make available to the residents a survey and legal description of the park, plus an itemized list of monthly operating expenses, utility consumption rates, taxes, insurance and capital expenditures for each of the past three (3) years within seven (7) days of a signed purchase and sale agreement with the residents;

(9) A statement that the owner will make available to the tenants association the most recent rent roll, a list of tenants, a list of vacant units and a statement of the vacancy rate at the park for the three (3) preceding calendar years within seven (7) days of a signed purchase and sale agreement with the residents;

(10) A statement that the owner will make available to the tenants association any available data relating to the past and present existence of hazardous waste either on the property or in close proximity within seven (7) days of a signed purchase and sale agreement with the residents;

(11) A statement that the owner will make available to the tenants association any available data relating to the water, sewer and electrical systems of the park within seven (7) days of a signed purchase and sale agreement with the residents;

(12) A statement that the owner will make available to the tenants association all income and operating expenses relating to the property to be purchased for the three (3) preceding calendar years within seven (7) days of a signed purchase and sale agreement with the residents and any other information that may be required by the lender. Any additional information that is required by the lender shall be kept strictly confidential.

(c) Any incorporated home owners association entitled to notice under this section shall have the right to purchase, in the case of a third party bona fide offer to purchase, or to lease in the case of a third party bona fide offer to lease, the park, provided it meets the same price and the same terms and conditions of any offer of which it is entitled to notice under this section by:

(1) Executing a contract or purchase and sale or lease agreement with the owner within forty-five (45) days of notice of the offer; and

(2) Obtaining any necessary financing or guarantees within an additional one hundred thirty-five (135) days.

(d) No owner shall unreasonably refuse to enter into, or unreasonably delay the execution of a purchase and sale or lease agreement with a home owners association that has made a bona fide offer to meet the same price and the same terms and conditions of an offer for which notice is required to be given pursuant to this section.

(e) The deposit monies must be credited to the purchase price of the mobile home park.

(f) The incorporated home owners association will use diligent efforts to obtain a commitment for financing from a lender by making immediate application for financing upon signing of the purchase and sale agreement. In the event that the incorporated home owners association, with the exercise of reasonable efforts, is unable to obtain necessary financing or comply with other contingencies of the purchase and sale agreement, the incorporated home owners association shall immediately notify the park owner and the deposit shall be returned to the incorporated home owners association.

(g) If the incorporated home owners association shall default in the performance of its obligations as a purchaser under the terms of the purchase and sale agreement, the park owner shall have, as sole and exclusive remedy for the default, the right to retain the deposit as liquidated damages in full settlement and discharge of all obligations of the incorporated home owners association without further recourse in law or equity.

(h) Failure of the incorporated home owners association to execute a purchase and sale agreement or lease within the forty-five (45) day period or to obtain a binding commitment for financing within the one hundred thirty-five (135) day period shall serve to terminate the right of the association to purchase or lease the mobile park home.

(i) Residents shall have a total of one hundred eighty (180) days from the receipt of notice of a bona fide sale to complete a transaction under the right of first refusal legislation. Any delays by the seller in supplying requested information as stated in this legislation or any delay resulting from litigation involving the sale and/or litigation affecting the marketability of the title of the mobile home park shall result in the same number of days over the due date being added to the one hundred eighty (180) days available to the residents for a right of first refusal purchase unless the litigation is frivolous and prompted for the sole purpose of delay by the home owners association.

(j) The time periods provided in this section may be extended by agreement of the association and the owner.

(k) Nothing in this section shall be construed to require an owner to provide financing to any association or to prohibit an owner from requiring an association which is offering to lease a park to have within its possession a sum equivalent to the capitalized value of the proposed rent of the park and requiring that a portion of that sum, of an amount necessary to pay the rent on the park for a period of no greater than two (2) years, be kept in escrow for that purpose during the term of the lease.

(l) The right of first refusal created in this section shall inure to a home owners association for the time periods provided in this section, beginning on the date of notice to the home owners association. The effective period of the right of first refusal shall apply separately for each substantially different bona fide offer to purchase the park or to lease it for a purpose that would result in a discontinuance, and for each offer the same as an offer made more than three (3) months prior to the later offer. However, in the case of the same offer made by a prospective buyer who has previously made an offer for which notice to a home owners association was required by this section, the right of first refusal shall apply only if the subsequent offer is made more than six (6) months after the earlier offer. The right of first refusal shall not apply with respect to any offer received by the owner for which notice to a home owners association is not required pursuant to this section.

(m) No right of first refusal shall apply to a government taking by eminent domain or negotiated purchase, a forced sale pursuant to a foreclosure, transfer by gift, devise, or operation of law, or a sale to a person who would be included within the table of descent and distribution if there were to be a death intestate of a park owner.

(n) In any instance in which the incorporated home owners association of a mobile home park is not the successful purchaser or lessee of the mobile home park, the seller or lessor of the park shall prove compliance with this section by filing an affidavit of compliance in the official land evidence records of the city or town where the property is located within seven (7) days of the sale or lease of the park.

(o) In any instance in which the incorporated homeowners association of a mobile home park is the successful purchaser or lessee of the mobile home park, the association shall have the right to distinguish in terms of lease conditions and rent and fees as between members of said association and non-members of said association. For purposes of this chapter, members of a homeowners association and non-members of a homeowners association shall not be deemed residents of a similar class.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-3-53 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-3 / Section 31-3-53
§ 31-3-53. Veterans plates.
Status: in_force

(a) The registrar of motor vehicles shall issue for any motor vehicle eligible for registration as an automobile, or for any motorcycle eligible for registration as a motorcycle, or for a commercial vehicle having a gross weight of twelve thousand pounds (12,000 lbs.) or less, plates designated as Veteran upon application on proper forms furnished by the administrator of the division of motor vehicles to veterans.

(b) The special plate designated Veteran shall be designed as follows:

(1) Letters and numbers shall be blue in a white background with the words Rhode Island clearly visible at the top center of the plate and the word Veteran visible at the bottom center of the plate.

(2) The background will be a red, white, and blue waving American Flag.

(3) On the top right corner will be a decal with the military branch of the service in which the Veteran served (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Space Force, and Merchant Marines).

(4) For war veterans, a white decal with blue letters with the words War Veteran placed under the military branch decal on the right side of the plate above the validation sticker.

(c) The applicant shall not be required to pay a service charge or a transfer charge for each plate.

(d)(1) The applicant shall be entitled to a plate for each vehicle owned by the applicant.

(2) The applicant shall also be entitled to a plate for one vehicle owned by an entity the applicant owns. The entity must be registered and authorized to conduct business in the state of Rhode Island. The applicant must provide to the division of motor vehicles documentation demonstrating the applicants ownership of the entity.

(e) The owner of a motor vehicle eligible for registration as a commercial vehicle and having a gross weight of twelve thousand pounds (12,000 lbs.) or less who is issued veteran plates shall continue to pay the appropriate commercial registration fee for those plates.

(f)(1) For the purposes of this section, a veteran shall be defined as any person who has served on active duty in the armed forces of the United States. The term veteran shall also include members of the National Guard and Reserves: (i) Called to active duty authorized by the President of the United States or the Secretary of Defense; or (ii) Who have twenty (20) years of service with a letter and record of separation of service.

(2) For the purposes of this section, War Veteran shall be defined as any veteran of any conflict or undeclared war who has earned a campaign ribbon or expeditionary medal for service in either a declared or undeclared war as noted on the war veterans DD-214. Upon the death of the holder of any veteran plates, the plates shall be transferred to the surviving spouse for the spouses lifetime until the spouse remarries.

(g) The veteran or war veteran described in subdivisions (f)(1)(i) or (ii) and (f)(2) must have been honorably discharged from the armed forces of this nation in order to receive plates pursuant to this section and, for purposes of this section, a medical discharge or a general discharge shall be deemed an honorable discharge.

(h) [Deleted by P.L. 2021, ch. 119, § 1 and P.L. 2021, ch. 120, § 1.]

(i) A person shall be eligible for a veterans plate if the persons deceased spouse was eligible for a veterans plate, notwithstanding the fact that the eligible, deceased spouse died prior to the enactment of this section in 1988.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-11-19 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-11 / Section 31-11-19
§ 31-11-19. Permitting child under the age of 16 to drive.
Status: in_force

No person shall cause or knowingly permit his or her child or ward under the age of sixteen (16) years to drive a motor vehicle upon any highway.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-24-39 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-24 / Section 31-24-39
§ 31-24-39. Mounting of reflectors.
Status: in_force

(a) Reflectors. When required by § 31-24-37, reflectors shall be mounted at a height not less than twenty-four inches (24") and not higher than sixty inches (60") above the ground on which the vehicle stands. If the highest part of the permanent structure of the vehicle is less than twenty-four inches (24") the reflector at that point shall be mounted as high as that part of the permanent structure will permit.

(b) The rear reflectors on a pole trailer may be mounted on each side of the bolster or load.

(c) Any required red reflector on the rear of a vehicle may be incorporated with the tail lamp, but the reflector shall meet all the other reflector requirements of this chapter.

(d) Violations of this section are subject to fines enumerated in § 31-41.1-4.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-22-6 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-22 / Section 31-22-6
§ 31-22-6. Coasting prohibited.
Status: in_force

(a) The driver of any motor vehicle when traveling upon a down grade shall not coast with the gears of the vehicle in neutral.

(b) The driver of a commercial motor vehicle, when traveling upon a down grade, shall not coast with the clutch disengaged.

(c) Violations of this section are subject to fines enumerated in § 31-41.1-4.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-32-35 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-32 / Section 31-32-35
§ 31-32-35. Duration of proof  Cancellation or return.
Status: in_force

(a) The division of motor vehicles shall upon request consent to the immediate cancellation of any bond or certificate of insurance, or the division of motor vehicles shall direct and the general treasurer shall return to the person entitled to it any money or securities deposited pursuant to this chapter as proof of financial responsibility, or the division of motor vehicles shall waive the requirement of filing proof, in any of the following events:

(1) At any time after one year from the date the proof was required when, during the one year period preceding the request, the division of motor vehicles has not received record of a conviction or a forfeiture of bail which would require or permit the suspension or revocation of the license, registration, or nonresidents operating privilege of the person by or for whom the proof was furnished;

(2) In the event of the death of the person on whose behalf the proof was filed or the permanent incapacity of the person to operate a motor vehicle; or

(3) In the event the person who has given proof surrenders his or her license and registration to the division of motor vehicles.

(b) Provided, that the division of motor vehicles shall not consent to the cancellation of any bond or the return of any money or securities in the event any action for damages upon a liability covered by the proof is then pending or any judgment upon any liability is then unsatisfied, or in the event the person who has filed the bond or deposited the money or securities has within one year immediately preceding the request been involved as a driver or owner in any motor vehicle accident resulting in injury or damage to the person or property of others. An affidavit of the applicant as to the non-existence of such facts, or that he or she has been released from all of his or her liability, or has been finally adjudicated not to be liable, for the injury or damage, shall be sufficient evidence of it in the absence of evidence to the contrary in the records of the division of motor vehicles.

(c) Whenever any person whose proof has been cancelled or returned under subsection (a)(3) of this section applies for a license or registration within a period of the one year from the date proof was originally required, the application shall be refused unless the applicant shall reestablish the proof for the remainder of the one year period.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-5-10 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-5 / Section 31-5-10
§ 31-5-10. License required for dealers plates.
Status: in_force

(a) No motor vehicle dealer, unless licensed in accordance with §§ 31-5-1  31-5-20, shall be permitted to register or receive or use dealers license plates as limited by the number approved by the department for the dealer.

(b) Whenever the department revokes or suspends a dealers license pursuant to § 31-5-11, or whenever a dealers license expires and is not renewed, the department may take possession of the licensees dealers license, dealers license plates, and temporary plates until said licensee is reinstated by the department.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-23-53 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-23 / Section 31-23-53
§ 31-23-53. School bus public address sound system.
Status: in_force

(a) Every school bus placed in service shall be equipped with a public address sound system which shall be audible from a distance of not less than fifty feet (50²) and shall have a minimum of one speaker mounted outside the bus and a minimum of one speaker mounted inside the bus. The public address system and the method of installation shall be approved and certified by the division of motor vehicles. This system shall be inspected at all regularly scheduled inspections.

(b) When the driver of the school bus has picked up students, the bus will remain stopped, with red lights flashing, until all students are seated. Prior to any student being permitted to disembark from the bus, the driver shall look to see that all approaching traffic has stopped and observed the flashing red signal. After students have disembarked from the bus, the driver shall allow ample time for the students to clear the bus area before closing the doors and then, after remaining stopped for approximately ten (10) seconds, the driver shall announce through the public address system that the bus will proceed.

(c) The department of elementary and secondary education shall require a demonstration of the operation of the public address system at each school. The demonstration shall take place at least two (2) times per year, one of which shall take place during the month of September.

(d) The provisions of this section shall not apply to school buses used exclusively for the transportation of students receiving special education pursuant to chapter 24 of title 16; provided, the school buses without the inside and outside speakers may not be used for students not receiving special education, except for transportation before or after normal school hours. This provision shall be limited to secondary education students.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-25-15 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-25 / Section 31-25-15
§ 31-25-15. Investigations as to safety of buses, trucks, and trailers.
Status: in_force

The administrator of the division of motor vehicles upon registering any truck, truck tractor, or semi-trailer under the laws of this state, or any bus for the transportation of ten (10) or more persons, may require any information and may make any investigation or test as necessary to enable him or her to determine whether the vehicle may safely be operated upon the highways in compliance with all the provisions of chapters 1  27 of this title. The administrator shall register the vehicle for a permissible gross weight not exceeding the limitations set forth in chapters 1  27 of this title.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-33-5 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-33 / Section 31-33-5
§ 31-33-5. Surrender of license and registration.
Status: in_force

(a) Any person whose license or registration shall have been suspended under any provision of chapter 31 or 32 of this title, or whose policy of insurance or bond, when required under it, shall have been canceled or terminated, shall immediately return his or her license and registration to the division of motor vehicles. If any person shall fail to return to the division of motor vehicles the license or registration as provided in these chapters, the division of motor vehicles shall immediately direct any peace officer to secure possession of it and to return the same to the division of motor vehicles.

(b) Any person willfully failing to return a license or registration as required in subsection (a) of this section, shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars ($500) or imprisoned not to exceed thirty (30) days, or both.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-24-1 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-24 / Section 31-24-1
§ 31-24-1. Times when lights required.
Status: in_force

(a) Every vehicle upon a highway within this state at any time from sunset to sunrise and at any other time when windshield wipers are in use, as a result of rain, sleet, snow, hail or other unfavorable atmospheric condition, or at any other time when there is not sufficient light or visibility, because of severe rain or any other condition, to clearly see persons and vehicles on the highway at a distance of five hundred feet (500²) ahead, shall display lighted lamps and illuminating devices as respectively required under this chapter for different classes of vehicles, subject to the exceptions given in this chapter with respect to parked vehicles.

(b) Violations of this section are subject to fines enumerated in § 31-41.1-4.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-36-3 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-36 / Section 31-36-3
§ 31-36-3. Bond of a motor fuel distributor.
Status: in_force

(a) Before the division of taxation shall register a distributor as provided in § 31-36-2, the distributor shall deposit with the Division of Taxation a surety bond running to the general treasurer and in form and substance approved by the division, in amount based upon an estimate of the average annual tax to be paid by the distributor as set forth in subsection (b) of this section, with any surety, if any, that the division may require, conditioned to pay any final judgment obtained against the principal named in the bond for failure to pay any and all taxes assessed under the provisions of this chapter. Provided, however, that any distributor that has paid all taxes assessed under this chapter for three (3) consecutive years shall be exempt from depositing a surety bond thereafter as long as the distributor remains in good standing. In the event a distributor fails to remain in good standing the division shall notify the distributor of the requirement to obtain a new surety bond that must be secured within thirty (30) days of said notice. Any distributor that fails to secure the bond as required under this section shall forfeit its certificate of registration, provided for in § 31-36-2, until such time as the division receives proof that the bond has been secured.

(c) In no event shall the amount of the bond in this section exceed five million dollars ($5,000,000).
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-36-14 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-36 / Section 31-36-14
§ 31-36-14. Purchase for export by distributor licensed in another state.
Status: in_force

Any distributor unlicensed in Rhode Island, who is a licensed distributor in a state outside of Rhode Island, may purchase fuels for export, tax free, after the distributor has first obtained a permit from the administrator for the exportation and shall comply with any rules and regulations that the administrator shall prescribe including the filing of a bond if required by the administrator.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-2-19 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-2 / Section 31-2-19
§ 31-2-19. Appeal from administrator of the division of motor vehicles.
Status: in_force

Any person aggrieved by any order of the administrator of the division of motor vehicles may appeal the order to the sixth division district court by filing, within ten (10) days from the date of the notice to such person of the issuance of the order appealed from, a petition in said court stating the grounds upon which the appeal is taken. Upon the filing of such petition and tendering a twenty-five dollar ($25.00) filing fee, the court shall give thirty (30) days notice of the pendency of the petition to the administrator of the division of motor vehicles by serving the administrator of the division of motor vehicles, in the manner in which subpoenas in equity are served, with a certified copy of the petition and the petition shall follow the course of equity so far as it is applicable. Upon hearing the petition, the court may review the evidence taken at a hearing or investigators reports, or other information upon which the administrators action was taken, and may in its discretion, affirm, overrule, or modify the order of the administrator of the division of motor vehicles. The taking of such appeal shall not operate as a stay of the order of the administrator of the division of motor vehicles from which appeal is taken, and such order shall remain in full force and effect during the pendency of the appeal. A party aggrieved by a final order of the court may seek appellate review pursuant to the procedures set forth in § 42-35-15.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-1-12 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-1 / Section 31-1-12
§ 31-1-12. Explosives and flammable liquids.
Status: in_force

(a) Explosive means any chemical compound or chemical mixture that is commonly used or intended for the purpose of producing an explosion and which contains any oxidizing and combustive units or other ingredients in such proportions, quantities, or packing that an ignition by fire, friction, concussion, percussion, or detonation of any part of the compound or mixture may cause a sudden generation of highly heated gases with resultant gaseous pressures capable of producing destructive effects on contiguous objects or of destroying life or limb.

(b) Flammable liquid means any liquid which has a flash point of seventy degrees Fahrenheit (70 degrees F.), or less, as determined by a tagliabue or equivalent closed cup test device.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-36-11.1 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-36 / Section 31-36-11.1
§ 31-36-11.1. Interest on overpayments.
Status: in_force

If it shall be determined that an overpayment has been made with respect to the tax provided for in this chapter, the amount of the overpayment shall bear interest at the annual rate established by § 44-1-7.1. The acceptance of the check shall be without prejudice to any right of the taxpayer to claim any additional overpayment and interest.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-25-22 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-25 / Section 31-25-22
§ 31-25-22. Application for excess load permit.
Status: in_force

(a) The application for an annual divisible load permit pursuant to § 31-25-21 shall specifically describe the vehicle or vehicles and load to be operated or moved, and the particular highways for which the permit to operate is requested.

(b) For divisible load permits, the specifically described vehicle must be certified originally by the manufacturer to possess the braking and carrying capacity for the weight specified on the application.

(c) Upon approval of the application or renewal of divisible load permits, the department of transportation shall provide the approved permit. The driver must possess the permit and documentation as required by the permit at all times.

(d) [Deleted by P.L. 2022, ch. 178, § 1 and P.L. 2022, ch. 179, § 1.]

(e) Divisible load permit fees for Rhode Island registered vehicles are reflected in the registration fee as enumerated in § 31-6-1(a)(2).

(f) Divisible load permit fees for out-of-state registered vehicles are as follows:

Trailers $100 flat fee.

Single-unit axle trucks $50.00 per 1,000 pounds over legal limit; maximum $1,500.

Maximum permittable loads for single unit trucks:

Tractors $50.00 per 1,000 pounds over legal limit; maximum $1,250.

Tractors may acquire a permit for up to 104,800 lbs.; however the allowable gross weight depends on the total number of axles of the tractor/semi-trailer/trailer configuration being used at the time. Gross weight limits for tractor/semi-trailer/trailer configurations are as follows:

Transfer fee $10.00.

(g) For the purpose of this section, the legal limit is defined as the maximum weight as calculated by the Bridge Formula.

(h) Annual divisible load permits are issued for overweight only and not over-dimensional.

(i) If the annual divisible load permit is used in conjunction with an annual construction equipment blanket permit, the limits and requirements of the blanket construction equipment permit shall supersede the requirements of the divisible load permit. The driver must possess both permits and all required documentation. This shall only apply when divisible load and trailered construction equipment are carried simultaneously.

(j) Violations of this section are subject to fines enumerated in § 31-25-16.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-26-3.2 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-26 / Section 31-26-3.2
§ 31-26-3.2. Immediate notice of accident.
Status: in_force

The driver of a vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury to or death of any person, or any vehicle other than a vehicle moved by human power becoming so disabled as to prevent its normal and safe operation, shall immediately by the quickest means of communication give notice of the accident to the nearest office of a duly authorized police authority.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-36-23 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-36 / Section 31-36-23
§ 31-36-23. Severability.
Status: in_force

The provisions of this chapter and chapter 37 of this title are declared to be severable. In case any part, section, or provision of these chapters is held void by any court of competent jurisdiction, the remaining parts, sections, and provisions of the chapter shall not be impaired or otherwise affected.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-21-6 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-21 / Section 31-21-6
§ 31-21-6. Admission or discharge of passengers.
Status: in_force

The driver of any vehicle admitting or discharging passengers to or from his or her vehicle shall do so as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-19-18 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-19 / Section 31-19-18
§ 31-19-18. Bicycle racing.
Status: in_force

(a) Bicycle racing on the highways is prohibited except as authorized in this section.

(b) Bicycle racing on a highway shall not be unlawful when a racing event has been approved by state or local authorities on any highways under their respective jurisdictions. The approval of bicycle highway racing events shall be granted only under conditions which assure reasonable safety for all race participants, spectators, and other highway users, and which prevent unreasonable interference with traffic flow which would seriously inconvenience other highway users.

(c) By agreement with the approving authority, participants in an approved bicycle highway racing event may be exempted from compliance with any traffic laws otherwise applicable to it, provided that traffic control is adequate to assure the safety of all highway users.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-25-27.12 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-25 / Section 31-25-27.12
§ 31-25-27.12. Commercial vehicles prohibited on Chases Lane in Middletown.
Status: in_force

(a) The operation of commercial vehicles is prohibited on Chases Lane in Middletown.

(b) For purposes of this section, a commercial vehicle is defined as a motor vehicle or combination of vehicles used to transport passengers or property if the motor vehicle:

(1) Has a gross combination weight rating of twenty-six thousand one pounds (26,001 lbs.) or more, or a towed unit with a gross vehicle rating of more than ten thousand pounds (10,000 lbs.) or more, or has a gross vehicle weight rating of twenty-six thousand one pounds (26,001 lbs.) or more; or

(2) Is designed to transport sixteen (16) or more passengers including the driver; or

(3) Is transporting hazardous materials and is required to be placarded in accordance with 49 C.F.R. Part 172, Subpart F, as it may be revised from time to time.

(c) Nothing contained in this section shall affect the use of Chases Lane by:

(1) Any fire truck, town public works department truck, police vehicle, ambulance, school bus, bus serving the area, or other motor truck using such streets or highways in any emergency or engaged in delivering public utilities, goods, wares, merchandising, or materials to or from any residence, residential building, or residential lot within the town bordering on such street; provided further, that the use of Chases Lane for the delivery of goods, wares, merchandising, or materials to or from any commercial business or building, or any commercial lot within the town bordering on such street is specifically prohibited; or

(2) Any farm vehicle as defined in § 31-1-8, which is registered with farm vehicle plates pursuant to § 31-3-31.

(d) In all instances where motor vehicle traffic is restricted or prohibited under this section, the town administrator is directed to cause signs to be erected on such streets or highways giving notice of such, in accordance with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.

(e) Any driver who operates a commercial vehicle in violation of this section shall be subject to a fine of not less than twenty-five dollars ($25.00) for a first violation, fifty dollars ($50.00) for a second violation, and not less than one hundred twenty-five dollars ($125), but no more than five hundred dollars ($500) for each subsequent violation.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-27-4 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-27 / Section 31-27-4
§ 31-27-4. Reckless driving and other offenses against public safety.
Status: in_force

Any person who operates a motor vehicle recklessly so that the lives or safety of the public might be endangered, or operates a vehicle in an attempt to elude or flee from a traffic officer or police vehicle, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor for the first conviction and a felony for the second and each subsequent conviction.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-3-19 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-3 / Section 31-3-19
§ 31-3-19. Registration of race cars.
Status: in_force

The administrator of the division of motor vehicles is authorized to issue a special registration certificate and marker for any motor vehicle constructed to be used for racing, and that must be towed over the public highways to and from such places where those vehicles are to be raced; however, these motor vehicles shall be equipped with adequate brakes and a rear light that shows a red light to the rear and also provides a source of white light to illuminate the rear number plate or marker. The fee for this registration shall be fifteen dollars ($15.00), and the registration shall expire March 31st following the date of issue. The registration plate or marker issued for this motor vehicle shall, in addition to the number assigned, bear a symbol to indicate that the vehicle is to be towed while on the public highways.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-15-12.2 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-15 / Section 31-15-12.2
§ 31-15-12.2. Dont Block the Box.
Status: in_force

(a) No operator of a motor vehicle shall proceed into an intersection that has been designated, posted, and marked by a municipality in accordance with subsection (b), except when making a turn, unless there is sufficient space on the opposite side of the intersection to accommodate such motor vehicle without obstructing the passage of other vehicles or pedestrians, notwithstanding the indication of a traffic control signal that would permit such operator to proceed into the intersection.

(b) Any municipality may, by ordinance, designate one or more intersections within that municipality as Dont Block the Box intersections, to which the provisions of subsection (a) shall apply. The municipality shall:

(1) Post Dont Block the Box signs, as designed by the state traffic commission so as to have conformity in all municipalities, at each such designated intersection indicating that blocking the intersection is prohibited and violators are subject to a fine; and

(2) Mark, in white paint, the boundary of such intersection with a line not less than one-foot in width and the area within such boundary line with parallel diagonal lines not less than one-foot in width.

(c) Prior to January 1, 2017, any motorist who violates this subsection shall be issued a verbal warning only; this verbal warning shall only apply to Dont Block the Box intersections as established by subsection (b).

(d) Effective January 1, 2017, any motorist who commits a first violation of this section shall be fined one hundred dollars ($100); a second violation of this section shall be fined two hundred fifty dollars ($250); and for a third and subsequent violation of this section, five hundred dollars ($500).

(e) Any city or town that determines that it has a traffic and safety problem in its community due to violations of this section on state intersections located within its municipality may petition the state traffic commission, created by § 31-13-1, for permission to paint Dont Block the Box lines in accordance with subsection (b).
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-13-8 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-13 / Section 31-13-8
§ 31-13-8. Pedestrian control signals.
Status: in_force

Whenever special pedestrian control signals exhibiting the words walk or wait or dont walk are in place the signals shall indicate as follows:

(1) Walk. Pedestrians facing the signal may proceed across the roadway in the direction of the signal and shall be given the right-of-way by the drivers of all vehicles.

(2) Wait or dont walk. No pedestrian shall start to cross the roadway in the direction of the signal, but any pedestrian who has partially completed his or her crossing on the walk signal, shall proceed to a sidewalk or safety island while the wait or dont walk signal is showing.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-48-7 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-48 / Section 31-48-7
§ 31-48-7. Severability.
Status: in_force

If any provision of this chapter or the application of it to any person or circumstances is held invalid, the invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of the chapter, which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of this chapter are declared to be severable.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-20-9 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-20 / Section 31-20-9
§ 31-20-9. Obedience to stop signs.
Status: in_force

Every driver of a vehicle approaching a stop sign shall stop before entering the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection. In the event there is no crosswalk, the driver shall stop at a clearly marked stop line, but if none, then at the point nearest the intersecting highway where the driver has a view of approaching traffic on the intersecting highway before entering the intersection, except when directed to proceed by a police officer or traffic control signal. Violations of this section are subject to fines enumerated in § 31-41.1-4.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-17-5 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-17 / Section 31-17-5
§ 31-17-5. Entering from private road or driveway.
Status: in_force

The driver of a vehicle about to enter or cross a highway from a private road or driveway shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles approaching on the highway and to all pedestrians attempting to cross the private road driveway or highway. Violations of this section are subject to the fines enumerated in § 31-41.1-4.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-23-4 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-23 / Section 31-23-4
§ 31-23-4. Brake equipment required.
Status: in_force

(a) Every motor vehicle, other than a motorcycle or motor-driven cycle, when operated upon a highway, shall be equipped with brakes adequate to control the movement of and to stop and hold the vehicle, including two (2) separate means of applying the brakes, each of which means shall be effective to apply the brakes to at least two (2) wheels. If these two separate means of applying the brakes are connected in any way, they shall be so constructed that failure of any one part of the operating mechanism shall not leave the motor vehicle without brakes on at least two (2) wheels.

(b) Every motorcycle, and motor-driven cycle, when operated upon a highway shall be equipped with at least one brake, which may be operated by hand or foot, and which is adequate to control and stop the vehicle.

(c) Every trailer or semi-trailer of a gross weight of four thousand pounds (4,000 lbs.) or more, when operated upon a highway, shall be equipped with brakes adequate to control the movement of and to stop and to hold the vehicle, and so designed as to be applied by the driver of the towing motor vehicle from the drivers normal operating position, and the brakes shall be so designed and connected that in case of an accidental breakaway of the towed vehicle, the brakes shall be automatically applied.

(d) Every new motor vehicle, trailer or semi-trailer sold in this state and operated upon the highways shall be equipped with service brakes upon all wheels of the vehicle, except any motorcycle or motor-driven cycle, and except that any semi-trailer of less than four thousand pounds (4,000 lbs.) gross weight need not be equipped with brakes.

(e) In any combination of motor-drawn vehicles, means shall be provided for applying:

(1) The rearmost trailer brakes, of any trailer equipped with brakes, in approximate synchronism with the brakes on the towing vehicle and developing the required braking effort on the rearmost wheels at the fastest rate; or

(2) Braking effort first on the rearmost trailer equipped with brakes; or

(3) Both of the above means capable of being used alternatively may be employed.

(f) Every motor vehicle, trailer, semi-trailer, and pole trailer, and any combination of those vehicles, except motorcycles and motor-driven cycles, shall be equipped with parking brakes adequate to hold the vehicle on any grade on which it is operated under all conditions of loading on a surface free from snow, ice, or loose material. The parking brakes shall be capable of being applied in conformance with the requirements in this subsection by the drivers muscular effort, by spring action, or by equivalent means. The operation may be assisted by the service brakes or other source of power, provided that failure of the service brake actuation system or other power assisting mechanism will not prevent the parking brakes from being applied in conformance with the requirements in this subsection. The parking brakes shall be so designed that when once applied they shall remain applied with the required effectiveness, despite exhaustion of any source of energy or leakage of any kind. The same brake drums, brake shoes and lining assemblies, brake shoe anchors, and mechanical brake shoe actuation mechanism normally associated with the wheel brake assemblies may be used for both the service brakes and the parking brakes. If the means of applying the parking brakes and the service brakes are connected in any way, they shall be so constructed that failure of any one part shall not leave the vehicle without operative brakes.

(g) The brake shoes operating within or upon the drums on the vehicle wheels of any motor vehicle may be used for both service and hand operation.

(h) It shall be unlawful to sell, offer for sale, or distribute brake linings for use on motor vehicles, unless they are of a type and meet specifications promulgated by the administrator of the division of motor vehicles. The administrator of the division of motor vehicles is authorized and empowered to adopt and amend regulations governing types and promulgate specifications of brake linings which comply with approved standards, as promulgated by the vehicle equipment safety commission, and shall establish and maintain an approved list of brake linings meeting the specifications as established in this chapter. Any person who violates the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a civil violation and is subject to fines enumerated in § 31-41.1-4.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-10-44 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-10 / Section 31-10-44
§ 31-10-44. Medical advisory board.
Status: in_force

(a) There shall be established within the division of motor vehicles a medical advisory board to function solely as an advisory panel to the administrator of the division of motor vehicles on the subjects of physical and mental fitness standards for licensure to operate a motor vehicle and eligibility standards for disability parking privileges. When any persons eligibility or continuing eligibility for a license is questioned on the grounds of physical or mental fitness, the administrator of the division of motor vehicles may consult with relevant specialist members of the medical advisory board in determining that persons qualifications to operate a motor vehicle. The administrator of the division of motor vehicles may also consult with relevant specialist members of the medical advisory board in making determinations of eligibility for disability parking privileges.

(b) In accordance with chapter 35 of title 42, the administrator of the division of motor vehicles shall establish by regulations functional standards for determining physical and mental fitness for motor vehicle licensure. The promulgated standards will be based on current medical knowledge and objective data regarding fitness to safely operate motor vehicles, and will conform to the requirements of the Americans With Disabilities Acts and chapter 87 of title 42. In developing those functional standards the administrator of the division of motor vehicles shall consult with knowledgeable health and rehabilitation professionals including the Medical Society of Rhode Island and the medical advisory board.

(c) The medical board shall consist of a physician in general practice, a neurologist, a psychiatrist, an optometrist, and an orthopedic physician who shall be appointed by the governor; a physician from the Rhode Island department of health designated by the director of health who shall serve ex officio; and two (2) members of the general public approved by the governor, one of whom shall be representative of the elderly, and one of whom shall be representative of the people who are disabled. These members shall be appointed for a period of three (3) years.

(d) Any physician or optometrist who diagnoses a physical or mental condition which in the physicians or optometrists judgment will significantly impair the persons ability to operate safely a motor vehicle may voluntarily report the persons name and other information relevant to the condition to the medical advisory board within the division of motor vehicles.

(e) Any physician or optometrist reporting in good faith and exercising due care shall have immunity from any liability, civil or criminal, that otherwise might result by reason of his or her actions pursuant to this section. No cause of action may be brought against any physician or optometrist for not making a report pursuant to this section.

(f) For the purposes of this section, a physician is any person practicing medicine requiring a license pursuant to chapter 37 of title 5, and an optometrist is any person as defined in § 5-35-1.

(g) Members of the medical board shall not be compensated for their services on the board. They shall meet at the request of the administrator of the division of motor vehicles at a time convenient to them.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-8-6 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-8 / Section 31-8-6
§ 31-8-6. Owner to return evidences of registration upon cancellation, suspension, or revocation.
Status: in_force

Whenever the division of motor vehicles as authorized pursuant to this title cancels, suspends, or revokes the registration of a vehicle, or a certificate of title, registration card or registration plate or plates, or any nonresident or other permit, or the license of any dealer or wrecker, that registration, certificate, or permit shall be invalid and the owner or person in possession of it shall immediately return the evidences of registration, title, or license so canceled, suspended or revoked to the division of motor vehicles. If the owner or person in possession fails to return it the division of motor vehicles may immediately direct any peace officer to secure possession of it and to return it to the division of motor vehicles.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-36-20_31-36-20 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-36 / Section 31-36-20_31-36-20
§ 31-36-20. Disposition of proceeds. [Effective until January 1, 2026.]31-36-20. Disposition of proceeds. [Effective January 1, 2026.]
Status: in_force

(a) Disposition of proceeds.

(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, all moneys paid into the general treasury under the provisions of this chapter or chapter 37 of this title, and title 46 shall be applied to and held in a separate fund and be deposited in any depositories that may be selected by the general treasurer to the credit of the fund, which fund shall be known as the Intermodal Surface Transportation Fund; provided, that in fiscal year 2004 for the months of July through April six and eighty-five hundredth cents ($0.0685) per gallon of the tax imposed and accruing for the liability under the provisions of § 31-36-7, less refunds and credits, shall be transferred to the Rhode Island public transit authority as provided under § 39-18-21. For the months of May and June in fiscal year 2004, the allocation shall be five and five hundredth cents ($0.0505). Thereafter, until fiscal year 2006, the allocation shall be six and twenty-five hundredth cents ($0.0625). For fiscal years 2006 through FY 2008, the allocation shall be seven and twenty-five hundredth cents ($0.0725); provided, that expenditures shall include the costs of a market survey of non-transit users and a management study of the agency to include the feasibility of moving the authority into the department of transportation, both to be conducted under the auspices of the state budget officer. The state budget officer shall hire necessary consultants to perform the studies, and shall direct payment by the authority. Both studies shall be transmitted by the budget officer to the 2006 session of the general assembly, with comments from the authority. For fiscal year 2009, the allocation shall be seven and seventy-five hundredth cents ($0.0775), of which one-half cent ($0.005) shall be derived from the one cent ($0.01) per gallon environmental protection fee pursuant to § 46-12.9-11. For fiscal years 2010 through fiscal year 2025, the allocation shall be nine and seventy-five hundredth cents ($0.0975), of which one-half cent ($0.005) shall be derived from the one cent ($0.01) per gallon environmental protection fee pursuant to § 46-12.9-11. For fiscal years 2026 and thereafter, the allocation shall be eleven and seventy-five hundredths cents ($0.1175) of which one-half cent ($0.005) shall be derived from the one cent ($0.01) per gallon environmental protection fee pursuant to § 46-12.9-11. One cent ($0.01) per gallon shall be transferred to the elderly/disabled transportation program of the department of human services, and the remaining cents per gallon shall be available for general revenue as determined by the following schedule:

(i) For the fiscal year 2000, three and one-fourth cents ($0.0325) shall be available for general revenue.

(ii) For the fiscal year 2001, one and three-fourth cents ($0.0175) shall be available for general revenue.

(iii) For the fiscal year 2002, one-fourth cent ($0.0025) shall be available for general revenue.

(iv) For the fiscal year 2003, two and one-fourth cent ($0.0225) shall be available for general revenue.

(v) For the months of July through April in fiscal year 2004, one and four-tenths cents ($0.014) shall be available for general revenue. For the months of May through June in fiscal year 2004, three and two-tenths cents ($0.032) shall be available for general revenue, and thereafter, until fiscal year 2006, two cents ($0.02) shall be available for general revenue. For fiscal year 2006 through fiscal year 2009 one cent ($0.01) shall be available for general revenue.

(2) All deposits and transfers of funds made by the tax administrator under this section, including those to the Rhode Island public transit authority, the department of human services, the Rhode Island turnpike and bridge authority, and the general fund, shall be made within twenty-four (24) hours of receipt or previous deposit of the funds in question.

(3) Commencing in fiscal year 2004, the director of the Rhode Island department of transportation is authorized to remit, on a monthly or less frequent basis as shall be determined by the director of the Rhode Island department of transportation, or the directors designee, or at the election of the director of the Rhode Island department of transportation, with the approval of the director of the department of administration, to an indenture trustee, administrator, or other third-party fiduciary, in an amount not to exceed two cents ($0.02) per gallon of the gas tax imposed, in order to satisfy debt service payments on aggregate bonds issued pursuant to a joint resolution and enactment approving the financing of various department of transportation projects adopted during the 2003 session of the general assembly, and approved by the governor.

(4) Commencing in fiscal year 2015, three and one-half cents ($0.035) shall be transferred to the Rhode Island turnpike and bridge authority to be used for maintenance, operations, capital expenditures, and debt service on any of its projects as defined in chapter 12 of title 24 in lieu of a toll on the Sakonnet River Bridge. The Rhode Island turnpike and bridge authority is authorized to remit to an indenture trustee, administrator, or other third-party fiduciary any or all of the foregoing transfers in order to satisfy and/or secure its revenue bonds and notes and/or debt service payments thereon, including, but not limited to, the bonds and notes issued pursuant to the Joint Resolution set forth in Section 3 of Article 6 of Chapter 23 of the Public Laws of 2010. Notwithstanding any other provision of said joint resolution, the Rhode Island turnpike and bridge authority is expressly authorized to issue bonds and notes previously authorized under said joint resolution for the purpose of financing all expenses incurred by it for the formerly authorized tolling of the Sakonnet River Bridge and the termination thereof.

(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, all other funds in the fund shall be dedicated to the department of transportation, subject to annual appropriation by the general assembly. The director of transportation shall submit to the general assembly, budget office, and office of the governor annually an accounting of all amounts deposited in and credited to the fund together with a budget for proposed expenditures for the succeeding fiscal year in compliance with §§ 35-3-1 and 35-3-4. On order of the director of transportation, the state controller is authorized and directed to draw his or her orders upon the general treasurer for the payments of any sum or portion of the sum that may be required from time to time upon receipt of properly authenticated vouchers.

(c) At any time the amount of the fund is insufficient to fund the expenditures of the department of transportation, not to exceed the amount authorized by the general assembly, the general treasurer is authorized, with the approval of the governor and the director of administration, in anticipation of the receipts of monies enumerated in this section to advance sums to the fund, for the purposes specified in this section, any funds of the state not specifically held for any particular purpose. However, all the advances made to the fund shall be returned to the general fund immediately upon the receipt by the fund of proceeds resulting from the receipt of monies to the extent of the advances.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-27-17 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-27 / Section 31-27-17
§ 31-27-17. Permitting juvenile to operate an unregistered motorcycle.
Status: in_force

Any person eighteen (18) years of age or older who shall knowingly permit a person under the age of eighteen (18) years to operate a motorcycle as defined in § 31-3-1(h) when either the person under the age of eighteen (18) years of age is not licensed in accordance with the provisions of chapter 10.1 of this title, or where the motorcycle is not registered in accordance with the provisions of chapter 3 of this title, shall upon conviction be fined not more than five hundred dollars ($500).
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-23-42.2 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-23 / Section 31-23-42.2
§ 31-23-42.2. Power equipment on school buses.
Status: in_force

(a) Every new school bus within the state shall be equipped with a dual braking system, including a power braking system, and power steering.

(b) All school buses, model year 2010 and newer, shall have emergency brakes that are equipped with an interlock system so designed that the emergency brake may be released only when the service brake pedal is depressed and the ignition key is inserted in the ignition lock.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-22-2 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-22 / Section 31-22-2
§ 31-22-2. Restrictions on backing.
Status: in_force

The driver of a vehicle shall not back the vehicle unless the movement can be made with reasonable safety and without interfering with other traffic. Violations of this section are subject to fines enumerated in § 31-41.1-4.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-18-10 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-18 / Section 31-18-10
§ 31-18-10. Walking in street prohibited.
Status: in_force

Where sidewalks are provided it shall be unlawful for any pedestrian to walk along and upon an adjacent roadway. Where sidewalks are provided it shall be lawful for a person to run or jog along and upon an adjacent roadway, and if the person shall begin to walk he or she shall walk upon an available sidewalk.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-24-34 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-24 / Section 31-24-34
§ 31-24-34. Dimming of head lamps on parked vehicles.
Status: in_force

Any lighted head lamps upon a parked vehicle shall be depressed or dimmed. Violations of this section are subject to fines enumerated in § 31-41.1-4.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-25-5 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-25 / Section 31-25-5
§ 31-25-5. Maximum length of single vehicle and load.
Status: in_force

(a) No vehicle, including any load on it, except Rhode Island public transit authority articulated buses, shall exceed a length of forty feet (40²) extreme overall dimension inclusive of front and rear bumpers, or in the case of a motor bus, motorized camper or camping recreational vehicle forty-five feet (45²).

(b) Any carrier or persons operating a vehicle that exceeds the maximum length, as permitted or as defined in this section, shall be fined two hundred dollars ($200) per foot over length or portion of it.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-6-15 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-6 / Section 31-6-15
§ 31-6-15. Payment of fees by credit card. [Contingent effective date; see note.]
Status: in_force

(a) The division of motor vehicles may accept payment by credit card of all fees paid to the division of motor vehicles as provided by this chapter.

(b) The division of motor vehicles shall determine which fees may be paid by credit card and the manner in which the payments may be made.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-24-41 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-24 / Section 31-24-41
§ 31-24-41. Visibility of reflectors.
Status: in_force

Every reflector upon any vehicle referred to in § 31-24-37 shall be of a size, have characteristics, and be maintained so as to be readily visible at nighttime from all distances from fifty feet (50²) to five hundred feet (500²) from the vehicle when directly in front of lawful upper beams of head lamps. Reflectors required to be mounted on the sides of the vehicle shall reflect the required color of light to the sides, and those mounted on the rear shall reflect a red color to the rear. Violations of this section are subject to fines enumerated in § 31-41.1-4.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-3-117 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-3 / Section 31-3-117
§ 31-3-117. Minimum prepaid special motor vehicle registration plate orders.
Status: in_force

(a) As to any special motor vehicle registration plates that have been authorized pursuant to this chapter but that have not been issued or printed as of July 2, 2018, because the minimum number of prepaid orders for the plates has not been reached, the minimum number of plates that must be prepaid and ordered prior to the plates being made and issued shall be deemed to be six hundred (600) sets of plates per plate type. If the minimum number of prepaid plates provided pursuant to any other section of this chapter is a higher number, that number shall be deemed reduced to six hundred (600) sets of plates per plate type.

(b) As to any special plates that are authorized pursuant to this chapter after July 2, 2018, the minimum number of plates that must be prepaid and ordered prior to the plates being made and issued shall be six hundred (600) sets of plates per plate type.

(c)(1) Notwithstanding subsections (a) and (b) of this section, the minimum number of prepaid orders for special motor vehicle registration plates that either have been authorized pursuant to this chapter, but have not been issued or printed as of July 2, 2022, because the minimum number of prepaid orders for the plates has not been reached or are authorized pursuant to this chapter after July 2, 2022, may be reduced to one hundred fifty (150) sets of plates per plate type if the applicable sponsoring nonprofit entity delivers to the division of motor vehicles:

(i) Orders for a minimum of one hundred fifty (150) sets of plates per plate type; and

(ii) A nonrefundable payment to compensate for the amount of special plate orders fewer than six hundred (600). The payment shall be calculated as follows: six hundred (600) orders, less the number of orders placed, multiplied by thirty dollars ($30.00).

(2) The portion of the applicable sponsoring nonprofit entitys issuance surcharge that is to be allocated to the general fund shall be deemed paid for the first six hundred (600) sets of plates per plate type issued by the payment in an amount as determined by subsection (c)(1)(ii) of this section.

(3) The division of motor vehicles shall make available plates eligible for issuance pursuant to subsection (c)(1) of this section, no later than six (6) months after receipt of the orders and the nonrefundable payment in the amount determined by subsection (c)(1)(ii) of this section; provided, however, that if multiple orders and payments in amounts pursuant to subsection (c)(1)(ii) of this section are received from different sponsoring nonprofit entities, the division of motor vehicles shall be afforded no more than six (6) months for each separate plate that becomes eligible for issuance and may complete the work necessary for the issuance of one order at a time in the order of receipt.

(4) [Deleted by P.L. 2025, ch. 450, § 1 and P.L. 2025, ch. 451, § 1.]
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-26-3.1 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-26 / Section 31-26-3.1
§ 31-26-3.1. Duty to stop in accidents resulting in death or injury to domesticated animals.
Status: in_force

(a) The driver of any vehicle knowingly involved in an accident resulting in death or injury to a domesticated animal, shall immediately stop the vehicle at the scene of the accident or as close to it as possible, but shall immediately return to and in every event shall remain at the scene of the accident until the driver shall render all possible assistance to the injured animal. The driver shall immediately, by the quickest means of communication known to the driver or which should have reasonably been known to be available to the driver to be available in the locality, give notice of the accident to the owner of the animal if known to the driver or to a nearby office of local or state police. In the event the office so notified does not have jurisdiction of the locale of the accident, it shall be the duty of the officer receiving the notice to give notice immediately of the accident to the office having jurisdiction.

(b) Any person failing to stop or comply with the requirements of this section shall upon conviction be punished by a fine of not more than fifty dollars ($50.00).
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-23-26 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-23 / Section 31-23-26
§ 31-23-26. Fenders and wheel flaps required.
Status: in_force

No person shall operate any motor vehicle on any public highway of this state unless the vehicle is equipped with fenders covering the front wheels of the motor vehicle, or operate any passenger motor vehicle on any public highway equipped with tires which extend beyond the fenders or body of the vehicle unless it is also equipped with flaps or suitable guards to reduce spray or splash to the rear and sides. Violations of this section are subject to fines enumerated in § 31-41.1-4.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-10-6.4 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-10 / Section 31-10-6.4
§ 31-10-6.4. Violations.
Status: in_force

It is unlawful for the holder of a limited learners permit, a temporary permit or a limited provisional license to drive a motor vehicle in violation of the restrictions that apply to that permit or license. Failure to comply with a restriction concerning time of driving or the presence of a supervising driver in the vehicle constitutes operating a motor vehicle without a license. Failure to comply with any other restriction, including seating and passenger limitations, is an infraction punishable by a monetary fine of one hundred dollars ($100) for the first offense, one hundred ten dollars ($110) for the second offense, and one hundred forty dollars ($140) for a third or any subsequent offenses.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-47-7 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-47 / Section 31-47-7
§ 31-47-7. Self-insurers.
Status: in_force

The director of the department of business regulation, in his or her discretion, may upon the application of a person having registered in his or her name in this state more than twenty-five (25) motor vehicles, issue a certificate of self insurance when he or she is reasonably satisfied that the person is possessed, and will continue to be possessed, of financial ability to respond to judgments obtained against the person arising out of the ownership, maintenance, use, or operation of the persons motor vehicles. Entities applying to, or previously authorized to, permissibly self-insure are subject to the jurisdiction of the department of business regulation. Upon due notice and hearing, the director of the department of business regulation may, in his or her discretion and upon reasonable grounds, cancel a certificate of self insurance. The department of business regulation is authorized to promulgate and enforce rules and regulations that may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this section, including, but not limited to:

(1) Obtaining and reviewing financial statements and related information necessary to ascertain the applicants ability to self-insure,

(2) Apportioning the cost of review to the applicant in a manner similar to that utilized to charge insurance companies for review and analysis of their financial statements, and

(3) Imposing and enforcing upon entities authorized to permissibly self-insure any and all claims handling and settlement practices required of insurers in the settlement of claims.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-21-9 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-21 / Section 31-21-9
§ 31-21-9. Angle parking.
Status: in_force

Local authorities may by ordinance permit angle parking on any roadway, except that angle parking shall not be permitted on any federal aid or state highway unless the state traffic commission has determined by resolution or order entered in its minutes, that the roadway is of sufficient width to permit angle parking without interfering with the free movement of traffic.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-10-6.3 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-10 / Section 31-10-6.3
§ 31-10-6.3. Duration and fee.
Status: in_force

A limited instruction permit expires on the eighteenth (18th) birthday of the permit holder. A limited provisional license expires on the eighteenth (18th) birthday of the permit holder. A full operators license shall be issued and expires on the date pursuant to § 31-10-30. The fee for a limited instruction permit or a limited provisional license is ten dollars ($10.00). The fee for a full operators license is the amount prescribed in § 31-10-31.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-3-87 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-3 / Section 31-3-87
§ 31-3-87. Special plate for breast cancer support.
Status: in_force

(a) The administrator of the division of motor vehicles is empowered to make available a special motor vehicle registration plate for victims and survivors of breast cancer. The plate shall bear the designation www.breastcancerRI.org, and shall bear the pink ribbon associated with breast cancer support.

(b) The special plate shall be displayed upon the same registration number assigned to the vehicle for which it was issued, and shall be used in place of, and in the same manner as the registration plates issued to the vehicle. The original registration plates for the vehicle shall be removed from the vehicle and the registration certificate for the plates shall be carried in the vehicle, in accordance with § 31-3-9. The registration certificate shall be in effect for the special plate.

(c) The Breast Cancer Support motor vehicle plates shall be the same size as regular motor vehicle plates and shall be designed in conjunction with the division of motor vehicles, with the design approved by the Rhode Island state police.

(d) The Breast Cancer Support motor vehicle plates shall be subject to a minimum pre-paid order of at least nine hundred (900) plates. Rhode Island breast cancer coalition plates shall not be issued unless the minimum order requirements are met.

(e) The administrator of motor vehicles shall develop application forms, prepayment procedures and any other procedures deemed necessary to carry out the purposes of this section.

(f) In addition to the regular prescribed motor vehicle registration fee, Breast Cancer Support motor vehicle plates shall be subject to a forty dollar ($40.00) issuance surcharge.

(g) The forty dollar ($40.00) issuance surcharge shall be allocated as follows: twenty dollars ($20.00) shall be allocated to the general fund and the remaining twenty dollars ($20.00) shall be distributed annually to the Rhode Island Breast Cancer Coalition.

(h) A ten dollar ($10.00) surcharge for subsequent registration renewals shall be allocated to the Rhode Island Chapter Breast Cancer Coalition.

(i) The Rhode Island Breast Cancer Coalition shall be required to submit an annual audit, prepared by a certified public accountant before such monies are distributed.

(j) There shall be no refunds for early cancellation of Breast Cancer Support motor vehicle plates.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-13-10 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-13 / Section 31-13-10
§ 31-13-10. Unauthorized signs and devices prohibited.
Status: in_force

(a) No person shall place, maintain, or display upon or in view of any highway any unauthorized sign, signal, marking, or device which purports to be or is an imitation of or resembles an official traffic control device or railroad sign or signal, or which attempts to direct the movement of traffic, or which hides from view or interferes with the effectiveness of any official traffic control device or any railroad sign or signal, and no person shall place or maintain upon any highway any traffic sign or signal bearing on it any commercial advertising without the consent of the chief of police of the city or town in which the highway is located. This shall not be deemed to prohibit the erection upon private property adjacent to highways of signs giving useful directional information and of a type that cannot be mistaken for official signs.

(b) Every prohibited sign, signal, or marking is declared to be a public nuisance, and the authority having jurisdiction over the highway is empowered to remove it or cause it to be removed without notice.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-3-17.3 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-3 / Section 31-3-17.3
§ 31-3-17.3. Temporary plates.
Status: in_force

(a) The administrator of motor vehicles may design and issue, under such regulations as he or she shall deem appropriate, temporary registration plates. Any vehicle issued a temporary plate may be operated on the public highways for a period of five (5) days from the date of issuance.

(b) The administrator of motor vehicles shall design and issue, under such regulations as he or she shall deem appropriate, temporary registration plates to be issued by horse trailer dealers for the use on horse trailers. Any horse trailer issued a temporary plate may be operated on the public highways for a period of twenty (20) days from the date of issuance.

(c) Temporary plates shall be issued at a charge of ten dollars ($10.00) per plate.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-34-5 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-34 / Section 31-34-5
§ 31-34-5. Failure to comply.
Status: in_force

The division of motor vehicles shall cancel the registration of any motor vehicle rented without a driver whenever the division of motor vehicles ascertains that the owner has failed or is unable to comply with the requirements of this chapter.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-13-13 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-13 / Section 31-13-13
§ 31-13-13. Hospital sign indicating emergency treatment facility.
Status: in_force

The director of transportation is directed to include on all signs indicating a hospital area, directions to a hospital, or the presence of a hospital, and whether the hospital has an emergency treatment facility.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-24-42 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-24 / Section 31-24-42
§ 31-24-42. Visibility of front and rear clearance lamps.
Status: in_force

Front and rear clearance lamps shall be capable of being seen and distinguished under normal atmospheric conditions at the times lights are required at a distance of five hundred feet (500²) from the front and rear, respectively, of the vehicle. Violations of this section are subject to fines enumerated in § 31-41.1-4.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-12-14 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-12 / Section 31-12-14
§ 31-12-14. State approval for traffic control devices on state highways.
Status: in_force

No local authority shall erect or maintain any stop sign or traffic control signal at any location so as to require the traffic on any state highway to stop before entering or crossing any intersecting highway unless approval in writing has first been obtained from the state traffic commission.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-44-5 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-44 / Section 31-44-5
§ 31-44-5. Reprisals.
Status: in_force

(a) No licensee shall take reprisal(s) against a resident or prospective resident or association formed pursuant to § 31-44-3.1.

(b) An increase in rent, nonrenewal of lease, refusal to offer a lease, or termination of tenancy, taken by a licensee against a resident, prospective resident, or association within six (6) months after the resident, prospective resident, or association has taken any protected lawful action, shall create a rebuttable presumption that the act by the licensee is a reprisal. Reprisal may be pleaded as a defense in any court proceeding brought against a resident or prospective resident after he or she has taken any protected lawful action.

(c) In addition to any other remedy under this chapter, a resident, prospective resident, or association who has been the subject of a reprisal shall be entitled to the remedies provided for retaliatory actions in § 34-18-46.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-2-21 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-2 / Section 31-2-21
§ 31-2-21. Record of hearings.
Status: in_force

In all administrative hearings conducted by personnel of the division of motor vehicles involving the issuance, revocation, or suspension of licenses to operate vehicles or the registration of vehicles, a taped recording of that hearing may be made part of the record. In case of appeal to a court, copies of those tapes in lieu of a transcript shall be made available without charge to the operator, owner, or his or her representative.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-10-22 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-10 / Section 31-10-22
§ 31-10-22. Road test.
Status: in_force

(a) All applicants for a motor vehicle license shall pass a motor vehicle road test as prescribed by the administrator of the division of motor vehicles in a motor vehicle supplied by the applicant or in a dual-controlled motor vehicle supplied by the state. In the case of the examination for a chauffeur to operate a truck, tractor, trailer, tractor semi-trailer, bus, or other vehicle for hire, or a person who will operate only a vehicle equipped with automatic shift, or a person who is disabled and requires the use of a specially equipped motor vehicle, the person shall be examined in a vehicle furnished by the person. At the option of any person who is disabled, the road test shall be administered by the local office of the division of motor vehicles nearest that persons home. A fee of twenty-five dollars ($25) shall be charged for all road tests, including repeat road tests, following failure of a road test.

(b) Any applicant for a motor vehicle license with limited English proficiency (LEP) may, during the road test, be accompanied by an interpreter, at the applicants own expense and choosing, who may translate the road test examiners directions to the applicant. The interpreter shall be eighteen (18) years of age or older. The applicant shall be responsible for and assume all liability for the presence of the interpreter in the motor vehicle. The division of motor vehicles is authorized and directed to promulgate rules and regulations necessary to carry out the provisions of this subsection.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-3-112 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-3 / Section 31-3-112
§ 31-3-112. Special plate for Gaspee Days Committee.
Status: in_force

(a) The administrator of the division of motor vehicles is empowered to make available special motor vehicle registration plates for the Gaspee Days Committee (hereafter referred to as the Gaspee Days committee). The plates shall be designed to reference the Gaspee Days committee.

(b) The special plate shall be displayed upon the same registration number assigned to the vehicle for which it was issued and shall be used in place of, and in the same manner as, the registration plates issued to the vehicle. The original registration plates for the vehicle shall be removed from the vehicle and returned to the division of motor vehicles. The registration certificate for the plates shall be carried in the vehicle in accordance with § 31-3-9. The registration certificate shall be in effect for the special plates.

(c) The Gaspee Days committee motor vehicle plates shall be the same size as regular motor vehicle plates and shall be designed by the Gaspee Days committee, in conjunction with the division of motor vehicles, with design approval by the Rhode Island state police.

(d) The Gaspee Days committee plates shall be subject to a minimum prepaid order of at least nine hundred (900) sets of plates per plate type (i.e. passenger, commercial, etc.). The Gaspee Days committee plates shall not be issued unless the minimum order(s) requirements are met. The initial order will be handled by the Gaspee Days committee and shall not be submitted to the division of motor vehicles for production until the minimum order(s) have been met and the proper paperwork submitted to the division.

(e) The administrator of the division of motor vehicles shall develop prepayment procedures and any other procedures deemed necessary to carry out the purposes of this section.

(f) In addition to the regular prescribed motor vehicle registration fee, the Gaspee Days committee plates shall be subject to a forty-dollar ($40.00) issuance surcharge.

(g) The forty-dollar ($40.00) issuance surcharge shall be allocated as follows: Twenty dollars ($20.00) shall be allocated to the general fund and the remaining twenty dollars ($20.00) shall be distributed annually to the Gaspee Days committee in furtherance of its mission.

(h) A ten-dollar ($10.00) surcharge for subsequent registration renewals shall be allocated to the Gaspee Days committee.

(i) In consideration of the receipt of funds from the registration of the Gaspee Days plates, the foundation must use any Rhode Island sourced funds, in, and for the benefit of, Rhode Island-based charitable organizations.

(j) The Gaspee Days committee shall be required to submit an annual accounting report before such monies are distributed.

(k) There shall be no refunds for early cancellation of Gaspee Days committee plates.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-19-19 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-19 / Section 31-19-19
§ 31-19-19. Use of coasters, roller skates, and similar devices restricted.
Status: in_force

No person upon roller skates, or riding in or by means of any coaster, toy vehicle, or similar device, shall go upon any roadway except while crossing a street on a crosswalk, and when so crossing, the person shall be granted all of the rights and shall be subject to all of the duties applicable to pedestrians. This section shall not apply upon any street while set aside as a play street by a duly authorized police authority.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-27-4.4 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-27 / Section 31-27-4.4
§ 31-27-4.4. Motor vehicle forfeiture procedure.
Status: in_force

(a) Any criminal complaint, information, or indictment charging a violation of § 31-27-4.1 shall set forth with reasonable particularity the motor vehicle that the attorney general seeks to forfeit pursuant to this section.

(b)(1) The court may, upon application of the attorney general, enter a restraining order or injunction, require any person claiming any interest in the subject vehicle to execute a satisfactory performance bond to the state, or take any other action to preserve the availability of the vehicle subject to forfeiture described in § 31-27-4.3, whether prior or subsequent to the filing of a complaint, indictment, or information.

(2) Written notice and an opportunity for a hearing shall be afforded to persons appearing to have an interest in the vehicle, the hearing, however, to be limited to the issues of whether:

(i) There is a substantial probability that the state will prevail on the issue of forfeiture and that failure to enter the order will result in the vehicle being destroyed, conveyed, encumbered or further encumbered, removed from the jurisdiction of the court, depreciated in value or otherwise made unavailable for forfeiture; and

(ii) The need to preserve the availability of the vehicle through the entry of the requested order outweighs the hardship on any party against whom the order is to be entered.

(c)(1) A temporary restraining order under this section may be entered upon application of the attorney general without notice or opportunity for a hearing when a complaint, information, or indictment has not yet been filed with respect to the vehicle if the attorney general demonstrates that there is probable cause to believe that the vehicle with respect to which the order is sought would, in the event of conviction, be subject to forfeiture under § 31-27-4.3 and that provision of notice will jeopardize the availability of the vehicle for forfeiture. The temporary restraining order shall expire within ten (10) days of the date on which it is entered unless extended for good cause shown or unless the party against whom it is entered consents to an extension for a longer period.

(2) A hearing requested by any party in interest concerning an order entered under this subsection shall be held at the earliest possible time and prior to the expiration of the temporary order.

(3) The court may receive and consider, at the hearing held pursuant to this subsection, evidence and information that would be inadmissible in court.

(d) Upon conviction of a person for the covered offense, the court may enter a judgment of forfeiture of the vehicle described in § 31-27-4.1 to the state and may also authorize the attorney general to seize the motor vehicle ordered forfeited upon any terms and conditions that the court shall deem proper. Following the entry of an order declaring the vehicle forfeited, the court may, upon application of the attorney general:

(1) Enter appropriate restraining orders or injunctions;

(2) Require the execution of satisfactory performance bonds, appoint receivers, conservators, appraisers, accountants, or trustees; or

(3) Take any other action to protect the interest of the state in the property ordered forfeited.

(e) All right, title, and interest in the vehicle described in § 31-27-4.1 vests in the state upon the commission of the act giving rise to forfeiture under this chapter. Any such vehicle that is subsequently transferred to any person may be the subject of a special verdict of forfeiture and shall be ordered forfeited to the state, unless the transferee establishes in a hearing pursuant to subsection (f) of this section that he or she is a bona fide purchaser for value of the vehicle who at the time of purchase was reasonably without cause to believe that the vehicle was subject to forfeiture.

(f) Procedures subsequent to the special verdict of forfeiture shall be as follows:

(1) Following the entry of an order of forfeiture under this section, the state shall publish notice of the order and of its intent to dispose of the vehicle once per week for at least three (3) weeks in any manner that the attorney general may provide by regulation. The attorney general shall also, to the extent practicable, provide written notice to all parties known to have an interest in the vehicle and all parties whose identity is reasonably subject to discovery and who may have an interest in the forfeited vehicle.

(2) Any person, other than the defendant, asserting any interest in the vehicle that has been ordered forfeited to the state pursuant to this section may, within one hundred eighty (180) days of the final publication of notice or his or her receipt of notice under subdivision (1) of this subsection, whichever is earlier, petition the court for a hearing to adjudicate the validity of his or her alleged interest in the vehicle.

(3) The petition shall be signed by the petitioner under penalty of perjury and shall set forth the nature and extent of the petitioners right, title, or interest in the vehicle; any additional facts supporting the petitioners claim; and the relief sought.

(4) The hearing on the petition shall, to the extent practicable and consistent with the interest of justice, be held within thirty (30) days of the filing of the petition. The court may consolidate the hearing on the petition with a hearing on any other petition filed by a person other than the defendant and concerning the same vehicle.

(5) At a hearing, the petitioner may testify and present evidence and witnesses on his or her own behalf, and cross-examine witnesses who appear at the hearing. The state may present evidence and witnesses in rebuttal and in defense of its claim to the vehicle and cross-examine witnesses who appear at the hearing. In addition to testimony and evidence presented at the hearing, the court shall consider the relevant portions of the record of the criminal case that resulted in the order of forfeiture.

(6) In accordance with its findings at the hearing, the court shall amend the order of forfeiture if it determines that the petitioner has established by a preponderance of the evidence that:

(i) The petitioner has a right, title, or interest in the vehicle, and the right, title or interest was vested in the petitioner rather than the defendant or was superior to any right, title, or interest of the defendant at the time of the commission of the acts which gave rise to the forfeiture of the vehicle under this section; or

(ii) The petitioner is a bona fide purchaser for value of any right, title or interest in the vehicle and was at the time of purchase reasonably without cause to believe that the property was subject to forfeiture under this section.

(7) Following the courts disposition of all petitions filed under this section, or if no such petitions are filed, following the expiration of the period provided in this section for the filing of the petitions, the state shall have clear title to the vehicle that is the subject of the order of forfeiture and shall transfer good and sufficient title to any subsequent purchaser, transferee, or fund as provided in this chapter.

(8) Except as provided in this section, no party claiming an interest in the vehicle subject to forfeiture under this section may:

(i) Intervene in a trial or appeal of a criminal case involving the forfeiture of the property; or

(ii) Commence any action against the state concerning the validity of the alleged interest.

(g) In order to facilitate the identification or location of the vehicle declared forfeited and to facilitate the disposition of petitions filed pursuant to this section after the entry of an order declaring a vehicle forfeited to the state, the court may, upon application of the attorney general, order that the testimony of any witness relating to the forfeited vehicle be taken by deposition and that any designated book, paper, document, record, recording (electronic or otherwise), or other material not privileged, be produced at the same time and place, in the same manner as provided for the taking of depositions under the Rules of Civil Procedure.

(h) If the vehicle described in § 31-27-4.1: (1) cannot be located; (2) has been transferred to, sold to or deposited with a third party; (3) has been placed beyond the jurisdiction of the court; (4) has been substantially diminished in value by any act or omission of the defendant; the court shall order the forfeiture of any other property of the defendant up to the value of the subject property.

(i) The court shall have jurisdiction to enter orders as provided in this section without regard to the location of any property that may be subject to forfeiture under this section or that has been ordered forfeited under this section.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-5-36 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-5 / Section 31-5-36
§ 31-5-36. Denial of license  Hearing.
Status: in_force

The department may, without prior notice, deny an application for a license within thirty (30) days of the receipt of an application, by written notice to the applicant stating the grounds for the denial. Upon a request by an applicant who is so denied a license, the department shall set the time and place of a hearing upon the denial and the department shall conduct the hearing with reasonable promptness.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-7-1 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-7 / Section 31-7-1
§ 31-7-1. Right to operate on foreign registration.
Status: in_force

(a) A nonresident owner, except as otherwise provided in §§ 31-7-2 and 31-7-3, owning any foreign vehicle of a type otherwise subject to registration pursuant to this title, may operate or permit the operation of that vehicle within this state without registering the vehicle in, or paying any fees to, this state subject to the condition that the vehicle at all times, when operated in this state, is duly registered in, and displays upon it, a valid registration card and registration plate or plates issued for that vehicle in the place of residence of that owner.

(b) Any foreign vehicle(s) parked or garaged overnight in this state for more than thirty (30) days in the aggregate in any one year that is owned and/or operated by a resident of this state as defined in § 31-1-18 shall register the vehicle(s) and pay the same fee that is required with reference to like vehicle(s) owned by residents of this state. The state police and local police departments, upon observation of a foreign-registered vehicle present within the state for thirty (30) days or more shall identify the owner of the vehicle and, if a Rhode Island resident, provide a notice containing a copy of this section to the owner and to the tax assessor in the city or town in which the vehicle is located.

(c) Any domiciled resident of this state who owns a vehicle that is registered in another state shall file an annual report with the administrator of the division of motor vehicles of this state and with the tax assessor of the city or town in which the domiciled resident resides, stating the make, model, year, and validation of the vehicle and the reason for registering the vehicle in the foreign state. Failure to comply with the terms of this subsection shall be subject to a civil fine of not more than five hundred dollars ($500) for every foreign vehicle. This provision shall not apply to military personnel assigned to duty outside of the state of Rhode Island and for a period of thirty (30) days after discharge.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-22-20 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-22 / Section 31-22-20
§ 31-22-20. Solicitation on roadways, permit required.
Status: in_force

No person shall distribute literature to, request donations from, or in any other manner perform acts of solicitation of any type directed at the operator or any passenger of any motor vehicle in a travel lane, including motor vehicles stopped at intersections or in obedience to any traffic control device, or on any public street or highways within the state, without first obtaining from the city or town council of the municipality involved a permit to conduct the solicitation. Solicitation without a permit, or in violation of the terms and conditions of a permit, shall be subject to the penalties provided for by the citys or towns applicable code or ordinance for violations.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-15-15 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-15 / Section 31-15-15
§ 31-15-15. Designation and posting of controlled-access roadways.
Status: in_force

(a) The state traffic commission may, by resolution or order entered in its minutes, and local authorities may by ordinance with respect to any controlled-access roadway under their respective jurisdictions, prohibit the use of a roadway by pedestrians, bicycles, or other non-motorized traffic or by any person operating a motordriven cycle.

(b) The state traffic commission or the local authority adopting the prohibitory regulations shall erect and maintain official signs on the controlled access roadway on which the regulations are applicable and when so erected no person shall disobey the restrictions stated on the signs.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-10-35 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-10 / Section 31-10-35
§ 31-10-35. Commercial drivers school license required.
Status: in_force

No person, unless licensed under the provisions of this chapter, shall engage in the business of giving instruction for compensation in the driving of motor vehicles and motorcycles. However, no license shall be required of a person who is engaged in teaching in a regularly recognized secondary school or college driver training program or a program in § 31-10.1-1.2, which is approved by the division of motor vehicles.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-4-2 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-4 / Section 31-4-2
§ 31-4-2. Endorsement and forwarding of registration card.
Status: in_force

The owner shall also endorse the name and address of the transferee and the date of transfer upon the reverse side of the registration card issued for the vehicle and shall immediately forward the card to the division of motor vehicles. However, the number plates need not be returned if the owner shall, within ten (10) days of such transfer or assignment, secure the registration of another vehicle.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-20-13 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-20 / Section 31-20-13
§ 31-20-13. School buses stopped on divided highway or in loading zone.
Status: in_force

When operating a vehicle upon a highway, the driver need not stop upon meeting or passing a bus marked as school bus in accordance with § 31-20-11 in the following circumstances:

(1) When a highway is a divided highway and the bus is stopped in the roadway on one side of the divided highway and the driver is operating on the other side of it.

(2) When the bus is stopped in a loading zone adjacent to a limited access highway and pedestrians are not permitted to cross the highway.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-13-6 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-13 / Section 31-13-6
§ 31-13-6. Meaning of traffic control signals.
Status: in_force

Traffic control signals shall have the following meanings for vehicles and pedestrians:

(1) Steady green signals shall have the following meanings:

(i) Vehicular traffic facing a circular green signal is permitted to proceed straight through or turn right or left or make a U-turn movement, except as such movement is prohibited by lane-use signs, turn prohibition signs, lane markings, separate turn signal, or other traffic control devices.

(A) Vehicular traffic, including vehicles turning right or left or making a U-turn movement, shall yield the right-of-way to:

(I) Pedestrians lawfully within an associated crosswalk; and

(II) Other vehicles lawfully within the intersection.

(B) Vehicular traffic turning left or making a U-turn movement to the left shall yield the right-of-way to other vehicles approaching from the opposite direction so closely as to constitute an immediate hazard during the time when such turning vehicle is moving across or within the intersection.

(ii) Pedestrians facing a circular green signal, unless otherwise directed by a pedestrian signal or other traffic control device, are permitted to proceed across the roadway within any marked or unmarked associated crosswalk. The pedestrian shall yield the right-of-way to vehicles lawfully within the intersection or so close as to create an immediate hazard at the time that the green signal is first displayed.

(iii) A bicyclist facing a green bicycle signal may proceed straight through or turn right or left unless a sign at that place prohibits either turn. The bicyclist shall yield the right-of-way to other vehicles within the intersection at the time the green bicycle signal is shown.

(iv) Vehicular traffic facing a green arrow signal, displayed alone or in combination with another signal, is permitted to cautiously enter the intersection only to make the movement indicated by the arrow, or such other movement as is permitted by other signals displayed at the same time.

(A) Vehicular traffic, including vehicles turning right or left or making a U-turn movement, shall yield the right-of-way to:

(I) Pedestrians lawfully within an associated crosswalk; and

(II) Other vehicles lawfully within the intersection.

(v) Pedestrians facing a green arrow signal, unless otherwise directed by a pedestrian signal or other traffic control device, shall not cross the roadway.

(2) Steady yellow signals shall have the following meanings:

(i) Vehicular traffic facing a steady circular yellow signal is warned that the related green movement is being terminated and that a steady red signal will be displayed immediately thereafter when vehicular traffic shall not enter the intersection. The rules set forth concerning vehicular operation under the movement(s) being terminated shall continue to apply while the steady circular yellow signal indication is displayed.

(ii) A bicyclist facing a steady yellow bicycle signal is thereby warned that the related right-of-way is being terminated and that a red bicycle signal will be shown immediately. A bicyclist facing a steady yellow bicycle signal shall stop at a clearly marked stop line, but if none, shall stop before entering the marked crosswalk on the near side of the intersection, or if there is no marked crosswalk, then before entering the intersection. If a bicyclist cannot stop safely, the bicyclist may proceed cautiously through the intersection.

(iii) Vehicular traffic facing a steady yellow arrow signal is warned that the related green arrow movement or the related flashing arrow movement is being terminated. The rules set forth concerning vehicular operation under the movement(s) being terminated shall continue to apply while the steady yellow arrow signal is displayed.

(iv) Pedestrians facing a steady circular yellow or yellow arrow signal, unless otherwise directed by a pedestrian signal or other traffic control device, shall not start to cross the roadway.

(3) Steady red signals shall have the following meanings:

(i) Vehicular traffic facing a steady circular red signal, unless entering the intersection to make another movement permitted by another signal, shall stop at a clearly marked stop line; but if there is no stop line, traffic shall stop before entering the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection; or if there is no crosswalk, then before entering the intersection; and shall remain stopped until a signal to proceed is displayed, or as provided below:

(A) Except when a traffic control device is in a place prohibiting a turn on red or a steady red arrow signal is displayed, vehicular traffic facing a steady circular red signal is permitted to enter the intersection to turn right. The right to proceed with the turn shall be subject to the rules applicable after making a stop at a stop sign.

(ii) Vehicular traffic facing a steady red arrow signal shall not enter the intersection to make the movement indicated by the arrow, unless entering the intersection to make another movement permitted by another signal, and shall stop at a clearly marked stop line; but if there is no stop line, before entering the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection; or if there is no crosswalk, then before entering the intersection; and shall remain stopped until a signal or other traffic control device permitting the movement indicated by the red arrow is displayed.

(iii) Pedestrians facing a steady circular red or steady red arrow signal shall not enter the roadway, unless otherwise directed by a pedestrian signal or other traffic control device.

(iv) A bicyclist facing a steady red bicycle signal shall stop at a clearly marked stop line, but if none, before entering the marked crosswalk on the near side of the intersection, or if there is no marked crosswalk, then before entering the intersection. The bicyclist shall remain stopped until a green bicycle signal is shown.

(4) Flashing yellow signals shall have the following meanings:

(i) Vehicular traffic on an approach to an intersection facing a flashing circular yellow signal is permitted to cautiously enter the intersection to proceed straight through or turn right or left or make a U-turn except as such movement is prohibited by lane-use signs, turn prohibition signs, lane markings, turn signals, or other traffic control devices.

(A) Such vehicular traffic, including vehicles turning right or left or making a U-turn, shall yield the right-of-way to:

(I) Pedestrians lawfully within an associated crosswalk; and

(II) Other vehicles lawfully within the intersection.

(B) Vehicular traffic turning left or making a U-turn to the left shall yield the right-of-way to other vehicles approaching from the opposite direction so closely as to constitute an immediate hazard during the time when the turning vehicle is moving across or within the intersection.

(ii) When a flashing circular yellow signal(s) is displayed as a beacon to supplement another traffic control device, road users are notified that there is a need to pay extra attention to the message contained thereon or that the regulatory or warning requirements of the other traffic control device, which may not be applicable at all times, are currently in force.

(iii) Vehicular traffic, on an approach to an intersection facing a flashing yellow arrow signal, displayed alone or in combination with another signal, is permitted to cautiously enter the intersection only to make the movement indicated by such arrow, or other such movement as is permitted by other signal displayed at the same time.

(A) Vehicular traffic, including vehicles turning right or left or making a U-turn, shall yield the right-of-way to:

(I) Pedestrians lawfully within an associated crosswalk; and

(II) Other vehicles lawfully within the intersection.

(B) Vehicular traffic turning left or making a U-turn to the left shall yield the right-of-way to other vehicles approaching from the opposite direction so closely as to constitute an immediate hazard during the time when the turning vehicle is moving across or within the intersection.

(iv) Pedestrians facing any flashing yellow signal at an intersection, unless otherwise directed by a pedestrian signal or other traffic control device, are permitted to proceed across the roadway within any marked or unmarked associated crosswalk. Pedestrians shall yield the right-of-way to vehicles lawfully within the intersection at the time that the flashing yellow signal is first displayed.

(5) Flashing red signals shall have the following meanings:

(i) Vehicular traffic, on an approach to an intersection facing a flashing circular red signal shall stop at a clearly marked stop line; but if there is no stop line, before entering the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection; or if there is no crosswalk, at the point nearest the intersecting roadway where the driver has a view of approaching traffic on the intersecting roadway before entering the intersection. The right to proceed shall be subject to the rules applicable after making a stop at a stop sign.

(ii) When a flashing circular red signal(s) is displayed as a beacon to supplement another traffic control device, road users are notified that there is a need to pay extra attention to the message contained thereon or that the regulatory requirements of the other traffic control device, which may not be applicable at all times, are currently in force.

(iii) Vehicular traffic, on an approach to an intersection, facing a flashing red arrow signal if intending to turn in the direction indicated by the arrow shall stop at a clearly marked stop line; but if there is no stop line, before entering the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection; or if there is no crosswalk, at the point nearest the intersecting roadway where the driver has a view of approaching traffic on the intersecting roadway before entering the intersection. The right to proceed with the turn shall be limited to the direction indicated by the arrow and shall be subject to the rules applicable after making a stop at a stop sign.

(iv) Pedestrians facing any flashing red signal at an intersection, unless otherwise directed by a pedestrian control signal or other traffic control device, are permitted to proceed across the roadway within any marked or unmarked associated crosswalk. Pedestrians shall yield the right-of-way to vehicles lawfully within the intersection at the time that the flashing red signal is first displayed.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-25-25 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-25 / Section 31-25-25
§ 31-25-25. Seasonal weight restrictions by local authorities.
Status: in_force

(a) Local authorities with respect to highways under their jurisdiction may by ordinance or resolution prohibit the operation of vehicles upon a highway or impose restrictions as to the weight of vehicles to be operated upon a highway, for a total period of not to exceed ninety (90) days in any one calendar year, whenever the highway by reason of deterioration, rain, snow, or other climatic conditions will be seriously damaged or destroyed unless the use of vehicles on it is prohibited or the permissible weights of them is reduced.

(b) The local authority enacting the ordinance or resolution shall erect or cause to be erected and maintained signs designating the provisions of the ordinance or resolution at each end of that portion of any highway affected by it, and the ordinance or resolution shall not be effective unless and until the signs are erected and maintained.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-20-12 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-20 / Section 31-20-12
§ 31-20-12. Stopping for school bus required  Penalty for violation.
Status: in_force

(a) The driver of a vehicle upon a street, highway, private way, private or public parking area upon meeting or overtaking from any direction any bus marked as school bus whenever the bus is being operated in accordance with § 31-20-11 and on which there is in operation flashing red lights, shall stop the vehicle before reaching the bus. The driver shall not proceed until the bus resumes motion or until the flashing lights are no longer actuated. No driver of any motor vehicle, except emergency vehicles on official business, shall travel in the same lane of traffic behind a school bus at a distance of less than fifty feet (50²). A person convicted of a violation of this section shall be punished by a fine not to exceed three hundred dollars ($300) and/or suspension of driving license for a period not to exceed thirty (30) days for the first offense, and a mandatory fine of not less than three hundred dollars ($300) nor more than five hundred dollars ($500) and/or revocation of driving license for a period of one year for each subsequent offense.

(b) A peace officer may issue a summons based on the statement or testimony of a school bus driver or monitor or other private citizen provided that the statement or testimony provides the peace officer with sufficient probable cause that a violation under this section was committed. Any conviction under this section may be punished in accordance with subsection (a) of this section.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-22-3.1 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-22 / Section 31-22-3.1
§ 31-22-3.1. Riding on motor driven cycles  Passengers prohibited.
Status: in_force

A person operating a motor driven cycle as defined in § 31-3-1(i) shall ride only upon the permanent and regular seat attached to it. The operator shall not carry any other person. An operator violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a civil violation and upon conviction shall be fined not more than twenty-five dollars ($25.00) for the first offense nor more than fifty dollars ($50.00) for the second or subsequent offenses.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-47-14 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-47 / Section 31-47-14
§ 31-47-14. Notice to other jurisdictions.
Status: in_force

The administrator of the division of motor vehicles shall transmit a certified copy of any record of any conviction under this chapter or of any action taken pursuant to this chapter resulting in revocation of a nonresidents privilege to operate a motor vehicle in this state or the privilege of the operation within this state of any motor vehicle owned by the nonresident to the administrator of the division of motor vehicles or officer performing similar functions in the state in which the nonresident resides.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-24-46 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-24 / Section 31-24-46
§ 31-24-46. Lights on snow removal equipment.
Status: in_force

(a) The state traffic commission shall adopt standards and specifications applicable to head lamps, clearance lamps, identification, and other lamps on snow removal equipment when operated on the highways of this state in lieu of the lamps otherwise required on motor vehicles by this chapter. The standards and specifications may permit the use of flashing lights for purposes of identification on snow removal equipment when in service upon the highways.

(b) It shall be unlawful to operate any snow removal equipment on any highway unless the lamps on it comply with and are lighted when and as required by the standards and specifications adopted as provided in this section.

(c) Violations of this section are subject to fines enumerated in § 31-41.1-4.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-21-10.1 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-21 / Section 31-21-10.1
§ 31-21-10.1. Removal of vehicles parked in excess of twenty-four hours.
Status: in_force

No motor vehicle shall be parked upon any highway under the jurisdiction of the state traffic commission for a continuous period in excess of twenty-four (24) hours. Any law enforcement officer, state or municipal, may order the removal of the vehicle by towing. Any charges incurred for the towing shall be recoverable from the owner of the vehicle by the state or the municipality paying for the towing by civil action commenced in the district court for the district in which the illegal parking occurred. The civil action shall not be available, however, if the owner of the vehicle pays towing charges directly to the person who furnished the towing services.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-20-16 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-20 / Section 31-20-16
§ 31-20-16. Stops at bridle path crossings.
Status: in_force

(a) Every operator of a motor vehicle shall bring his or her motor vehicle to a complete stop in parks and reservations and on state highways where the department of revenue or state traffic commission has posted signs of bridle paths where saddle horses may cross the roads in the parks and reservations and/or highways.

(b) An operator violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a civil violation, and upon conviction, shall be fined not more than twenty-five dollars ($25.00) for the first offense nor more than fifty dollars ($50.00) for second or subsequent offenses.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-18-9 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-18 / Section 31-18-9
§ 31-18-9. Right half of crosswalks.
Status: in_force

Pedestrians shall move, whenever practicable, upon the right half of crosswalks.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-15-12 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-15 / Section 31-15-12
§ 31-15-12. Interval between vehicles.
Status: in_force

The driver of a motor vehicle shall not follow another vehicle more closely than is reasonable and prudent, having due regard for the speed of the vehicles and the traffic upon and the condition of the highway, and shall, whenever traveling through a business or residential district, and whenever traffic permits, leave sufficient space so that an overtaking vehicle may enter and occupy the space without danger. This provision shall not apply to a caravan under police escort or a funeral procession. Violations of this section are subject to fines enumerated in § 31-41.1-4.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-25-20 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-25 / Section 31-25-20
§ 31-25-20. Refusal to submit to weighing or removal of excess load.
Status: in_force

Any driver of a vehicle who fails or refuses to stop and submit the vehicle and load to a weighing, or who fails or refuses when directed by a proper officer upon a weighing of the vehicle to stop the vehicle and otherwise comply with the provisions of §§ 31-25-18 and 31-25-19, shall, upon conviction, be fined not less than one hundred dollars ($100) and not more than two hundred-fifty dollars ($250).
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-21-11 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-21 / Section 31-21-11
§ 31-21-11. Removal of disabled vehicle obstructing traffic on state highway, state bridge, or state tunnel.
Status: in_force

Whenever a vehicle, whether attended or unattended, is disabled upon any state highway, state bridge, state causeway, or in a state tunnel where the vehicle constitutes an obstruction to traffic, the department of transportation is authorized to remove, or to provide for the removal of, the vehicle to the nearest garage, service station, or other place of safety at no expense to the owner or operator of the disabled vehicle for its removal.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-3-72 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-3 / Section 31-3-72
§ 31-3-72. Special plate for Mr. Potato Head.
Status: in_force

(a) The administrator of the division of motor vehicles is empowered to make available a special motor vehicle registration plate commemorating the fiftieth (50th) anniversary of Mr. Potato Head. The plate shall bear the designation Mr. Potato Head  50th anniversary and shall bear the seal of the state imprinted on it. The special plate shall be displayed upon the same registration number assigned to the vehicle for which it was issued and shall be used in place of and in the same manner as the original registration plates issued to the vehicle. The original registration plates for the vehicle shall be removed from the vehicle and the registration certificate for the plates shall be carried in the vehicle, in accordance with § 31-3-9. The registration certificate shall be in effect for the special plate.

(b) A special automobile or commercial commemorative Mr. Potato Head  50th anniversary plate shall be issued upon application using forms furnished by the administrator upon payment in addition to the regular prescribed motor vehicle registration fee, and a service charge of forty dollars ($40.00) for each issue. The service charge shall be paid to the administrator prior to the administrators acceptance of the application. Twenty dollars ($20.00) of the service charge shall be paid to the Rhode Island Community Food Bank and twenty dollars ($20.00) shall be allocated to the division of motor vehicles for its costs in manufacturing and distributing the special plates.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-25-27.1 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-25 / Section 31-25-27.1
§ 31-25-27.1. Weight restrictions on the Veterans Memorial Parkway  East Providence.
Status: in_force

(a) No motor vehicle with a gross weight exceeding two (2) tons except those listed in this section shall be allowed to travel the Veterans Memorial Parkway in the city of East Providence.

(b) The director of the department of revenue is directed to post signs to limit access as prescribed in subsection (a) of this section.

(c) The following vehicles shall be exempt from the provisions of this section: vehicles of a fire department, police vehicles, corrections vehicles, ambulances, emergency vehicles, state vehicles, municipal vehicles, vehicles of the Rhode Island public transit authority, marked school administration vehicles, and delivery vehicles whose destination is addressed on the parkway.

(d) The department of revenue or local authority is authorized in accordance with the provisions of § 31-25-23 to issue or withhold permits to all vehicles other than those enumerated in this section.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-23-49 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-23 / Section 31-23-49
§ 31-23-49. Transportation of gasoline  Penalty.
Status: in_force

(a) No motor vehicle shall be used to transport gasoline, except those which are duly registered with and approved by the division of motor vehicles. No container of whatever kind may be used to transport gasoline, except under the rules and regulations that may be promulgated and approved by the state fire marshal. The rules and regulations on containers shall, among other facets, regulate the size and kinds of containers that may be used to transport gasoline in the state of Rhode Island. Unless there exists an emergency condition that would require the transportation of gasoline by motor vehicle in a container or otherwise in response to an individuals or the general publics health, safety, or welfare, no person, firm, or corporation shall transport gasoline by motor vehicle, container, or otherwise except as provided in this section. This section shall not be applicable to any vehicle subject to the jurisdiction and regulatory authority of the federal government or any of its agencies.

(b) Any person, firm, or corporation convicted of violating the provisions of this section or the rules and regulations promulgated by the state fire marshal or the division of motor vehicles under this section shall, upon conviction, be subject to the fines enumerated in § 31-41.1-4.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-24-5 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-24 / Section 31-24-5
§ 31-24-5. Head lamps on motorcycles and motor-driven cycles.
Status: in_force

Every motor cycle and every motor-driven cycle shall be equipped with at least one and not more than two (2) head lamps which shall comply with the requirements and limitations of this chapter. Violations of this section are subject to fines enumerated in § 31-41.1-4.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-48-5 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-48 / Section 31-48-5
§ 31-48-5. Forfeiture.
Status: in_force

(a) The following are subject to forfeiture unless obtained by theft, fraud or conspiracy to defraud and the rightful owner is known or can be identified and located:

(1) Any tool,

(2) Any implement, or

(3) Any instrumentality, including, but not limited to, any motor vehicle or motor vehicle part, whether owned or not owned by the person from whose possession or control it was seized, which is used or possessed either in violation of § 31-48-3 or to promote or facilitate a violation of § 31-48-3.

(b) Any motor vehicle, other conveyance, or motor vehicle part used by any person as a common carrier is subject to forfeiture under this section where the owner or other person in charge of the motor vehicle, other conveyance, or motor vehicle part is a consenting party to a violation of § 31-48-3.

(c)(1) Any motor vehicle, motor vehicle part, other conveyance, tool, implement, or instrumentality is not subject to forfeiture under this section by reason of any act or omission which the owner proves to have been committed or omitted without the owners knowledge or consent.

(2) Seizing agencies will utilize their best efforts to identify any seized motor vehicle or motor vehicle part to determine ownership or the identity of any person having a right or interest in a seized motor vehicle or motor vehicle part. In its reasonable identification and owner location attempts, the seizing agency will cause the stolen motor vehicle files of the local or state police to be searched for stolen or wanted information on motor vehicles similar to the seized motor vehicle or consistent with the seized motor vehicle part.

(d) Where a motor vehicle or motor vehicle part has an apparent value in excess of one thousand dollars ($1,000):

(1) The seizing agency shall consult with an expert, either law enforcement investigative personnel specially trained and experienced in motor vehicle theft investigative procedures and motor vehicle identification examination techniques, or by expert employees of not-for-profit motor vehicle theft prevention agencies specially trained and experienced in motor vehicle theft investigation procedures and motor vehicle identification examination technique.

(2) The seizing agency shall also request searches of the on-line and off-line files of the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and the National Automobile Theft Bureau (NATB) when the local or state police files have been searched with negative results.

(e) A forfeiture of a motor vehicle, motor vehicle part, or other conveyance encumbered by a bona fide security interest is subject to the interest of the secured party where the secured party neither had knowledge of nor consented to the act or omission forming the ground for the forfeiture.

(f) Property, described in subsection (a) of this section, seized and held for forfeiture, shall not be subject to replevin and is subject only to the order and judgments of a court of competent jurisdiction hearing the forfeiture proceedings.

(g)(1) The attorney general shall bring an action for forfeiture in a court of competent jurisdiction. The forfeiture action shall be brought within sixty (60) days from the date of seizure except where the attorney general, by sound exercise of discretion determines that no forfeiture action should be brought because of the rights of property owners, lienholders, or secured creditors, or because of exculpatory, exonerating, or mitigating facts and circumstances.

(2) The attorney general shall give notice of the forfeiture proceeding by mailing a copy of the complaint in the forfeiture proceeding to each person whose right, title, or interest is of record in the division of motor vehicles, or any other department or agency of the state, or any other state or territory of the United States, or of the federal government if that property is required to be registered in any department.

(3) Notice of the proceeding shall be given to any other person as may appear, from the facts and circumstances, to have any right, title, or interest in or to the property.

(4) The owner of the property, or any person having, or claiming, right, title, or interest in the property may within sixty (60) days after the mailing of the notice file a verified answer to the complaint and may appear at the hearing on the action for forfeiture.

(5) The attorney general shall show at a forfeiture hearing, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the property was used in the commission of a violation of § 31-48-3, or was used or possessed to facilitate the violation.

(6) The owner of property may show by a preponderance of the evidence that the owner did not know, and did not have reason to know, that the property was to be used or possessed in the commission of any violation or that any of the exceptions to forfeiture are applicable.

(7) Unless the attorney general shall make the showing required of it, the court shall order the property released to the owner. Where the attorney general has made that showing, the court may order:

(i) The property be destroyed by the agency which seized it or some other agency designated by the court,

(ii) The property be delivered and retained for use by the agency which seized it or some other agency designated by the court, or

(iii) The property be sold at public sale.

(h) A copy of a forfeiture order shall be filed with each federal or state department with which the property is required to be registered. The order, when filed, constitutes authority for the issuance to the agency to whom the property is delivered and retained for use or to any purchaser of the property of a title certificate, registration certificate, or other special certificate as may be required by law considering the condition of the property.

(i) Proceeds from sale at public auction, after payment of all reasonable charges and expenses incurred by the agency designated by the court to conduct the sale in storing and selling the property, shall be paid to the general fund of the state of Rhode Island.

(j) No motor vehicle, either seized under § 31-48-4 or forfeited under this section, shall be released by the seizing agency or used or sold by an agency designated by the court unless any altered, counterfeited, defaced, destroyed, disguised, falsified, forged, obliterated, or removed vehicle identification number is corrected by the issuance and affixing of either an assigned or replacement vehicle identification number plate as may be appropriate under laws or regulations of this state.

(k) No motor vehicle part having any altered, counterfeited, defaced, destroyed, disguised, falsified, forged, obliterated, or removed vehicle identification number may be disposed of upon forfeiture except by its destruction. This provision shall not apply to any motor vehicle part which is assembled with and constitutes part of a motor vehicle.

(l) No motor vehicle or motor vehicle part shall be forfeited under this section solely on the basis that it is unidentifiable. Instead of forfeiture, any seized motor vehicle or motor vehicle part which is unidentifiable shall be the subject of a written report sent by the seizing agency to the division of motor vehicles, which report shall include a description of the motor vehicle or motor vehicle part, its color, if any, the date, time, and place of its seizure, the name of the person from whose possession or control it was seized, the grounds for its seizure, and the location where the same is held or stored.

(m) When a seized unidentifiable motor vehicle or motor vehicle part has been held for sixty (60) days or more after the notice to the division of motor vehicles specified in subsection (k) of this section have been given, the seizing agency or its agent shall cause the motor vehicle or motor vehicle part to be sold at public sale to the highest bidder. Notice of the time and place of sale shall be posted in a conspicuous place for at least thirty (30) days prior to the sale of the premises where the motor vehicle or motor vehicle part has been stored.

(n) When a seized unidentifiable motor vehicle or motor vehicle part has an apparent value of one thousand dollars ($1,000) or less, the seizing agency shall authorize the disposal of the motor vehicle or motor vehicle part, provided that no disposition shall be made less than sixty (60) days after the date of seizure.

(o) The proceeds of the public sale of an unidentifiable motor vehicle or motor vehicle part shall be deposited in the general fund of the state after deduction of any reasonable and necessary towing and storage charges.

(p) Seizing agencies will utilize their best efforts to arrange for the towing and storing of motor vehicles and motor vehicles parts in the most economical manner possible. In no event shall the owner of a motor vehicle or a motor vehicle part be required to pay more than the minimum reasonable costs of towing and storage.

(q) A seized motor vehicle or motor vehicle part that is neither forfeited nor unidentifiable shall be held subject to the order of the court in which the criminal action is pending or, if a request for its release from custody is made until the attorney general has notified the defendant or the defendants attorney of the request and both the prosecution and defense have been afforded a reasonable opportunity for an examination of the property to determine its true value and to produce or reproduce, by photographs or other identifying techniques, legally sufficient evidence for introduction at trial or other criminal proceedings. Upon expiration of a reasonable time for the completion of the examination which shall not exceed fourteen (14) days from the date of service upon the defense of the notice of request for return of property as provided in this chapter, the property shall be released to the person making the request after satisfactory proof of the persons entitlement to the possession of it. However, upon application by either party with notice to the other, the court may order retention of the property if it determines that retention is necessary in the furtherance of justice.

(r) When a seized vehicle is forfeited, restored to its owner, or disposed of as unidentifiable, the seizing agency shall retain a report of the transaction for a period of at least one year from the date of the transaction.

(s) When an applicant for a certificate of title or salvage certificate presents to the division of motor vehicles proof that the applicant purchased or acquired a motor vehicle at a public sale conducted pursuant to this section and that fact is attested to by the seizing agency, the division of motor vehicles shall issue a certificate of title, salvage certificate for the motor vehicle upon receipt of the statutory fee, properly executed application for a certificate of title, or other certificate of ownership, and the affidavit of the seizing agency that a state-assigned number was applied for and affixed to the motor vehicle proper to the time that the motor vehicle was released by the seizing agency to the purchaser.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-40-2 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-40 / Section 31-40-2
§ 31-40-2. Habitual offender defined.
Status: in_force

An habitual offender is any person, resident or nonresident, whose record, as maintained in the office of the division of motor vehicles, shows that the person has accumulated the convictions, or findings of delinquency or waywardness in the case of juveniles, for separate and distinct offenses, described in subdivisions (1), (2), and (3) of this section, committed within a three (3) year period, provided that where more than one included offense shall be committed within a six (6) hour period the multiple offenses shall, on the first occasion, be treated for the purposes of this article as one offense, provided the person charged has no record of prior offenses chargeable under this article, and provided further that the date of the offense most recently committed occurs within three (3) years of the date of all other offenses the conviction for which is included in subdivision (1), (2), or (3) of this section as follows:

(1) Three (3) or more convictions, or findings of delinquency or waywardness in the case of a juvenile, singularly or in combination, of the following separate and distinct offenses arising out of separate acts:

(i) Voluntary or involuntary manslaughter resulting from the operation of a motor vehicle;

(ii) Driving or operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of liquor or drugs in violation of § 31-27-2;

(iii) Driving a motor vehicle while his or her license, permit, or privilege to drive a motor vehicle has been suspended or revoked in violation of § 31-27-2.1 or chapter 11 of this title;

(iv) Willfully operating a motor vehicle without a license;

(v) Knowingly making any false affidavit or swearing or affirming falsely to any matter or thing required by the motor vehicle laws or as to information required in the administration of the laws;

(vi) Any offense punishable as a felony under the motor vehicle laws of Rhode Island or any felony in the commission of which a motor vehicle is used;

(vii) Failure of the driver of a motor vehicle involved in an accident resulting in the death or injury of any person to stop close to the scene of the accident and report his or her identity in violation of § 31-26-1; or

(viii) Failure of the driver of a motor vehicle involved in an accident resulting only in damage to an attended or unattended vehicle or other property in excess of one hundred fifty dollars ($150) to stop close to the scene of the accident and report his or her identity or otherwise report the accident.

(2) Six (6) or more convictions, or findings of delinquency or waywardness in the case of a juvenile, of separate and distinct offenses, singularly or in combination, in the operation of a motor vehicle which are required to be reported to the division of motor vehicles and the commission of which requires the division of motor vehicles or authorizes a court to suspend or revoke the privilege to operate motor vehicles on the highways of this state for a period of thirty (30) days or more, and the convictions shall include those offenses enumerated in paragraph (1)(ii) of this section when taken with and added to those offenses described in this section.

(3) The offenses included in subdivisions (1) and (2) of this section shall be deemed to include offenses under any valid town or city ordinance paralleling and substantially conforming to the state statutory provisions cited in subdivisions (1) and (2) of this section and all changes in or amendments of them, and any federal law, and law of another state or any valid town, city, or county ordinance of another state substantially conforming to those statutory provisions.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-10-21 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-10 / Section 31-10-21
§ 31-10-21. Written and eye examination.
Status: in_force

(a) Every applicant for a license to operate a motor vehicle upon the public highways shall be required by the division of motor vehicles to show, by examination or otherwise, the ability to read and understand highway signs regulating, warning, and directing traffic, the proper knowledge of the operation and mechanism of motor vehicles, the rules of the road, the motor vehicle law, and such other qualifications as will demonstrate that the applicant is a proper and safe person to operate a motor vehicle upon the public highways. The examination shall include a test of the applicants eyesight. Notwithstanding the foregoing,

(b) Any person who has successfully completed a driver education course as set forth in § 31-10-19 and who has passed a standardized written drivers license examination approved by the director of the department of revenue shall not be required to take the written examination. The director of the department of revenue shall develop a standardized written drivers license examination which shall be administered by certified driver education instructors at the completion of each drivers education course.

(c) An applicant, within six (6) months of having been certified by the department of elementary and secondary education as having passed a written examination administered by that department, shall, upon completion of an eyesight test by the division of motor vehicles, be considered in compliance with this section.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-3-126 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-3 / Section 31-3-126
§ 31-3-126. Special plate for Atlantic Shark Institute.
Status: in_force

(a) The administrator of the division of motor vehicles is empowered to make available special motor vehicle registration plates for the nonprofit Atlantic Shark Institute. The plates shall be designed to reference Atlantic Shark Institute.

(b) The special plate shall be displayed upon the same registration number assigned to the vehicle for which it was issued, and shall be used in place of and in the same manner as the registration plates issued to the vehicle. The original registration plates for the vehicle shall be removed from the vehicle and returned to the division of motor vehicles. The registration certificate for the plates shall be carried in the vehicle, in accordance with § 31-3-9. The registration certificate shall be in effect for the special plate.

(c) Atlantic Shark Institute motor vehicle plates shall be the same size as regular motor vehicle plates, and shall be designed by Atlantic Shark Institute in conjunction with the division of motor vehicles, with the design approved by the Rhode Island state police.

(d) Atlantic Shark Institute plates shall be subject to a minimum prepaid order of at least six hundred (600) sets of plates per plate type (i.e., passenger, commercial, etc.). Atlantic Shark Institute plates shall not be issued unless the minimum order(s) requirements are met. The initial order will be handled by Atlantic Shark Institute and shall not be submitted to the division of motor vehicles for production until the minimum order(s) have been met and the proper paperwork submitted to the division.

(e) The administrator of motor vehicles shall develop prepayment procedures, and any other procedures deemed necessary to carry out the purposes of this section.

(f) In addition to the regular prescribed motor vehicle registration fee, Atlantic Shark Institute plates shall be subject to a forty-dollar ($40.00) issuance surcharge.

(g) The forty-dollar ($40.00) issuance surcharge shall be allocated as follows: Twenty dollars ($20.00) shall be allocated to the general fund and the remaining twenty dollars ($20.00) shall be distributed annually to Atlantic Shark Institute to assist in the fiscal needs and in furtherance of its mission.

(h) A ten-dollar ($10) surcharge for subsequent registration renewals will go to Atlantic Shark Institute.

(i) In consideration of the receipt of funds from the registration of Atlantic Shark Institute plates, the organization must use any Rhode Island-sourced funds in and for the benefit of Rhode Island-based charitable organizations.

(j) Atlantic Shark Institute will be required to submit an annual accounting report before such monies are distributed.

(k) There shall be no refunds for early cancellation of Atlantic Shark Institute motor vehicle license plates.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-25-27.11 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-25 / Section 31-25-27.11
§ 31-25-27.11. Weight restrictions on Limerock Road  Smithfield and Lincoln.
Status: in_force

(a) The operation of through commercial vehicles on Limerock Road between Douglas Pike in Smithfield and Jenckes Hill Road in Lincoln is prohibited.

(b) For purposes of this section, a commercial vehicle is defined as a motor vehicle or combination of vehicles used to transport passengers or property if the motor vehicle:

(1) Has a gross combination weight rating of thirty-five thousand one pounds (35,001 lbs.) or more, or a towed unit with a gross vehicle rating of more than ten thousand pounds (10,000 lbs.) or more, or has a gross vehicle weight rating of twenty-six thousand one pounds (26,001 lbs.) or more; or

(2) Is designed to transport sixteen (16) or more passengers including the driver; or

(3) Is transporting hazardous materials and is required to be placarded in accordance with 49 C.F.R. Part 172, Subpart F, as it may be revised from time to time.

(c) Nothing contained in this section shall affect the use of such street or roadway by:

(1) Any fire truck, town public works department truck, state department of transportation truck, police vehicle, ambulance, school bus, bus serving the area, or other motor truck using such streets or highways in any emergency or engaged in delivering goods, wares, merchandising, or materials to or from any residence, building, or lot within the towns bordering on such streets or highways; or

(2) Any farm vehicle as defined in § 31-1-8, which is registered with farm plates pursuant to § 31-3-31.

(d) Any driver who operates a commercial vehicle in contravention of this section shall be subject to a fine of fifty-five dollars ($55.00) for a first violation and one hundred ten dollars ($110) for each subsequent violation.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-3-44 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-3 / Section 31-3-44
§ 31-3-44. Ambulance or rescue vehicles.
Status: in_force

The administrator of the division of motor vehicles shall issue passenger car registration plates for any ambulance or rescue vehicle, used in transporting sick or injured patients, owned by a city or town or as part of a volunteer ambulance or rescue corps.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-33-8.1 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-33 / Section 31-33-8.1
§ 31-33-8.1. Joint distribution of accident reports.
Status: in_force

Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, nothing shall prevent insurers providing automobile insurance coverage in the state from establishing and maintaining a common system for obtaining publicly filed accident reports and distributing the reports to the insurer or insurers identified on the form as providing coverage to one or more persons, whether through the assigned risk plan or otherwise.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-3-35 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-3 / Section 31-3-35
§ 31-3-35. Notice of change of name.
Status: in_force

Whenever the name of any person who has applied for or obtained the registration of a vehicle is subsequently changed by marriage or otherwise, that person shall within ten (10) days notify the division of motor vehicles of the former and current names. Violations of this section are subject to fines enumerated in § 31-41.1-4.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-25-24 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-25 / Section 31-25-24
§ 31-25-24. Carrying and inspection of permits.
Status: in_force

Every permit, including all documentation required by that permit, issued under §§ 31-25- 21  31-25-23 shall be carried in the vehicle to which it refers and shall be open to inspection by any proper officer or authorized agent of any authority granting the permit. No person shall violate any of the terms or conditions of the special permit. Violations of this section are subject to fines enumerated in § 31-41.1-4.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-22-31 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-22 / Section 31-22-31
§ 31-22-31. Mobile telephone usage by motor vehicle operators.
Status: in_force

(a) For purposes of this section, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

(1) Engage in a call means talking into or listening on a hand-held personal wireless communication device, but does not include holding a hand-held personal wireless communication device to activate, deactivate, or initiate a function of such telephone.

(2) Hand-held personal wireless communication device means a personal wireless communication device with which a user engages in a call using at least one hand.

(3) Hands-free accessory means an attachment, add-on, built-in feature, or addition to a personal wireless communication device, whether or not permanently installed in a motor vehicle, that, when used, allows the vehicle operator to maintain both hands on the steering wheel.

(4) Hands-free personal wireless communication device means a hand-held personal wireless communication device that has an internal feature or function, or that is equipped with an attachment or addition, whether or not permanently part of such hand-held personal wireless communication device, by which a user engages in a call without the use of either hand, whether or not the use of either hand is necessary to activate, deactivate, or initiate a function of such telephone.

(5) Immediate proximity means the distance that permits the operator of a hand-held personal wireless communication device to hear telecommunications transmitted over such hand-held personal wireless communication device, but does not require physical contact with such operators ear.

(6) Mobile telephone means a personal wireless communication device, analog, wireless, or digital telephone capable of sending or receiving telephone communication without an access line for service.

(7) Public utility means a business that provides electricity, natural gas, water, and communications and other information services to residential and commercial customers.

(8) Using or use means holding a hand-held personal wireless communication device to, or in the immediate proximity of, the users ear.

(b)(1) Except as otherwise provided in this section, no person shall operate a motor vehicle while using a hand-held personal wireless communication device to engage in a call while such vehicle is in motion.

(2) An operator of a motor vehicle who holds a hand-held personal wireless communication device to, or in the immediate proximity of, the operators ear while such vehicle is in motion is presumed to be engaging in a call within the meaning of this section. The presumption established by this subdivision is rebuttable by evidence tending to show that the operator was not engaged in a call.

(3) The provisions of this section shall not be construed as authorizing the seizure or forfeiture of a hand-held personal wireless communication device, unless otherwise provided by law.

(4) Subsection (b)(1) of this section shall not apply to:

(i) The use of a hand-held personal wireless communication device for the sole purpose of communicating with any of the following regarding an emergency situation: an emergency response operator; a hospital, physicians office or health clinic; an ambulance company; a fire department; a police department; or a public utility; or

(ii) Any of the following persons while in the performance of their official duties and within the scope of their employment: a peace officer, as defined in § 12-7-21, a firefighter or an operator of an ambulance or authorized emergency vehicle, or the operator of a taxi cab, tow truck, or bus without passengers; or employees or agents of a public utility; or

(iii) The use of a hands-free personal wireless communication device.

(c) Any person who violates the provisions of subsection (b)(1) of this section shall be fined one hundred dollars ($100).

(d) If the offending operator elects to dispose of the charge without personally appearing before the traffic tribunal, then in accordance with the provisions of § 31-41.1-3, the operator shall execute the form indicated and return it to the traffic tribunal not later than twenty (20) days from the date of the summons, either by mailing or delivering the form and summons, to the violation section of the traffic tribunal, or to its designee, together with a check or money order in the amount indicated by the fine schedule on the form in addition to any technology surcharge applied by the traffic tribunal assessed in accordance with § 8-15-11.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-14-7 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-14 / Section 31-14-7
§ 31-14-7. Reduction by local authorities of speed limits in open areas.
Status: in_force

Whenever local authorities within their respective jurisdictions determine upon the basis of an engineering and traffic investigation that the prima facie speed permitted under this chapter upon any street or highway outside a business or residence district is greater than is reasonable or safe under the conditions found to exist upon the street or highway, the local authority may determine and declare a reasonable and safe prima facie limit on that street or highway, but in no event less than thirty-five miles per hour (35 mph) and subject to § 31-14-8, which reduced prima facie limit shall be effective at all times or during hours of darkness or at any other times that may be determined when appropriate signs giving notice of the authorized speed are erected upon the street or highway.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-38-6 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-38 / Section 31-38-6
§ 31-38-6. Appointment of official inspection stations.
Status: in_force

(a) For the purpose of making inspections and issuing official certificates of inspection and approval as provided in this chapter, the director of the department of revenue, or the directors designee, shall issue permits for and furnish instructions and all necessary forms to official inspection stations for the inspection of vehicles as required in this chapter and the issuance of official certificates of inspection and approval. There shall be a separate permit required to inspect all trailers or semi-trailers used to transport horses or other livestock, irrespective of the registered gross weight of the trailers and semi-trailers.

(b) Application for the permit set forth in subsection (a) shall be made upon an official form and shall be granted only when the director of the department of revenue or the directors designee, is satisfied that the station is properly equipped and has competent personnel to make the inspections and adjustments, and will be properly conducted. Only facilities located within the State of Rhode Island shall receive renewal permits or new permits. The director of the department of revenue, or the directors designee, before issuing a permit may require the applicant to file a bond conditioned that it will make compensation for any damage to a vehicle during an inspection or adjustment due to negligence on the part of the applicant or its employees.

(c) The director of the department of revenue, or the directors designee, shall properly supervise and cause inspections to be made of the stations and shall suspend or revoke and require the surrender of the permit issued to a station that the director or the directors designee finds is not properly equipped or has violated any of the conditions of the stations permit of inspection. The director of the department of revenue, or the directors designee, shall maintain and post at the department of revenue lists of all stations holding permits and of those whose permits have been suspended or revoked.

(d) The permits shall be issued for a period of one year and upon payment to the director of the department of revenue of a fee of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) annually, and the monies received shall be turned over to the general treasurer to be deposited in the general funds of the state.

(e) The director of the department of revenue, or the directors designee, shall issue a duplicate permit upon the payment of a fee of one dollar ($1.00) if one is requested by the owner of the official station who states in writing that the original was lost, destroyed, or stolen.

(f) Any person who has been issued a permit under this section and conducts inspections of vehicles subject to an emissions inspection pursuant to chapter 47.1 of this title must also have been authorized to conduct motor vehicle emissions inspections and must conduct both inspections simultaneously.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-4-6 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-4 / Section 31-4-6
§ 31-4-6. Transfer of interest by operation of law.
Status: in_force

Whenever the title or interest of an owner in or to a registered vehicle shall pass to another otherwise than by voluntary transfer, the registration for the vehicle shall expire and the vehicle shall not be operated upon any highway unless and until the person entitled to possession of the vehicle shall apply for and obtain the registration for it. However, when the title or interest of the owner passes to another by reason of death, insolvency, or bankruptcy, the vehicle may continue to be operated under the registration previously issued for it until the possession of the vehicle has been transferred by the legal representative, assignee, receiver, or trustee in bankruptcy, or until the registration shall expire, whichever shall first occur.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-36-11 — RI Code / Title 31 / Chapter 31-36 / Section 31-36-11
§ 31-36-11. Interest on delinquent taxes  Actions for collections.
Status: in_force

Any distributor failing to pay the tax provided for in this chapter when payable shall be liable for interest at the annual rate provided by § 44-1-7, as amended, on the amount of the tax from the time when the tax shall become payable until the tax is paid, and suit for the collection of the tax and interest shall be initiated by the tax administrator, under the direction and supervision of the director of administration.