Rhode Island General Laws
Chapter 11-47 - Weapons
Section 11-47-35.2. - Sale of rifles/shotguns.

§ 11-47-35.2. Sale of rifles/shotguns.
(a) No person shall deliver a rifle or shotgun to a purchaser until seven (7) days shall have elapsed from twelve o’clock (12:00) noon of the day following the day of application for the purchase, and when delivered, the rifle or shotgun shall be unloaded and securely wrapped, with the bill of sale for it to be enclosed within the wrapper with the rifle or shotgun. Any citizen of the United States and/or lawful resident of this state who is twenty-one (21) years of age or older, and any nonresident member of the armed forces of the United States who is stationed in this state and who is twenty-one (21) years of age or older, may, upon application, purchase or acquire a rifle or shotgun. At the time of applying for the purchase of a shotgun or rifle the purchaser shall complete and sign in triplicate and deliver to the seller the application form described in this section, and in no case shall it contain the serial number of the rifle or shotgun.

(Face of application form)
Application to Purchase Shotgun or Rifle

(b) The person who is selling the rifle or shotgun shall, on the date of application, sign and forward by registered mail or by delivery in person, or by electronic mail if approved by the applicable police department, the original and duplicate copies of the application to the chief of police in the city or town in which the purchaser has his or her residence or to the superintendent of the Rhode Island state police in the instance where the purchaser either resides in the town of Exeter or resides out of state. The superintendent of the Rhode Island state police or the chief of police in the city or town in which the purchaser has his or her residence shall mark or stamp the original copy of the application form with the date and time of receipt and return it by the most expeditious means to the seller. The triplicate copy duly signed by the seller shall within seven (7) days be sent by him or her by registered mail, by delivery in person, or by electronic mail, to the attorney general. The person who is selling the rifle or shotgun shall retain the original copy duly receipted by the police authority to whom sent or delivered for a period of six (6) years with other records of the sale. It shall be the duty of the police authority to whom the duplicate copy of the application form is sent or delivered to make a background check of the applicant to ascertain whether he or she falls under the provisions of § 11-47-5, § 11-47-6, § 11-47-7, or § 11-47-23. If, after the lapse of seven (7) days from twelve o’clock (12:00) noon of the day following application, no disqualifying information has been received from the investigating police authority by the person who is selling the rifle or shotgun, he or she will deliver the firearm applied for to the purchaser. Upon the finding of no disqualifying information under the provisions of the above cited sections of this chapter, and in no case later than thirty (30) days after the date of application, the duplicate and triplicate copies of the application will be destroyed. Retention of the duplicate and triplicate copies in violation of this chapter or any unauthorized use of the information contained in them by a person or agency shall be punishable by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000). The provisions of this section shall not apply to bona fide sales at wholesale to duly licensed retail dealers, nor to purchases by retail dealers duly licensed under the provisions of § 11-47-39.
(c) The provisions of this section shall not apply to full-time members of the state police, full-time members of city or town police departments, persons licensed under §§ 11-47-9 and 11-47-11, or to sales of air rifles or “BB guns” or to sales of antique firearms as defined in § 11-47-2.
History of Section.P.L. 1990, ch. 37, § 1; P.L. 1990, ch. 300, § 1; P.L. 1996, ch. 146, § 1; P.L. 2000, ch. 128, § 1; P.L. 2020, ch. 61, § 2; P.L. 2020, ch. 68, § 2; P.L. 2021, ch. 339, § 1, effective July 12, 2021; P.L. 2021, ch. 340, § 1, effective July 12, 2021; P.L. 2022, ch. 135, § 1, effective June 21, 2022; P.L. 2022, ch. 136, § 1, effective June 21, 2022.

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