Rhode Island General Laws

R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-47-11 (2026)

License or permit to carry concealed pistol or revolver

✓ current as of July 2026
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(a) The licensing authorities of any city or town shall, upon application of any person twenty-one (21) years of age or over having a bona fide residence or place of business within the city or town, or of any person twenty-one (21) years of age or over having a bona fide residence within the United States and a license or permit to carry a pistol or revolver concealed upon his or her person issued by the authorities of any other state or subdivision of the United States, issue a license or permit to the person to carry concealed upon his or her person a pistol or revolver everywhere within this state for four (4) years from date of issue, if it appears that the applicant has good reason to fear an injury to his or her person or property or has any other proper reason for carrying a pistol or revolver, and that he or she is a suitable person to be so licensed. The license or permit shall be in triplicate in form to be prescribed by the attorney general and shall bear the fingerprint, photograph, name, address, description, and signature of the licensee and the reason given for desiring a license or permit and in no case shall it contain the serial number of any firearm. The original shall be delivered to the licensee. Any member of the licensing authority, its agents, servants, and employees shall be immune from suit in any action, civil or criminal, based upon any official act or decision, performed or made in good faith in issuing a license or permit under this chapter.

(b) Notwithstanding any other chapter or section of the general laws of the state of Rhode Island, the licensing authority of any city or town shall not provide or release to any individual, firm, association or corporation the name, address, or date of birth of any person who has held or currently holds a license or permit to carry a concealed pistol or revolver. This section shall not be construed to prohibit the release of any statistical data of a general nature relative to age, gender and racial or ethnic background nor shall it be construed to prevent the release of information to parties involved in any prosecution of § 11-47-8 or in response to a lawful subpoena in any criminal or civil action which the person is a party to that action.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 27 cases (8 in the last 5 years), 1973–2025 · leading case: Mosby v. Devine, 851 A.2d 1031 (R.I. 2004).
Mosby v. Devine, 851 A.2d 1031 (R.I. 2004). · cites it 37× “In contrast to § 11-47-18, the statute now before the Court, § 11-47-11 is mandatory — an applicant who meets the criteria set forth in § 11-47-11 is entitled to a gun permit.”
Norman T. Gadomski, Jr. v. Joseph H. Tavares, Chief of Police for the City of East Providence, 113 A.3d 387 (R.I. 2015). · cites it 11× “Tavares (Tavares or respondent), the Chief of Police for the City of East Providence (city or East Providence), denying the petitioner’s application for a license to carry a concealed weapon pursuant to G.L. 1956 § 11-47-11. On April 2, 2015, this case came before the Supreme…”
Edward Peruta v. Cnty. of San Diego, 824 F.3d 919 (9th Cir. 2016). · cites it 2× “140, § 131 (d); 1956 R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-47-11 (a); D.C. Code § 22-4506 (a).”
Drake v. Filko, 724 F.3d 426 (3rd Cir. 2013). · cites it 2× “00 (2)(f); R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-47-11(a). 7 E.g., N.J.”
Hightower v. City of Boston, 693 F.3d 61 (1st Cir. 2012). “is a suitable person to be licensed”); R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-47-11(a) (license to carry a concealed pistol or revolver may only be issued “if it appears that the applicant .”
State v. HUY, 960 A.2d 550 (R.I. 2008). · cites it 4× “In count 1 of the criminal information, defendant was charged with a violation *555 of § 11-47-8(a), which states in pertinent part: "No person shall, without a license or permit issued as provided in §§ 11-47-11, 11-47-12 and 11-47-18, carry a pistol or revolver in any vehicle…”
State v. Adrian Hazard, 68 A.3d 479 (R.I. 2013). “General Laws 1956 § ll-47-8(a) provides, in pertinent part, that: "No person shall, without a license or permit issued as provided in §§ 11-47-11, 11-47-12 and 11-47-18, carry a pistol or revolver in any vehicle or conveyance or on or about his or her person whether visible or…”
Application of Dailey, 465 S.E.2d 601 (W. Va. 1995). · cites it 2× “25, § 2003 (West 1993) (city official or chief of police); R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-47-11 (1994) (police); S.”
State v. Cianci, 430 A.2d 756 (R.I. 1981). “1956 (1969 Reenactment) § 11-47-8 provided: “No person shall, without a license therefor, issued as provided in §§ 11-47-11, 11-47-12 and 11-47-18, carry a pistol or revolver in any vehicle or conveyance or on or about his person whether visible or concealed, except in his…”
State v. Morris, 744 A.2d 850 (R.I. 2000). “General Laws 1956 § ll-47-8(a) states: “No person shall, without a license or permit, issued as provided in §§ 11-47-11, 11-47-12 and 11-47-18, carry a pistol or revolver in any vehicle or conveyance or on or about his or her person whether visible or concealed * * “When the…”
State v. Benevides, 425 A.2d 77 (R.I. 1981). “I The defendant contends that the trial justice was wrong in refusing to instruct the jury that defendant must have exercised dominion and control over the weapon in order to establish the elements of carrying and possession and further that such dominion and control is an…”
State v. Neary, 409 A.2d 551 (R.I. 1979). “-(a) No person shall, without a license or permit therefor, issued as provided in §§11-47-11,11-47-12 and 11-47-18, carry a pistol or revolver in any vehicle or conveyance or on or about his person whether visible or concealed, except in his dwelling house or place of business…”
— R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-47-11(a) — 7 cases
Mosby v. Devine, 851 A.2d 1031 (R.I. 2004). “In contrast to § 11-47-18, the statute now before the Court, § 11-47-11 is mandatory — an applicant who meets the criteria set forth in § 11-47-11 is entitled to a gun permit.”
Drake v. Filko, 724 F.3d 426 (3rd Cir. 2013). “00 (2)(f); R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-47-11(a). 7 E.g., N.J.”
Hightower v. City of Boston, 693 F.3d 61 (1st Cir. 2012). “is a suitable person to be licensed”); R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-47-11(a) (license to carry a concealed pistol or revolver may only be issued “if it appears that the applicant .”
State v. Jason Ortiz (R.I. 2024).
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.