R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-28.1-7 (2026)

(a) No building shall be constructed for, used for, or converted to, any occupancy regulated by the code, and no addition shall be made to a building except in accordance with the applicable provisions of the code or the rehabilitation building and fire code for existing buildings and structures, as applicable.

(b) Any existing structure that is not in conformity with the provisions of this code is governed by the following:

(1) The authority having jurisdiction is authorized to give building owners a reasonable notice of fire safety code violations and establish a timetable for compliance or, in cases of practical difficulty, establish a time by which the owner must petition to the fire safety code board for a variation.

(2) The fire marshal, or his or her designee within the division, or a nonsalaried deputy state fire marshal in accordance with guidelines established by the fire marshal, has the authority to summarily abate any condition that presents immediate danger to life, these conditions shall include improper management or use of flammable and combustible materials, liquids and gasses, pyrotechnics, fireworks or explosives, malfunctioning automatic sprinklers, fire alarms and emergency lighting, malfunctioning heating and electrical systems, and blocked or inadequate exits or means of egress, and such other conditions as may be established by the fire safety code board of appeal and review. A failure to abate a condition that presents a clear and immediate danger to life shall be grounds for the person issuing the order to abate, to require that the premises be vacated, this action shall be either authorized by the fire marshal or a designee of the fire marshal who has been given advanced written authority by the fire marshal to approve such actions.

(3) All new buildings and structures, for which a building permit is issued on or after the effective date of the adopted code, shall be subject to the provisions of the Rhode Island fire safety code addressing the new occupancy. All existing buildings and structures, and those buildings and structures for which a building permit was issued prior to the effective date of the adopted code, shall be subject to the provisions of the Rhode Island fire safety code addressing the existing occupancy. Any existing building or structure, subject to the provisions of the rehabilitation building and fire code for existing buildings and structures, shall also comply with the existing occupancy provisions of the Rhode Island fire safety code addressing the current or proposed occupancy. All active fire-protection systems, including, but not limited to: sprinklers, fire alarms, emergency lighting, smoke detectors and exit signs, previously required and installed in existing buildings, shall continue to be properly maintained.

(4) [Deleted by P.L. 2016, ch. 468, § 2 and P.L. 2016, ch. 472, § 2].