| Rhode Island Gun Laws | | | | signature you may be required to complete a National |
| The Second Amendment of the United States | | | | Rifle Association Safety Course administered by a |
| Constitution grants citizens the right to bear arms. | | | | certified NRA instructor within the state of Rhode |
| Though the relevance of such a liberty has been | | | | Island. After taking the course you may also be |
| hotly contested, owning and carrying firearms is legal | | | | required by the BCIS to get your fingerprints on the |
| in all 50 states. However, each state has its own laws | | | | F.B.I card system. |
| and procedures for purchasing and using a weapon. | | | | The fingerprinting process will take four to six weeks. |
| This is to ensure that individuals who choose to use | | | | After completing the prerequisites and finally |
| guns for recreation or protection are knowledgeable | | | | submitting your application to the state Attorney |
| about their decisions. | | | | General, you must allow up to ninety days for a |
| Owning a Firearm | | | | response. The entire process could take four to six |
| Here are the applicable Rhode Island gun laws. To | | | | months before receiving a response. The Attorney |
| lawfully own a handgun (pistol or revolver) in the | | | | General may deny your application based on a |
| state of Rhode Island an individual must be at least | | | | variety of reasons including your answers to the |
| 18 years of age. It is not required to have a permit | | | | complicated questionnaire. |
| or a license to purchase or own a firearm. To carry a | | | | Concealed Carry on Campus |
| concealed weapon however, there is an application | | | | At most universities across the country it is illegal to |
| process that ultimately must be signed by the state | | | | carry a concealed weapon onto the campus. After an |
| Attorney General. | | | | upheaval of violence at schools like Virginia Tech in |
| For shotguns or rifles individuals are NOT required to | | | | which a student opened fire on classrooms, killing |
| · Have a license to carry | | | | several students before taking his own life, gun |
| · Have a permit to purchase | | | | owners have started a movement across the |
| · Register their shotgun or rifle | | | | country to change laws. Rhode Island advocates of |
| Applying for Concealed Carry | | | | concealed carry on campus propose that individuals |
| The chief of your local police department must sign | | | | who are licensed to carry a concealed weapon be |
| your application to verify your residency before | | | | allowed to do so on college campuses. |
| submitting it to the Attorney General. To obtain the | | | | |