Home > Rhode Island

Sign Up If You Want To:

Speak with a professional in detail
about driving record services.
Discover the power of screening
new hires.

Company Name
First Name
Last Name
Email Address
Phone Number

Rhode Island Driving Record

The State of Rhode Island has created laws to regulate driving behavior in order to provide a safe driving environment. Requirements for adults to wear seatbelts, to place children aged seven or younger in appropriate car seats in the back seat of a vehicle, and to obey traffic lights and traffic signs are all part of this effort.

Rhode Island Driver License

Driving a motor vehicle is a privilege and not a right. A license to drive brings with it a serious responsibility for the safety of others and yourself. It has been said often that the life you save may be your own. Always drive defensively and carefully. If you do, you will have many years of enjoyment on the road.

Rhode Island Drunk Driving

1st Offense .08 -.10

Criminall violation - Misdemeanor
$100-400 fine
10-60 hours community service
Possible drunk driving school
Up to 45 day license suspension
$500 highway assessment

1st Offense .10 -.15

Misdemeanor
$100 - $400 fine
10-60 hours community service and/or up to 1 yr. Prison
3-12 mo. License suspension
Drunk driving school and/or treatment
$500 highway assessment

1st Offense .15 +

Misdemeanor
$500 fine
20-60 hours community service and/or 1 yr. Prison
3-18 mo. License suspension
Drunk driving school and/or treatment
$500 highway assessment

2nd Offense (within 5 yrs) .08-.15

Misdemeanor
$400 fine
10 days – 1 year prison
1-2 year license suspension
Possible ignition interlock 1-2 years
$500 highway assessment

2nd Offense (within 5 yrs) .15+

Misdemeanor
At least $1000 fine
6 month – 1 year prison
2 year license suspension treatment
Possible ignition interlock 1-2 years
$500 highway assessment

3rd or subsequent Offense (within 5 yrs) period

Felony
$400 fine
1-3 years prison
2-3 year license suspension

Miscellaneous Rhode Island Motor Vehicle Laws

R.I.G.L. 31-23.3-2: Nontransparent Windshield and Windows: No person shall own and operate any motor vehicle upon any public highway, road or street with transparent or sunscreen material, window application, reflective film or non-reflective film used in any way to cover or treat the front windshield, the side windows immediately adjacent to the right and left of the operators seat, the side windows immediately to the rear of the operators seat and the front passenger seat and the rear windows unless this vehicle meets one of the criteria set forth in 31-23.3-3. The fine for a violation of this law is $250.00. Rhode Island follows the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards of a total visible light transmittance of not less than seventy percent (70%).

R.I.G.L. 31-23-13.1: Altering height of or operating a motor vehicle with an altered height prohibited: No person shall alter the height of or operate a motor vehicle with an altered height that has an original manufacturers gross vehicle weight rating of up to and including ten thousand pounds (10,000 lbs.), by elevating or lowering the chassis or body by more than four inches (4) from the original manufacturers specified height by use of so called shackle lift kits for leaf springs or by use of lifts for coil springs, tires, or any other means or device.

R.I.G.L. 31-45-1: Noise Limits: (a) No person shall operate a motor vehicle, nor shall the owner of any vehicle allow the vehicle to be operated, at any time, or under any condition of grade, load, acceleration, or deceleration, in such a manner as to exceed the following noise limit based on a distance of fifty feet (50') from the center of the lane of travel within the speed limit. For the purposes of this section, "dbA" means decibels measured with a calibrated sound level meter weighted to the "A" scale.

R.I.G.L. 31-24-22: Multiple beam lamps required: Except as provided, the head lamps, or the auxiliary driving lamps, or combination of them on motor vehicles other than a motorcycle or a motor-driven cycle, shall be arranged so that selection may be made between distributions of light projected to different elevations

R.I.G.L. 31-24-47: Regulation and certification of light devices: The Administrator of the Division of Motor Vehicles is authorized to approve or disapprove lighting devices and to issue and enforce regulations establishing standards and specifications or the approval of such lighting devices, their installation and aiming. The regulations shall correlate with and, so far as possible, conform to the current standards and specifications of the Society of Automotive Engineers applicable to the equipment.