RI basics

[Atlantis]

Apologies in advance for any redundant questions but here we are.

Good friend of mine is a RI resident. They have had their green card (immigration) for I believe a couple of years now. They have come shooting with me a few times and reached out about wanted to buy a pistol and possibly a rifle in RI.

My quick precursory searching leads me to believe a plain Jane RI resident can buy/possess a rifle with nothing other than a state ID/residency.

Pistol requires a permit to buy/possess and possibly a second/different permit to concealed carry?

1) Is that correct?

2) Does/How does a green card modify things?

3) Yes I’m advising my friend to connect with knowledgeable counsel to get the ground truth and establish that relationship ahead of time. Just figured I’d throw the question out to the brain trust in the interim.

TIA

 

[Jared]

1) Unless you have a pistol permit from a city or town, you need a “blue card” from the DEM to acquire a pistol. It’s free to obtain and it’s just a questionnaire. It’s not a purchase permit like they have in NJ or HI. It’s a reusable card that the state doesn’t even keep records for after a few years. So if you lose it, you can just test and get another one.

2) No. Before the 1990’s it did and you would have to have obtained a pistol permit from the Attorney General unless you had 10 years residency. 11-47-7 was changed after the RI NRA affiliate threatened to sue the state in federal court.

3) I’d be curious to hear what they say. I remember a family member passing away and the lawyer for the estate basically said the exact opposite of what the RIGL (state law) said.

 

[cookiecutter]

I have always had a CHP in RI, so I never purchased a firearm here with the blue card, so I don't have any experience about that part of your question, but Jared's response sounds like it is right on the money. Don't forget that In RI, however, what the statute says, and what the City PD Chief or his/her appointee tell an applicant may also be two totally different things. I had to get an attorney involved just to get a renewal of my CHP a couple of years ago. Total BS, but the Chief fancied himself as being above the law he swore to defend and execute. When I was done, however, that town's official policy got revised, so I guess I got something for my effort (and $$$).

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