State Gun Laws

Even if the abuser has not been convicted of a crime and doesn’t have a restraining order against them, it could still be illegal for them to have a gun for other reasons. According to Rhode Island law, a person cannot have or buy a gun if they:

• are a fugitive from justice, meaning they fled any state to avoid being prosecuted or to avoid testifying in any criminal proceeding;¹
• are mentally incompetent and under guardianship, treatment, or confinement;
• have a drug addiction, either as determined by a court or for which they are being treated or confined;² or
• are in the U.S. illegally.³

For more information on Rhode Island gun laws, you can go to the Giffords Law Center website.

It could also be illegal for someone to have a gun because of federal gun laws, which apply to all states. Federal law bans a person from having a gun if:

• you have a protection order against them that meets certain conditions;
• they were convicted of any felony or a domestic violence misdemeanor;
• there is another reason under federal law that makes it illegal for them to have a gun.⁴

For more details, you can go to our Federal Gun Laws page.

If you believe the abuser has a gun when they shouldn’t, you can talk to law enforcement or a domestic violence advocate. To learn more, go to If I think the abuser has a gun illegally, who do I report it to? and I’m worried the abuser has a gun or is planning to get one. What can I do to protect myself?

¹ ​R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 11-47-5(a); 11-47-2(8)
² R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-47-6
³ R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-47-7(a)
⁴ 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)