Rhode Island § 20-16-8 - Furbearing Animals

§ 20-16-8. Trapping — Steel jawed leghold traps.

(a) No person shall use, set, place, or maintain or tend any steel-jawed, leghold trap to capture any furbearing mammal or other animal; provided, however, that any person may apply in writing to the director of the department of environmental management for a special permit to use a steel-jawed, leghold trap to be used on his or her property when there exists on his or her property an animal nuisance that cannot be reasonably abated except by the use of the trap.

(b) If the director determines that this nuisance exists on the property of the applicant that cannot be reasonably abated by means not prohibited by this section, the director may then issue a permit to the applicant, for a period not exceeding ninety (90) days, to use, set, place, maintain, or tend any steel-jawed, leghold traps that the director may deem necessary to eliminate the nuisance.

(c) Any person violating this section shall be punished by a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars ($500) or be imprisoned not exceeding one year, or both, and his or her trapping license and privilege to trap shall be revoked for one year from the date of conviction.