Rhode Island § 11-47-60 - Weapons

§ 11-47-60. Possession of firearms on school grounds.

(a)(1) No person shall have in his or her possession any firearm or other weapons on school grounds.

(2) For the purposes of this section, “school grounds” means the property of a public or private elementary or secondary school or in those portions of any building, stadium, or other structure on school grounds that were, at the time of the violation, being used for an activity sponsored by or through a school in this state or while riding school-provided transportation.

(3) Every person violating the provisions of this section shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to imprisonment for not less than one year nor more than five (5) years, or shall be fined not less than five hundred dollars ($500) nor more than five thousand dollars ($5,000).

(4) Any juvenile adjudicated delinquent pursuant to this statute shall, in addition to whatever other penalties are imposed by the family court, lose his or her license to operate a motor vehicle for up to six (6) months. If the juvenile has not yet obtained the necessary age to obtain a license, the court may impose as part of its sentence a delay in his or her right to obtain the license when eligible to do so, for a period of up to six (6) months.

(b) The provisions of this section shall not apply to any person who shall be exempt pursuant to the provisions of § 11-47-9, who is a “peace officer” as defined in § 12-7-21; a retired law enforcement officer permitted under § 11-47-18(b) or pursuant to 18 U.S.C. §§ 926B and 926C; or an individual in accordance with a contract entered into between a school and the individual or an employer of the individual to provide security services to the school; or to the following activities when the activities are officially recognized and sanctioned by the educational institution:

(1) Firearm instruction and/or safety courses;

(2) Government-sponsored military-related programs such as ROTC;

(3) Interscholastic shooting and/or marksmanship events;

(4) Military history and firearms collection courses and/or programs; and

(5) The use of blank guns in theatrical and/or athletic events.

(c) The provisions of this section shall not apply to colleges, universities, or junior colleges.

(d) The provisions of this section shall not apply to the possession of a firearm that is not loaded and is in a locked container or a locked rack that is in a motor vehicle.