Rhode Island § 30-12-7 - General Offenses

§ 30-12-7. Unauthorized military organizations or parades — Revocation of authority.

(a) No body of persons, other than the national guard, the independent chartered military organizations, the unorganized militia on active duty, the military and naval forces and air force of the United States, associations wholly composed of soldiers, sailors, marines, or air persons, honorably discharged from the service of the United States, veterans of the national guard or naval militia, the organization of the Order of the Sons of Veterans, and organizations now or hereafter authorized to do so by the express permission of the governor or otherwise by law, shall associate themselves together as a military company or organization, or parade in public with firearms in any city or town of this state.

(b) No city or town shall raise or appropriate any money toward arming or equipping, uniforming, or in any other way supporting, sustaining, or providing drill rooms or armories for any body described in subsection (a). This section shall not be construed to prevent any organization, now authorized to do so by the express permission of the governor or otherwise, by law, from parading with firearms, nor to prevent drills or parades by the national guard of any other state. The governor may at any time revoke the permission granted by himself or herself or any previous governor to any organization or body of persons to associate themselves together as a military company or meet as a military company for drill with arms, or parade in public as a military company with arms. Any person violating any provision of this section shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor.