Rhode Island

Rhode Island General Laws — Title 31, Motor and Other Vehicles

1,125 sections, each with the official text and a plain-English explanation of what it means for you.

• § 31-1-1 — Short title
• § 31-1-10 — Types of tires
• § 31-1-11 — Railroads and trains
• § 31-1-12 — Explosives and flammable liquids
• § 31-1-13 — Gross weight
• § 31-1-14 — Renewal
• § 31-1-15 — Suspension, revocation, and cancellation
• § 31-1-16 — Administrator and division
• § 31-1-17 — Types of persons
• § 31-1-18 — Resident and nonresident
• § 31-1-19 — Types of business
• § 31-1-2 — Applicability of definitions
• § 31-1-20 — Established place of business
• § 31-1-21 — Enforcement officers
• § 31-1-22 — Local authorities
• § 31-1-23 — Types of roads
• § 31-1-24 — Intersection
• § 31-1-25 — Crosswalk
• § 31-1-26 — Safety zone
• § 31-1-27 — Business and residence districts
• § 31-1-28 — Types of traffic control devices
• § 31-1-29 — Traffic
• § 31-1-3 — Types of vehicles
• § 31-1-3.1 — Autocycles
• § 31-1-30 — Right-of-way
• § 31-1-31 — Types of stops
• § 31-1-32 — Severability
• § 31-1-4 — Trucks and tractors
• § 31-1-5 — Trailers
• § 31-1-6 — Specially constructed and reconstructed vehicles
• § 31-1-7 — Foreign vehicle
• § 31-1-8 — Farm vehicle
• § 31-1-9 — Mobile equipment
• § 31-10-1 — License required to drive
• § 31-10-10 — Rules as to armed forces license
• § 31-10-11 — Application forms — Destruction of refused applications
• § 31-10-12 — Contents of application
• § 31-10-13 — Record from other jurisdiction
• § 31-10-14 — Applications of minors
• § 31-10-15 — Liability of person signing minor’s application
• § 31-10-16 — Liability when minor proves financial responsibility
• § 31-10-17 — Release from liability
• § 31-10-18 — Cancellation of license upon death of person signing minor’s application
• § 31-10-19 — 31-10-19
• § 31-10-2 — Persons exempt from licensing requirements
• § 31-10-20 — Driver education course requirement before licensing
• § 31-10-21 — Written and eye examination
• § 31-10-22 — Road test
• § 31-10-23 — Examiners not liable for acts of persons being examined
• § 31-10-24 — Applicants excused from road test
• § 31-10-26 — Issuance of license
• § 31-10-26.1 — Anatomical gifts by drivers
• § 31-10-27 — License to be carried and exhibited on demand
• § 31-10-28 — Restricted licenses
• § 31-10-29 — Duplicate certificates
• § 31-10-3 — Persons ineligible for licenses
• § 31-10-30 — Expiration and renewal of licenses
• § 31-10-31 — Fees
• § 31-10-32 — Notice of change of address or name
• § 31-10-33 — Records to be kept by the division of motor vehicles
• § 31-10-34 — 31-10-34.4
• § 31-10-34.5 — Transfer of functions to administrator of division of motor vehicles
• § 31-10-35 — Commercial drivers’ school license required
• § 31-10-36 — Application for commercial drivers’ school license
• § 31-10-37 — Fee — Expiration of license — Duplicates
• § 31-10-38 — Denial, suspension, or revocation of commercial drivers’ school licenses
• § 31-10-39 — Instructor’s license required
• § 31-10-4 — Classification of chauffeurs — Examination of applicants
• § 31-10-40 — Fee — Expiration of instructor’s license
• § 31-10-41 — Denial, suspension, or revocation of instructor’s license
• § 31-10-42 — Hearing on denial, suspension, or revocation of driver’s school or instructor’s licenses — Review
• § 31-10-43 — Penalties for violations
• § 31-10-44 — Medical advisory board
• § 31-10-45 — Safety belts
• § 31-10-46 — Driver education course — Credit given
• § 31-10-47 — Notification of selective service registration requirement
• § 31-10-48 — Veteran designation on operator license
• § 31-10-49 — Autism designations for motor vehicle operators — Blue envelope program
• § 31-10-5 — Special restrictions for drivers for compensation
• § 31-10-5.1 — School bus driver annual training
• § 31-10-5.2 — Temporary school bus driver license for out-of-state holders of commercial driver’s license
• § 31-10-6 — Graduated licensing for person under the age of eighteen (18)
• § 31-10-6.1 — Supervising driver
• § 31-10-6.2 — Out-of-state exceptions
• § 31-10-6.3 — Duration and fee
• § 31-10-6.4 — Violations
• § 31-10-6.5 — Insurance status
• § 31-10-7 — Temporary driver’s permit — Persons over the age of eighteen (18)
• § 31-10-8 — Special armed forces operator’s license
• § 31-10-9 — Operator’s license issued after expiration of armed forces license
• § 31-11-1 — Authority of division of motor vehicles to cancel license
• § 31-11-10 — Reinstatement after revocation or suspension
• § 31-11-11 — Return of license certificate
• § 31-11-12 — Operation under foreign license during suspension or revocation in this state prohibited
• § 31-11-13 — Failure to surrender license certificate
• § 31-11-14 — Retention of suspended, cancelled, or revoked license — Seizure by peace officer
• § 31-11-15 — Appeal from administrator’s order
• § 31-11-16 — Unlawful use of license
• § 31-11-17 — False swearing
• § 31-11-18 — Driving after denial, suspension, or revocation of license
• § 31-11-18.1 — Driving after denial, revocation, or suspension for certain violations
• § 31-11-19 — Permitting child under the age of 16 to drive
• § 31-11-2 — Driving privileges of nonresidents
• § 31-11-20 — Permitting unauthorized person to drive prohibited
• § 31-11-21 — Employment of unlicensed chauffeur prohibited
• § 31-11-21.1 — Penalty for employing of unlicensed/unauthorized operator
• § 31-11-22 — Rental to unauthorized person prohibited
• § 31-11-23 — Inspection of license of person to whom vehicle rented required
• § 31-11-24 — Records of rentals
• § 31-11-25 — Suspension for failure to pay fine
• § 31-11-3 — Resident’s conviction in another state
• § 31-11-4 — Seizure of license in possession of unauthorized person
• § 31-11-5 — Abstracts of court records — Recommendations of judge
• § 31-11-6 — Offenses resulting in mandatory revocation of license
• § 31-11-7 — Authority of division of motor vehicles to suspend license
• § 31-11-8 — Recommendation of court — Violation of § 31-27-4
• § 31-11-9 — Reexamination of licensees
• § 31-12-1 — Places provisions applicable
• § 31-12-10 — Animals and animal-drawn vehicles
• § 31-12-11 — Uniformity of application
• § 31-12-12 — Powers of local authorities
• § 31-12-13 — Local regulations to be posted
• § 31-12-14 — State approval for traffic control devices on state highways
• § 31-12-15 — Powers of landowners preserved
• § 31-12-3 — Obedience to police officers
• § 31-12-4 — Applicability to public vehicles
• § 31-12-5 — Exemption of highway workers
• § 31-12-6 — Emergency vehicles — Times when entitled to special privileges
• § 31-12-7 — Privileges allowed emergency vehicles
• § 31-12-8 — Warning signals given by emergency vehicles
• § 31-12-9 — Due care by emergency vehicles
• § 31-13-1 — State traffic commission — Manual of traffic control devices
• § 31-13-10 — Unauthorized signs and devices prohibited
• § 31-13-10.1 — Traffic control signal preemption devices
• § 31-13-11 — Injury to signs and devices
• § 31-13-12 — Traffic control near road construction and maintenance operation
• § 31-13-13 — Hospital sign indicating emergency treatment facility
• § 31-13-14 — Time period to complete projects
• § 31-13-2 — Devices on state highways
• § 31-13-3 — Devices on local highways
• § 31-13-4 — Obedience to devices
• § 31-13-5 — Signs prerequisite to enforcement of provisions
• § 31-13-6 — Meaning of traffic control signals
• § 31-13-7 — Signals at places other than intersections
• § 31-13-8 — Pedestrian control signals
• § 31-13-9 — Flashing signals
• § 31-14-1 — Reasonable and prudent speeds
• § 31-14-10 — Nighttime limits for motor-driven cycles
• § 31-14-11 — Vehicles with solid rubber or cushion tires
• § 31-14-12 — Speed limits on bridges and structures
• § 31-14-12.1 — Special speed limits in highway construction and maintenance operations
• § 31-14-13 — Burden of proof in civil actions
• § 31-14-2 — Prima facie limits
• § 31-14-3 — Conditions requiring reduced speed
• § 31-14-4 — Alteration of prima facie limits by traffic commission
• § 31-14-4.1 — Reduction of the prima facie limits in historic districts and on scenic highways
• § 31-14-5 — Reduction by local authorities of speed limits at local intersections and streets within business or residence districts
• § 31-14-6 — Increase by local authorities of speed limits in business and residence districts
• § 31-14-7 — Reduction by local authorities of speed limits in open areas
• § 31-14-8 — Local alteration of limits on state highways
• § 31-14-9 — Minimum speed
• § 31-15-1 — Right half of road
• § 31-15-10 — Rotary traffic islands
• § 31-15-11 — Laned roadways
• § 31-15-12 — Interval between vehicles
• § 31-15-12.1 — Entering intersections
• § 31-15-12.2 — Don’t Block the Box
• § 31-15-13 — Divided highways
• § 31-15-14 — Entry or leaving of limited-access roadways
• § 31-15-15 — Designation and posting of controlled-access roadways
• § 31-15-16 — Use of emergency break-down lane for travel
• § 31-15-17 — Crossing bicycle lane
• § 31-15-18 — Unsafe passing of a person operating a bicycle; penalty
• § 31-15-19 — Two-way left turn lanes
• § 31-15-2 — Slow traffic to right
• § 31-15-20 — Unsafe passing of a vulnerable road user
• § 31-15-3 — Passing of vehicles proceeding in opposite directions
• § 31-15-4 — Overtaking on left
• § 31-15-5 — Overtaking on the right
• § 31-15-6 — Clearance for overtaking
• § 31-15-7 — Places where overtaking prohibited
• § 31-15-8 — Posting of no passing zones
• § 31-15-9 — One way highways
• § 31-16-1 — Care in starting from stop
• § 31-16-10 — Manner of giving arm signals
• § 31-16-2 — Manner of turning at intersection
• § 31-16-3 — Marking of turn-paths at particular intersections
• § 31-16-4 — Places where U-turns prohibited
• § 31-16-5 — Turn signal required
• § 31-16-6 — Time of signaling turn
• § 31-16-6.1 — Penalties
• § 31-16-7 — Signaling of stops
• § 31-16-8 — Method of giving signals
• § 31-16-9 — Vehicles on which mechanical signal devices required
• § 31-17-1 — Right-of-way in absence of signs or signals
• § 31-17-2 — Vehicle turning left or right
• § 31-17-3 — Intersection with through highway
• § 31-17-4 — Vehicle entering stop or yield intersection
• § 31-17-5 — Entering from private road or driveway
• § 31-17-5.1 — Penalties