Pistol Permit Study

PS!  Some towns that are listed as green may not actually have issued permits since they may just have started accepting applications.  RIFOL does not have the resources to stay in contact with every Police Departments in Rhode Island regarding how many permits have been issued.  However, if a town is marked green, the town has applications and accepts applications and people are encouraged to apply.  If any of the information on this link appears to be wrong, or if a Chief of Police does not accept and process applications per 11-47-11, feel free to post on the forum.

A request was sent out to all the Police Departments in Rhode Island to identify what their policy was regarding accepting,

processing, and issueing Pistol Permits according to Rhode Island General Law 11-47-11.


Below is the request that was sent out and the responses from the various Police Departments.

The original study was done in 2010, but we try to keep the website updated and in some instances we will note the date there was an update.
 

Rhode Island Conceal Carry application study

This document is the result of a study to determine how the various police departments in Rhode Island process applications for Pistol Permits to carry a concealable weapon. The following questions were sent out to all the police departments in the state and requested the answers as part of the Access to Public Records Act (Rhode Island General Law, Title 38):

1. Do you consider yourself the Licensing Authority in your town/city according to Rhode Island statute 11-47-2 section 5? If the answer is No, please confirm who is the licensing authority in your town/city.

11-47-2 section 5: "Licensing authorities" means the board of police commissioners of a city or town where the board has been instituted, the chief of police or superintendent of police of other cities and towns having a regular organized police force, and, in towns where there is no chief of police or superintendent of police, it means the town clerk who may issue licenses upon the recommendation of the town sergeant, and it also means any other person or body duly authorized by the city or town charter or by state law.

2. How many applications were received and processed according to Rhode Island statute 11-47-11 in 2009?

3. How many new permits were issued in 2009?

4. How many permits were denied in 2009?

5. How many permits are currently active?

6. Please send a copy of the application used by your town/city Police Department.

Barrington

1. No.

Comments: The Chief says the “The RI Department of Attorney General has asked each municipality to send pistol permits to their agency to comply with uniform standards of approval.”

Bristol

1. No

Comments: All applications are forwarded to the Attorney General

Burrillville

1. Yes

2. 9

3. 8

4. 1

5. 26

6. The application can be found online here.

Central Falls

1. The chief considers himself the licensing authority of Central Falls, but only signs applications to prove residency in the town. Applications are processed by the Attorney General. The answer to this question is therefore NO.

Charlestown

1. No, the Charlestown Police Department does not consider themselves the licensing authority to issue pistol permits according to RIGL 11-47-11.

Comments: All applications are referred to the Attorney General or Rhode Island.

Coventry

The Coventry Police Department responded, but they responded with a confidential email so the answers will not be posted. To get the answers, feel free to contact:

Beverly Gammell

Executive Secretary to the Chief of Police

Coventry Police Department

1075 Main Street

Coventry, RI 02816

401-826-1100

www.coventrypd.com

Notes: The Coventry Police Department requires a Psychological evaluation administered by the University of Rhode Island Psychological Testing Service and the expense for said testing shall be borne by the applicant. In certain cases the Town of Coventry may issue a pistol permit with restrictions in lieu of a denial.

Cranston

1. Yes

2. 12 application were received, but 3 were rescinded.

3. 0 were approved in 2009, 1 was approved in 2010.

4. ?

5. ?

6. An application was enclosed
   
   As of 2012 the Coventry Police Department does NOT require a psych test.

Cumberland

1. The Chief writes that the Cumberland Police Department is NOT the licensing authority (the Town Council is the licensing authority), but the application says the Cumberland Police Department IS the licensing authority. For the purpose of this report, the Cumberland Police Department will be considered the licensing authority.

2. 0

3. 0

4. 0

5. 0

6. Application was submitted.

Notes: The Cumberland Police Department requires a Psychological evaluation administered by the University of Rhode Island Psychological Testing Service and the expense for said testing shall be borne by the applicant.

East Greenwich

East Greenwich has applications.

Notes: An application was enclosed. There is a $210.00 non-refundable background fee for the purpose of verifying all information and a $40.00 fee for the actual permit.

East Providence

The East Providence Police Department did not have a process in place for the year 2009, but as of November 2010 they have applications available.

Foster

1. Yes

2. 4

3. 4

4. 0

5. 11

6. A copy of the application was submitted.

Glocester

1. Yes

2. 0

3. 0

4. 0

5. 2

6. An application was enclosed.

Notes: The Glocester Police Department requires a Psychological evaluation administered by the University of Rhode Island Psychological Testing Service and the expense for said testing shall be borne by the applicant. The town of Glocester may issue a permit with restrictions in lieu of a denial.

Hopkinton

1. Yes

2. 6

3. 6

4. 0

5. 11

6. Same as the Attorney General's application.

Jamestown

1. No, applicants are referred to the Attorney General of RI.

Johnston

1. Yes

2. 0

3. 0

4. 0

5. 0

6. An application was enclosed.

Comments: There are two types of permits given: Full, and Work. The Work permit is only valid during work hours according to the application. The Johnston Police Department requires a Psychological evaluation administered by the University of Rhode Island Psychological Testing Service and the expense for said testing shall be borne by the applicant.

Lincoln

1. Yes, Lincoln Police Department is the licensing authority according to 11-47-11.

2. 0

3. 0

4. 0

5. 0

6. Application was enclosed.

Notes: Lincoln Police department requires a psychological evaluation administered by a psychologist employed by the University of Rhode Island Psychological Testing Service, and the expense of the test shall be borne by the applicant. In addition, an authorization to release of personal information must be signed. The disclosure of records include educational institutions, financial and credit institutions, including records of deposits, withdrawals and balances of checking and savings accounts, and loans, and also the records of commercial and retail credit agencies (including credit reports, and/or ratings), medical and psychiatric treatment and/or consultation, including hospitals, clinics, private practitioners, and the US Veteran's Administration, public utility companies, employment and pre-employment records, including background reports, efficiency ratings, complaints or grievances filed by or against me, and salary records whenever filed etc...

Little Compton

1. Yes

2. 0

3. 0

4. 0

5. 0

6. An application was enclosed, and it is very similar to the application provided by the Attorney General of RI.

Middletown

1. Yes

2. 0

3. 0

4. 0

5. 0

6. Application was enclosed.

Narragansett/Wakefield

1. Yes, the Narragansett Police Department does consider themselves the licensing authority to issue pistol permits according to RIGL 11-47-11.

2. 0

3. 0

4. 0

5. 0

6. Application submitted.

Notes: The policy of issuing pistol permits had recently been established and no applications were processed in 2009. Previously all applicants were referred to the Attorney General of RI.

New Shoreham

1. No

Newport

1. No
   
   Update.  As of October 12th, 2012, Newport have applications available to apply for a pistol permit under 11-47-11.

North Kingstown

1. Yes

2. 2

3. 0

4. 0

5. 3

6. Same as the Attorney General's Application.

North Providence

1. No. This is the response provided by the North Providence Police Department:

   Currently the North Providence Police Department does not issue town permits. By Town Ordinance a psychological examination must be performed and currently that service is not available through psychological testing services. At this time, we are referring applicants to the Attorney General’s Office.

2. 0

3. 0

4. 0

5. 0

6. N/A

    

North Smithfield

1. Yes

2. 12 applications were requested, but only 10 were returned.

3. 10

4. 0

5. 11

6. Application was enclosed and is very similar to the one used by the Attorney General of RI.

Pawtucket

1. The Mayor of Pawtucket responded saying he considers himself the licensing authority in Pawtucket.

2. 0

3. 0

4. 0

5. Denied. The city claims they do not maintain these records.

6. An application was enclosed.

   Notes: After the application has been reviewed by the City of Pawtucket, the applicant is required to submit to personal interview with members of a 3 member panel chosen by the Chief of Police. Based on this interview, additional testing may be required. The ordinances of the City of Pawtucket also require a psychological evaluation prior to the issuance of a license to carry a concealed pistol or revolver in accordance with RI General Law 11-47-6. The city of also retain the right to accept or reject any applications for a pistol permit upon its sole determination of “a proper showing of need”.

Portsmouth

1. Yes

2. 9

3. 9

4. 0

5. 25

6. The Attorney General's application is used.

Providence

1. Yes

2. The Providence PD did not say how many applications were received in 2009, but they said one has been done in 2010.

3. 0

4. 0

5. 1

6. An application was enclosed.

Comments: The Providence PD recently created their own application after a RI Superior Court ordered the chief to accept and process an application from a gentleman in Providence. The transcript can be read here http://www.rifol.com/FORUM/download/file.php?id=18

The permit fee is $250

Richmond

1. Yes

2. 0

3. 0

4. 0

5. 0

6. The Chief responded this was not applicable, but does not provide information with what application is used.
   
    

Scituate

Smithfield   

1. Yes

2. 4

3. 4

4. 0

5. 7

6. A copy of the application was enclosed.

South Kingstown

1. Yes

2. 4

3. 4

4. 0

5. 7

6. A copy of the application was enclosed.

Notes: The application is short and straight forward, but The South Kingstown Police Department requires a $36.00 processing fee to send fingerprints electronically to the FBI.

Tiverton

1. Yes

2. 16

3. 15

4. 1

5. 38

6. A copy of the application was submitted.

Warren

1. No. The Police Department of Warren actually answered Yes to the question and do consider themselves the licensing authority of pistol permits, but they refer applicants to the Attorney General's office.

2. 0

3. 0

4. 0

5. 0

6. N/A

Warwick

1. Yes (actually the Board of Public Safety is the licensing authority).

2. 19

3. 15

4. 4

5. 33

6. An application was enclosed. There is also a $160.00 non-refundable processing fee in addition to the $40.00 fee if a permit is approved.

Westerly

1. YES

2. Does not specify how many applications were processed.

3. 9

4. 0

5. 20

6. Application was enclosed.

   Notes: The application is similar to the one used by the Attorney General.

West Greenwich

1. Yes

2. 5

3. 5

4. 0

5. 8

Application is the same as the Attorney General's application.

 

West Warwick

1. No 

Woonsocket

1. Yes

2. 1 new and 25 renewals were processed.

3. 1 new permit was issues

4. 0

5. 49

6. An application was enclosed.

Notes: The Woonsocket Police Department requires an annual weapons qualification.