I'm a new resident in Rhode Island: what do I do with my license?

Compare with the state you moved from

Choose the state you came from to see the main differences from Rhode Island. Every value comes from that state's official manual (with the page number) or from its license guide. Where a manual does not state a rule, we say so instead of guessing.

Key rules in Rhode Island

Each rule comes from the Rhode Island driver manual or from the license guide, with its source.

Licensing and paperwork

• Deadline to switch your license

  Within 30 days of moving to Rhode Island and establishing residency, get a Rhode Island license.

  What the manual says

  • The 30-day deadline

    The DMV’s Out of State Transfers page says that, within 30 days of moving to Rhode Island and establishing residency, you must obtain a Rhode Island operator’s license, as required by state law. Insurance is mandatory in Rhode Island: you must carry liability at the minimum, and your insurance company must be licensed to do business in the state.

  Source: [1] [2]

• Tests when you transfer a license

  Age 18 or older with a valid out-of-state license: no knowledge exam or road test required.

  What the manual says

  • Transferring a valid license

    If you have a valid driver’s license from another state and have just moved to Rhode Island, you can apply to have it transferred to a Rhode Island license. If your license is suspended in any other state, you must address this with that state before you apply for a Rhode Island license. If you are 18 or older and your out-of-state license is valid or has been expired for less than five years, you do not have to take the computerized knowledge exam or the driving skills test. If it has been expired for more than five years, you take the learner’s permit test and then schedule a road test; the learner’s permit test is given at the Cranston location only, and reservations are required. Upon applying for the transfer, you must present and surrender your out-of-state license.

  Source: [3] [1]

• Liability insurance

  All persons driving on public roads must carry liability insurance from an insurer licensed in Rhode Island.

  What the manual says

  • The manual says all persons driving on the state’s public roads must carry liability insurance.

  • The 30-day deadline

    The DMV’s Out of State Transfers page says that, within 30 days of moving to Rhode Island and establishing residency, you must obtain a Rhode Island operator’s license, as required by state law. Insurance is mandatory in Rhode Island: you must carry liability at the minimum, and your insurance company must be licensed to do business in the state.

  Source: Rhode Island Driver’s Manual (April 2024), page 58

  Source: [1] [2]

• Change of address

  License holders must notify the DMV within 10 days of any change of address.

  What the manual says

  • Changing your address

    License holders are required by law to notify the DMV within ten days of any change in address. You can change your address online or by mail with the Change of Address form; this does not generate a new credential, and there is no fee for the address change by mail. To get a new photo license with your new address, appear in person at any DMV branch office during regular business hours with your current license and proof of residency.

  Source: [3] [4] [5]

• How long the license lasts

  A driver's license is valid for a maximum of 5 years.

  What the manual says

  • The manual states that a license is valid for a maximum of five years.

  Source: Rhode Island Driver’s Manual (April 2024), page 75

Road rules

• Teen driving hours

  Learner provisional license: no driving alone 1:00-5:00 a.m.; exceptions include driving to or from work.

  What the manual says

  • A Learner Provisional License holder cannot drive alone between 1:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m.

  • Driving alone at night with a provisional license

    With a Learner Provisional License, you cannot drive by yourself between 1:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. You may drive with supervision at any time, and the supervising driver must be seated beside you in the front seat while the vehicle is in motion. The manual and the DMV page both allow driving without supervision to or from work, and to or from an activity of a volunteer fire department, rescue squad or emergency medical service if you are a member; both also allow 4:00-5:00 a.m. driving between your home and a school-sponsored athletic activity for which the school provides no transportation. You must have the license in your possession.

  Source: Rhode Island Driver’s Manual (April 2024), page 14

  Source: [3] [6]

• Alcohol limit under 21

  Under 21 with a BAC of .02% but less than .08%: charged with Driving While Impaired (DWI).

  What the manual says

  • A person under 21 with a BAC from .02% up to .08% is impaired and charged with DWI.

  Source: Rhode Island Driver’s Manual (April 2024), page 61

• Refusing a chemical test

  Driving means you consent to chemical tests; refusing brings a license suspension of at least 6 months.

  What the manual says

  • Operating a motor vehicle in the state means you are deemed to have consented to chemical testing of breath, blood, saliva and/or urine.
  • Refusing a chemical test brings a license suspension of a minimum of six months, plus other penalties.

  Source: Rhode Island Driver’s Manual (April 2024), page 61

• Seat belts

  Driver and passengers must buckle. Primary law for all ages: police can stop you if anyone is unbuckled.

  What the manual says

  • The list of laws states that seat belt use is required for the driver and for the passengers.
  • A primary law means an officer can stop you just because someone in the vehicle is not buckled.
  • A primary law means an officer can stop you just because someone in the vehicle is not buckled.

  Source: Rhode Island Driver’s Manual (April 2024), page 58, 26

• Child safety seats

  Under 8: approved child restraint system, depending on height and weight. Ages 8-17: safety belt in any seat.

  What the manual says

  • The law requires such a child to ride in a rear seating position in an approved child restraint system.
  • Children from age 8 up to 18 must properly wear a safety belt and/or shoulder harness in any seating position, and the operator must ensure it.

  Source: Rhode Island Driver’s Manual (April 2024), page 26

• Phone use while driving

  All drivers: no texting with a handset. Under 18: no cell phone, even hands-free, except in an emergency.

  What the manual says

  • The manual says that no matter the age, drivers may not use a wireless handset to text.
  • The ban for drivers under 18 covers hands-free devices and speakerphones too.
  • The only time a minor is permitted to use a cell phone is in an emergency.

  Source: Rhode Island Driver’s Manual (April 2024), page 37, 36

• School buses

  Stop from either direction until red lights stop flashing; no need when bus is opposite on divided highway.

  What the manual says

  • Motorists from either direction must stop fully and remain stopped until the bus's red lights stop flashing.
  • Motorists need not stop when the bus is opposite them on a divided highway.

  Source: Rhode Island Driver’s Manual (April 2024), page 54

• Headlights

  On from sunset to sunrise, when you cannot see 500 feet ahead, and when wipers are in use.

  What the manual says

  • The law requires headlights on from sunset to sunrise, whenever you cannot see 500 feet ahead, and when the wipers are in use.

  Source: Rhode Island Driver’s Manual (April 2024), page 52

• Right turn on red

  Allowed after a complete stop and yielding to pedestrians and vehicles, unless a sign prohibits it; never required.

  What the manual says

  • A right turn on a steady red is allowed after a complete stop and yielding to pedestrians and other vehicles, except where a sign prohibits it.
  • The manual says a motorist stopped at a red light does not have to turn right on red if they do not desire to do so.

  Source: Rhode Island Driver’s Manual (April 2024), page 41

• Speed limits

  25 mph in residential areas; 50-65 mph on most highways.

  What the manual says

  • Rhode Island law sets the limit at 25 mph in residential areas.
  • Rhode Island law sets limits of 50-65 mph on most highways.

  Source: Rhode Island Driver’s Manual (April 2024), page 35

• Left lane and keeping right

  On multi-lane highways, the left lane is for passing and the right lane for normal driving.

  What the manual says

  • The law requires the left lane for passing and the right lane for through traffic or normal driving.
  • The far-left lane is the one meant for passing other vehicles.

  Source: Rhode Island Driver’s Manual (April 2024), page 34, 35

Official steps for moving to Rhode Island

• The 30-day deadline

  The DMV’s Out of State Transfers page says that, within 30 days of moving to Rhode Island and establishing residency, you must obtain a Rhode Island operator’s license, as required by state law. Insurance is mandatory in Rhode Island: you must carry liability at the minimum, and your insurance company must be licensed to do business in the state.

  Source: [1] [2]

• Transferring a valid license

  If you have a valid driver’s license from another state and have just moved to Rhode Island, you can apply to have it transferred to a Rhode Island license. If your license is suspended in any other state, you must address this with that state before you apply for a Rhode Island license. If you are 18 or older and your out-of-state license is valid or has been expired for less than five years, you do not have to take the computerized knowledge exam or the driving skills test. If it has been expired for more than five years, you take the learner’s permit test and then schedule a road test; the learner’s permit test is given at the Cranston location only, and reservations are required. Upon applying for the transfer, you must present and surrender your out-of-state license.

  Source: [3] [1]

• What to bring for a transfer

  Bring your current out-of-state license or, if that is unavailable, a certified driving record from your state showing the issue date, license number, your personal information and the expiration date. Your Social Security number must be listed on the application, or you bring a letter from the Social Security Administration stating that you are not eligible to receive one. Bring two proofs of Rhode Island residency in your name (the checklist lists who else is accepted). Complete and sign the License/ID/Permit Application. A fee applies; see the DMV’s fee pages in the links below.

  Source: [1] [7]

• Restrictions and endorsements

  Restrictions on your out-of-state license and a motorcycle endorsement are transferred to your Rhode Island license with an equivalent restriction or endorsement. For other endorsements, see the DMV’s Out of State Transfers page.

  Source: [3] [1]

• Your first Rhode Island license

  The first Rhode Island license you get after a transfer is valid for up to two years. A transfer can be done at a DMV branch, except for licenses from U.S. territories and from other countries.

  Source: [3] [1] [2] [8]

• Licenses from other countries and U.S. territories

  All Out-of-Country and U.S. Territories (American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands) driver’s license transactions must be done at the DMV Cranston headquarters. New residents from another country who are 18 or older must apply for an instruction permit. A driving test is required if you hold a foreign country license. New residents transferring from a U.S. territory must bring a certified driving record as well as their current driver’s license.

  Source: [6] [9] [2]

• Driver education from another state

  If you took driver education in another state, you can ask CCRI for credit by submitting the required documentation for review; approval is subject to Rhode Island requirements.

  Source: [10]

Sources

1. Out of State Transfers (dmv.ri.gov) — Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles
2. New to Rhode Island (dmv.ri.gov) — Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles
3. Rhode Island Driver’s Manual (April 2024) (dmv.ri.gov) — Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles
4. License Renewal (dmv.ri.gov) — Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles
5. Name & Address Change (dmv.ri.gov) — Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles
6. New License Permits (dmv.ri.gov) — Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles
7. Rhode Island DMV Document Checklist: REAL ID and Non REAL ID licenses and ID cards (Rev. 05/15/2024) (dmv.ri.gov) — Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles
8. Locations & Hours (dmv.ri.gov) — Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles
9. Road Tests (dmv.ri.gov) — Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles
10. Rhode Island Driver Education & Traffic Safety (CCRI) (ccri.edu) — Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI)