Rhode Island Proposal Could Turn Previously Legal Gun Owners Into Felons Overnight

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PROVIDENCE, RI – Rhode Island lawmakers have introduced a bill that would expand the state’s existing firearm restrictions by making possession of certain firearms illegal, including many that residents currently own legally.

House Bill H 8073 was introduced on February 27, 2026 and has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee. The legislation amends Section 11-47.2-2 of Rhode Island law and would prohibit the manufacture, sale, transfer, purchase, and possession of firearms classified under state law as “prohibited firearms.”

Violations could carry penalties of up to ten years in prison, fines of up to $10,000, and forfeiture of the firearm.

The proposal builds on legislation signed into law in June 2025 by Governor Dan McKee. That law banned the manufacture, purchase, sale, and transfer of certain firearms described by lawmakers as “military-style weapons.” However, it allowed current owners to keep firearms they already possessed under a grandfather clause.

The law is scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2026.

Under the existing statute, lawful owners can keep those firearms. They are also allowed to sell them to federally licensed firearm dealers or transfer them to individuals outside Rhode Island where possession is legal.

House Bill H 8073 would change that by prohibiting possession altogether. If enacted, owners of these firearms would need to transfer them out of state or sell them through approved channels before the deadline outlined in the bill.

The firearms targeted by Rhode Island’s law include certain semi-automatic rifles, pistols, and shotguns that fall under the state’s definition of “assault weapons.”

This typically includes rifles such as AR-style and AK-style semi-automatic rifles, as well as other similar firearms. Semi-automatic rifles that accept detachable magazines and have features such as pistol grips, folding or telescoping stocks, or flash suppressors may also fall under the definition.

Some semi-automatic pistols with detachable magazines and features such as threaded barrels or magazines located outside the pistol grip can also be included under the law’s definition. Certain semi-automatic shotguns with features like pistol grips or folding stocks may also fall under the ban.

The earlier 2025 law focused on preventing the future sale and transfer of these firearms while allowing existing owners to keep them. The newly introduced bill would extend those restrictions to possession itself.

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A second proposal introduced in the Rhode Island General Assembly this year would also expand firearm regulations in the state.

House Bill H 7755, known as the “Responsible Firearm Purchasing Act,” was introduced on February 12, 2026 and also referred to the House Judiciary Committee.

The bill would require anyone seeking to purchase a firearm in Rhode Island to complete and pass a basic firearm safety training course. The course would include instruction on firearm handling, secure storage, firearm laws, safe shooting fundamentals, disengagement tactics, and injury and suicide prevention.

The training would also include live-fire instruction and a standardized written test administered under rules established by the office of the attorney general.

According to the legislative explanation attached to the bill, the proposal would require most individuals seeking to possess a firearm to complete and pass this safety training course, with exemptions for certain law enforcement and military personnel.

The Second Amendment protects the right of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms. Policies that transform legally owned firearms into prohibited items raise serious constitutional questions and create uncertainty for citizens who followed the law when acquiring their firearms.

Both bills remain under consideration in the Rhode Island House Judiciary Committee.