Rhode Island Criminal Records

This guide explains how to find Rhode Island criminal records, arrest records, court records, inmate information, and the public sex offender registry, and how Rhode Island's background-check and record-clearing laws work. It was last reviewed in June 2026 using official Rhode Island sources, and it points you to the state and county agencies that hold each type of record. You can also start a name search using the tool on this page.

Are criminal records public in Rhode Island?

Rhode Island takes a split approach. The statewide criminal history database is managed by the Bureau of Criminal Identification (BCI) within the Rhode Island Attorney General's Office and is not freely open to the public the way some other states' records are. An individual can request their own record, and third-party requests require a signed, notarized release from the person whose record is sought. Court case records, by contrast, are generally public and accessible through the Rhode Island Judiciary Public Portal or in person at any courthouse clerk's office.

How do I look up a criminal record in Rhode Island?

There are three main routes:

• Your own record. Visit the BCI's Customer Service Center at 4 Howard Avenue, Cranston, RI 02920 (open Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.) with a valid government-issued photo ID and $5.00. You can also mail in a notarized request with a photo ID copy, a $5.00 check or money order payable to "BCI," and a self-addressed stamped envelope; allow 14 days. See the BCI background check page for current forms.
• Third-party request. A signed, notarized release from the subject is required. The same $5.00 fee and the same address apply.
• Court records. Individual case files are public and are held by the court where the case was filed. Use the Rhode Island Judiciary Public Portal to search docket information online, or visit a courthouse clerk's office to view full documents.

The BCI state background check contains only fingerprint-supported arrests that resulted in a conviction or are pending prosecution. It does not include acquittals, dismissals, or sealed/expunged records.

Where can I look up arrest records in Rhode Island?

Arrest records in Rhode Island are public under the Rhode Island Access to Public Records Act (R.I. Gen. Laws § 38-2-1 et seq.). The arresting agency - a city or town police department or the Rhode Island State Police - maintains the original arrest record. Many local departments will release basic arrest information on request. Note that an arrest is not a conviction: it documents that a person was taken into custody, not that they were found guilty of any crime.

How do I find court records in Rhode Island?

Rhode Island has a unified state court system, and all case records flow through one judicial branch. The Rhode Island Judiciary Public Portal lets the public search docket information - parties, case events, and document filings - remotely for free. However, remote access is limited to the register of actions (the docket); viewing full case documents requires an in-person visit to a courthouse clerk's office. The Superior Court hears felony cases; the District Court handles most misdemeanors and violations. Courts are located in each county and the court system's main page is at courts.ri.gov.

How do I look up warrants in Rhode Island?

Warrants are issued by the courts and tracked by the judiciary and local law enforcement. The Rhode Island Judiciary Public Portal includes a warrant-search feature that allows you to search for outstanding warrants by name, case number, or case type. The issuing court or the police department in the relevant jurisdiction is the authoritative source for confirming whether a warrant is active.

Do arrests show up on background checks in Rhode Island?

It depends on the type of background check. The official BCI state check reports only arrests that resulted in a conviction or are pending prosecution - acquittals and dismissals do not appear. For employment screening run through a third-party consumer reporting agency, the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) applies: non-conviction arrest records more than seven years old generally cannot be reported for most jobs. Rhode Island's statewide ban-the-box law (R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-5-7(7)) also bars employers with four or more employees from asking about criminal history on a job application before the first interview.

How far back does a background check go in Rhode Island?

Rhode Island does not impose a state-level cap on how far back convictions can be reported beyond the federal FCRA standard. Under the FCRA, criminal convictions can be reported indefinitely (there is no seven-year limit on convictions at the federal level). However, non-conviction records - arrests that did not lead to a conviction - are subject to a seven-year reporting limit under the FCRA for most positions. Jobs with an expected annual salary of $75,000 or more may still see older non-conviction records. Rhode Island employers are also barred from automatically disqualifying applicants based on criminal history; they must consider only convictions directly related to the job.

How do I find someone in jail or prison in Rhode Island?

The Rhode Island Department of Corrections (RIDOC) Incarceration Search at doc.ri.gov lets you search for people currently in RIDOC custody by name or inmate ID. Results show custody status, sentence information, and projected release date where available. RIDOC notes this tool is an informational service and not an official record. For people held in a local city or town lockup before arraignment, contact the relevant police department or jail directly.

How do I find out if someone is on probation or parole in Rhode Island?

Probation and parole in Rhode Island are both supervised by the RIDOC's Community Corrections division. A person's probation or parole status is reflected in court records and may appear in the docket entries accessible through the Judiciary Public Portal. Information about a person's sentence, including probation terms, is also part of the public court record in the case where the sentence was imposed.

What crimes are felonies in Rhode Island?

Under R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-1-2, a felony is any criminal offense punishable by imprisonment for more than one year or by a fine of more than $1,000. Rhode Island does not use a lettered or numbered felony class system the way many other states do; instead, each statute specifies its own maximum and sometimes minimum sentence. Common felonies include murder, robbery, first-degree sexual assault, and burglary. Felony sentences are typically served in a RIDOC facility.

What crimes are misdemeanors in Rhode Island?

A misdemeanor under R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-1-2 is an offense punishable by imprisonment for up to one year or a fine of up to $1,000 or both. A petty misdemeanor carries up to six months in jail and/or a fine up to $500. Violations are punishable by fine only (up to $500) and carry no jail time. Common misdemeanors include simple assault, disorderly conduct, shoplifting under $1,500, and a first-offense DUI.

Are traffic offenses criminal in Rhode Island?

Most routine traffic offenses in Rhode Island are civil violations handled by the Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal and do not create a criminal record. More serious driving conduct - such as driving under the influence (DUI/DWI), reckless driving, or leaving the scene of an accident with injury - is charged as a criminal misdemeanor or felony in District Court or Superior Court and does result in a criminal record.

Is the sex offender registry public in Rhode Island?

Yes, for moderate- and high-risk offenders. Rhode Island's Sex Offender Board of Review (SOBOR) assigns one of three risk levels:

• Level I (Low Risk): Information is shared only with law enforcement, not posted publicly.
• Level II (Moderate Risk): Information is posted to the public registry website for adult offenders.
• Level III (High Risk): Information is posted to the public registry website and actively shared with community organizations likely to encounter the offender.

You can search Level II and Level III registrants at the Rhode Island Sex Offender Registry (RISOR), managed by the Rhode Island State Police. The registry can be searched by name, location, or proximity to an address.

Can someone be removed from the Rhode Island sex offender registry?

Registration duration in Rhode Island depends on the offense and risk classification. Rhode Island law governs registration requirements and the notification system administered by SOBOR. A person may petition the court for relief from registration obligations once the mandatory period has expired; the specifics depend on the nature of the conviction and risk level assigned. An attorney should review any individual situation because eligibility is fact-specific and the consequences of noncompliance are serious.

How do I clear or expunge my criminal record in Rhode Island?

Rhode Island's expungement framework is set out in R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 12-1.3. Unlike some states that merely seal records, Rhode Island's expungement is a physical destruction of the record, so the person can truthfully state in most applications that they were never convicted. Key rules:

• Eligibility: Generally limited to first-time offenders. An individual may petition to expunge up to five misdemeanor convictions or one non-violent felony conviction.
• Waiting periods: Five years after completing all conditions of a misdemeanor sentence; ten years after completing all conditions of a felony sentence.
• Ineligible offenses: Violent crimes as defined in § 12-1.3-1(d) - including murder, robbery, and first-degree sexual assault - cannot be expunged. DUI and domestic-violence offenses are also ineligible.
• All fines paid: All fines, fees, costs, and restitution must be paid in full or formally waived by the court before expungement is finalized.
• Wrongful-arrest sealing: Records of a wrongful arrest (where police mistakenly arrested the wrong person) are sealed within 60 days under R.I. Gen. Laws § 12-1-12.

The Rhode Island Judiciary's expungement information page has the petition forms for Superior Court, District Court, and Family Court.

Do I need a lawyer to expunge my record in Rhode Island?

You are not legally required to hire a lawyer to petition for expungement. The Rhode Island Judiciary publishes the forms and the expungement information page explains the process. That said, the eligibility rules are detailed - particularly the first-offender requirement, the ineligible-offense list, and the notice requirements (you must notify the Attorney General and the charging police department at least ten days before the hearing) - and a legal-aid clinic or attorney can reduce the risk of a procedural mistake that delays or defeats your petition.

How long does a felony stay on your record in Rhode Island?

A felony conviction in Rhode Island remains on your record permanently unless you obtain an expungement under R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 12-1.3. The ten-year waiting period applies after completing all sentence conditions. Violent felonies as defined by statute are permanently ineligible for expungement and will stay on your record. The FCRA's seven-year reporting limit for non-conviction records does not delete the underlying conviction; it only limits what a consumer reporting agency can include in a background-check report.

Are juvenile records private in Rhode Island?

Yes. Under R.I. Gen. Laws § 14-1-6.1, juvenile delinquency records are confidential and withheld from public inspection. Records are sealed upon final disposition of the case or completion of any sentence. The juvenile, their guardian, and their attorney may access the sealed records. This protection does not apply when a minor has been tried and convicted as an adult, in which case the adult criminal record is publicly accessible like any other adult court record.

Providence County criminal records

Providence County is Rhode Island's most populous county, home to more than half the state's population, including the capital city of Providence. Criminal cases in Providence County are heard in the Providence County Superior Court (located at 250 Benefit Street, Providence, RI 02903) for felonies and in the District Court (6th Division) for misdemeanors. Docket information for Providence County cases can be searched through the Rhode Island Judiciary Public Portal. For full case documents, visit the clerk's office in person during regular business hours, Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Official Rhode Island criminal record sources

• Rhode Island BCI Background Check - request a state criminal history from the Attorney General's Bureau of Criminal Identification ($5 state check; $45 national check).
• Rhode Island Judiciary Public Portal - free online docket search for all Rhode Island courts; includes warrant search.
• Rhode Island Judiciary (courts.ri.gov) - court directory, forms, and expungement information for the full state court system.
• Rhode Island DOC Incarceration Search - find a person currently in Rhode Island Department of Corrections custody.
• Rhode Island Sex Offender Registry (RISOR) - searchable public registry of Level II and Level III sex offenders, managed by the Rhode Island State Police.
• Rhode Island Parole Board - Sex Offender Community Notification - information on the SOBOR risk-level system and community notification procedures.
• Rhode Island Judiciary Expungement Information - official expungement petition forms and guidance for Superior, District, and Family Court.

Disclosure: criminal.com may earn a commission when you use the people-search tool on this page, which is powered by a third-party background-check service. Results from such tools are for your personal knowledge only and may not be used to make decisions about employment, housing, credit, tenant screening, or any other purpose covered by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). An arrest record is not proof of guilt. This page provides general information about Rhode Island public records and is not legal advice; for advice about your specific situation, consult a licensed attorney. Information was last reviewed in June 2026 and laws may change.