Moving to Rhode Island: insurance, license, deadlines

Obtain a Rhode Island operator's or chauffeur's license within thirty (30) days of establishing residency.

R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-1-18(a)

“Nonresident” means any person who is not a resident of this state or is temporarily residing in this state as a student or as a member of the armed forces of the United States.

Apply for a CDL from the new State of domicile within no more than 30 days after establishing his/her new domicile, and surrender the CDL from the old State of domicile to the new State of domicile.

Every person applying for an original or renewal of a commercial license shall be required to comply with and be issued a commercial license meeting the requirements of the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1986 and the implementing regulations in 49 CFR 383 and 384, as may be amended from time to time.

Except as provided in § 31-3.1-2, make application to the division for a certificate of title of the vehicle.

R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-3.1-2(3)

No certificate of title need be obtained for: ... (3) A vehicle owned by a nonresident of this state and not required by law to be registered in this state;

Subject to the registration provisions of chapters 3 — 9 of this title except: any vehicle operated upon a highway in conformance with the provisions of the chapters relating to manufacturers, transporters, dealers, lien holders, or nonresidents; any vehicle that is operated upon a highway only for the purpose of crossing the highway but not along the highway from one property to another; any farm vehicle, whether or not of a type otherwise subject to registration under this chapter, that is only incidentally operated upon a highway (for purposes of this title, the phrase “incidentally operated upon a highway” shall mean the operation upon a highway of a slow-moving motor vehicle that is designed and used primarily as a farm implement for drawing plows, mowing machines, and other implements of husbandry, between agricultural operations owned or managed by the owner of the motor vehicle); any special mobile equipment; any vehicle propelled exclusively by electric power obtained from overhead trolley wires; and any low-speed motor vehicle or low-speed vehicle.

The division of motor vehicles, upon registering the vehicle, shall issue to the owner one fully reflective registration plate for each motorcycle, trailer, semi-trailer, in-transit vehicle, transporter, bailee vehicle, or a dealer vehicle and two (2) fully reflective registration plates for every other motor vehicle.

R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-3-2(1)-(3)

(1) Any vehicle operated upon a highway in conformance with the provisions of the chapters relating to manufacturers, transporters, dealers, lien holders, or nonresidents; (2) Any vehicle that is operated upon a highway only for the purpose of crossing the highway but not along the highway from one property to another; (3) Any farm vehicle, whether or not of a type otherwise subject to registration under this chapter, that is only incidentally operated upon a highway.

R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-3-2(3)

For purposes of this title, the phrase “incidentally operated upon a highway” shall mean the operation upon a highway of a slow-moving motor vehicle that is designed and used primarily as a farm implement for drawing plows, mowing machines, and other implements of husbandry, between agricultural operations owned or managed by the owner of the motor vehicle.

R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-3-2(4)-(6)

(4) Any special mobile equipment as defined in § 31-1-9; (5) Any vehicle that is propelled exclusively by electric power obtained from overhead trolley wires, though not operated upon rails; (6) Any low-speed motor vehicle or low-speed vehicle as defined in § 31-1-3.

A statement to be signed by the applicant states that the applicant will not operate, or allow to be operated, the registered motor vehicle or any other motor vehicle unless all those motor vehicles shall be covered by financial security.

Every owner’s policy of liability insurance shall provide insurance, subject to a limit, exclusive of interest and costs, with respect to each motor vehicle of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) because of bodily injury to, or death of, one person in any one accident; and subject to the limit for one person, to a limit of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000), because of bodily injury to, or death of, two (2) or more persons in any one accident; and a limit of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) because of injury to, or destruction of, property of others in any one accident; or seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000) combined, single limit.

A statement to be signed by the applicant states that the applicant will not operate a motor vehicle in this state, unless he or she maintains, or has maintained on his or her behalf, financial security.

The application shall contain that statement.

Obtain a certificate of inspection as required by the provisions of this chapter within five (5) business days from the date of registering the vehicle.

The owner shall have five (5) business days from the date of registering the vehicle to obtain the certificate of inspection.

The director of revenue shall at least once each year, but not more frequently than twice each year, or on the schedule defined pursuant to chapter 47.1 of this title require that every vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, and pole trailer registered in this state or upon a retail seller’s premise, be inspected and that an official certificate of inspection and approval be obtained for the vehicle, with respect to the mechanism, brakes, and equipment of the vehicle as shall be designated by the director of department of revenue; motor vehicles subject to the Rhode Island I/M Program shall be inspected biennially except as described in § 1.4 of this Part.

R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-38-4(a)(1)

provided, that the director of revenue shall require the first inspection of any new motor vehicle within two (2) years from the date of purchase or before the vehicle accumulates twenty-four thousand (24,000) miles whichever occurs first.

R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-38-4(b)

The director of the department of revenue may authorize the acceptance in this state of a certificate of inspection and approval issued in another state having an inspection law similar to this chapter, and may extend the time within which a certificate shall be obtained.

Each motor vehicle subject to the provisions of this chapter shall be subject to a motor vehicle emissions inspection, conducted no more frequently than annually; motor vehicles subject to this chapter shall be determined by regulations, and shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, all 1975 and later model year light duty vehicles and light duty trucks up to and including eight thousand five hundred pounds (8,500 lbs.) gross vehicle weight rating.

R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-47.1-5(1)-(3)

The following motor vehicles shall be exempt from the requirements of this chapter: (1) A motor vehicle twenty-five (25) years or older. (2) Any class of motor vehicles that is exempted by regulation of the department because the vehicle presents prohibitive inspection problems or is inappropriate for inspection. (3) Motor vehicles operated exclusively by electric power.

R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-47.1-5(4)-(5)

(4) New motor vehicles until twenty-four (24) months after their date of purchase or twenty-four thousand (24,000) miles, whichever occurs first. (5) Motor vehicles that are in compliance with an enhanced motor vehicle inspection program operated by another jurisdiction may be exempt upon the owner providing a current written certification of compliance, if the inspection program in that jurisdiction is approved by the United States environmental protection agency.

The application shall contain or be accompanied by the certificate of a person authorized by law that the identifying number of the vehicle has been inspected and found to conform to the description given in the application, or any other proof of the identity of the vehicle the division reasonably requires.

Chiefs of police, their designees, who shall be employees of the police department, a licensed Rhode Island new motor vehicle dealer, or, in an emergency, the administrator of the division of motor vehicles, or the administrator's designee, shall conduct the inspection of the vehicle identifying number.

A resident individual means an individual who is domiciled in this state, or who is not domiciled in this state but maintains a permanent place of abode in this state and is in this state for an aggregate of more than one hundred eighty-three (183) days of the taxable year, unless the individual is in the armed forces of the United States.

On or before the fifteenth day of the fourth month following the close of a taxable year, a Rhode Island personal income tax return shall be made and filed by or for every resident individual required to file a federal income tax return for the taxable year, or having Rhode Island income for the taxable year, determined under § 44-30-12, in excess of the sum of his federal personal exemptions.

Subject to regulations of the tax administrator, file one return as a resident for the portion of the year during which the individual is a resident, and one return as a nonresident for the portion of the year during which the individual is a nonresident.

Subject to regulations of the tax administrator, the individual shall file one return as a resident for the portion of the year during which the individual is a resident, and one return as a nonresident for the portion of the year during which the individual is a nonresident.

Except as otherwise provided in subsection (b), file biennially an application for registration with the department of environmental management on forms approved by the director. The owner of any motorboat already covered by an identification number, in full force and effect, awarded pursuant to then operative federal law or a federally approved numbering system of another state, shall record the number with the department of environmental management prior to operating the motorboat on the waters of this state in excess of the ninety (90) day reciprocity period.

A motorboat shall not be required to be numbered under this chapter if it is already covered by a number in full force and effect awarded pursuant to federal law or federally approved numbering system of another state, but in the event the boat is to be operated on the waters of this state in excess of ninety (90) days, the owner shall record the number with the department of environmental management, division of boating safety, and pay the fees required under this chapter.

R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-6(1)

(1) Already covered by a number in full force and effect which has been awarded to it pursuant to federal law or federally approved numbering system of another state; provided, however, in the event the boat is to be operated on the waters of this state in excess of ninety (90) days, the owner shall record the number with the department of environmental management, division of boating safety, and pay the fees required under this chapter.

R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-6(2)-(9)

(2) A motorboat from a country other than the United States temporarily using the waters of this state. (3) A motorboat whose owner is the United States, a state, or a subdivision thereof. (4) A ship’s lifeboat. (5) A motorboat used exclusively for racing. (6) A houseboat as defined in § 44-5-25.1. (7) A rowboat twelve feet (12′) in length or less. (8) A canoe. (9) A ferry.

R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-6

A motorboat shall not be required to be numbered under this chapter if it is:

Except as provided in this chapter, the snowmobile or recreational vehicle has been registered in accordance with this chapter.

R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-3.2-2(h)

The registration provisions of this section shall not apply to non-resident owners who have registered their recreational vehicles in compliance with the registration and licensing laws of the state, province, district or country of residence in which they reside, provided that the recreational vehicle is appropriately identified in accordance with the laws of the state of residence.

R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-3.2-2(h)

The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to a resident of another state, province, district or country that does not have a recreational vehicle registration and identification law.