About Rhode Island Public Records

Rhode Island public records are governed by the Access to Public Records Act (APRA), R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 38-2-1 to 38-2-15, which presumes all records of state and municipal agencies are open for inspection unless covered by a statutory exception. Municipal Recorders of Deeds hold land records, the State Police Bureau of Criminal Identification (BCI) handles statewide criminal history, and the RI Judiciary publishes case data at courts.ri.gov.

Rhode Island Public Records

Court Records

Court | Records & Hearings
Official Free
Rhode Island Judiciary public portal to court records, court hearings, and criminal & traffic court payments. Includes the Rhode Island Superior, Supreme, District, Traffic Tribunal, Family, and W...
🌐 publicportal.courts.ri.gov
Statutes
Official Free
Browse the General Laws of Rhode Island by Title or search the Rhode Island statutes by keyword or phrase.
🌐 rilin.state.ri.us

Criminal Records

Auto Salvage Rebuilders
Official Free
View the RI Department of Business Regulation list of licensed auto body salvage rebuilders; listed by business name.
🌐 dbr.ri.gov
Inmates
Official Free
Use this Rhode Island Department of Corrections service to search for currently incarcerated inmates or home-confined offenders by name, ID, race, gender, age, city and/or town of residence. Provi...
🌐 doc.ri.gov
Lenders, Loan Brokers, Check Cashers
Official Free
RI Department of Business Regulation list of Division of Banking licensees. Includes lenders, small loan lenders, loan brokers, sale of checks, check cashers, and electronic money transfer companies.
🌐 dbr.ri.gov
Physicians
Official Free
Rhode Island Department of Health licensed doctors. Search physician licensing by last name, practice location, or medical specialty.
🌐 health.ri.gov
Sex Offenders
Official Free
State of Rhode Island Parole Board & Offender Community Notification Unit search for Level II & III offenders.
🌐 sheriffalerts.com
Criminal Records
Official Free
Search our Premium service for Rhode Island statewide criminal records. Includes District and Superior Court records, inmate records; and the Rhode Island offender registry. Our nationwide database now contains over 550 million records.
🌐 searchsystems.net
Court | Records & Hearings
Official Free
Rhode Island Judiciary public portal to court records, court hearings, and criminal & traffic court payments. Includes the Rhode Island Superior, Supreme, District, Traffic Tribunal, Family, and Workers' Compensation courts.
🌐 publicportal.courts.ri.gov

Property Records

Apostilles
Official Free
Apostille is authentication of a notarized document going to a foreign country. Use this RI Secretary of State service to verify the status of a certificate by number or date.
🌐 sos.ri.gov
Boards & Commissions
Official Free
Search the Rhode Island Secretary of State database of Boards and Commissions by keyword/name, or browse the alphabetical index of active boards.
🌐 ri.gov
Company Search
Official Free
Search Rhode Island Secretary of State records for corporations, limited liability companies, and limited partnerships registered to do business in the State. This site offers a wide range of sear...
🌐 business.sos.ri.gov
Company Search | New Registrations
Official Free
Rhode Island Office of the Secretary of State provides these downloadable lists of new filings for corporations, limited liability companies, limited liability partnerships, and limited partnerships.
🌐 ri.gov
Contractors
Official Free
RI Contractors Registration and Licensing Board database of licensed contractors.
🌐 crb.ri.gov
Legislation
Official Free
Search or browse for pending or enacted legislation using this Rhode Island General Assembly Bill Status System.
🌐 rilin.state.ri.us
Boards & Commissions
Official Free
Search the Rhode Island Secretary of State database of Boards and Commissions by keyword/name, or browse the alphabetical index of active boards.
🌐 opengov.sos.ri.gov
Unclaimed Property
Official Free
Search the Rhode Island Office of the General Treasury Unclaimed Property Division by name for unclaimed property and missing money.
🌐 treasury.ri.gov:443
Lobbyists - by Name
Official Free
Browse or search the State of Rhode Island Office of Public Information database by name for Rhode Island registered lobbyists.
🌐 sos.ri.gov
Census 1915
Official Free
Index of over 540,000 1915 Rhode Island State Census records or browse images of population schedules.
🌐 familysearch.org
Uniform Commercial Code
Official Free
Search the Rhode Island Secretary of State UCC filings database by name, file number, or date. You may also limit your search to debtors, secured parties, or assignees. Non-certified file pdf documents are available for free.
🌐 business.sos.ri.gov
Trademarks
Official Free
Rhode Island Secretary of State trademark and servicemark database searchable by reg. number, mark, description, or registrant.
🌐 business.sos.ri.gov

Vital Records

Voters
Official Free
State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations registered voters. Search by name, birth date, or address.
🌐 vote.sos.ri.gov

Frequently Asked Questions

What public records are available in Rhode Island?

Rhode Island provides public access to court records, criminal histories, vital records (birth/death/marriage), property records, professional licenses, voter registration, and business filings. Each record type has its own page on SearchSystems.net.

Are Rhode Island public records free?

Most online lookups — court calendars, property assessor portals, license verification, voter status — are free. Certified copies and fingerprint-based criminal-history checks typically carry a state fee.

What law governs public records in Rhode Island?

Rhode Island public records are governed by the Access to Public Records Act (APRA), R.

How do I request a record not available online?

File a written records request with the state or local agency that maintains the record. Most Rhode Island agencies must respond within a fixed statutory window (typically 3–15 business days).