How to Search Rhode Island Public Records

Rhode Island's court, criminal, vital, property, voter, and licensing records are maintained across state agencies and the 5 counties listed below. Use the tabs to filter by record type, or jump directly to any source.

  • Courts: The Rhode Island Supreme Court sits at the top of the system; trial-court business is handled by the Superior Court, District Court, Family Court, Workers' Compensation Court. Most courts publish dockets and case lookups online.
  • Criminal history: The state's criminal-history repository handles official background checks. Fees and procedures are set by the state agency — see the linked official source.
  • Vital records: Birth, death, marriage, and divorce certificates are issued by the Rhode Island Department of Health (Center for Vital Records) and may also be available locally.
  • Property & recorded documents: Maintained at the county level by the Assessor, Recorder, or Clerk's office.
  • Business filings: The Secretary of State (or equivalent) operates the official business-entity search.
Population
1,112,308
Households
425,700
Median Income
$81,854
Median Home Value
$343,100

Licenses Databases

21 official Rhode Island licenses sources.

Licenses

Notary Public - Apostilles - Rhode Island - Gregg M. Amore
Official Free
Apostilles are a form of legalization on public and private documents certifying the signature and stamp/seal of an RI official or notary public . To be eligible for an apostille from the State of Rhode Island, your document must be issued by a RI official or properly notarized by a RI notary public.
RI | ASC gov
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Appraisal Foundation Grants · Resources · ASC Governance · ASC Operating Guidance · Frequently Asked Questions · Public Records · Rhode Island · State Name · Rhode Island · Appraiser State · Rhode Island · Appraiser Date of Review · August 2024 ·
Real Estate Appraisers Board Members | Dept. of Business Regulation
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State of Rhode Island, Department of Business Regulation , Nicholas Sammartino -- Chairperson · Certified Residential Appraiser · NAS Appraisal Service · 20 Janet Drive · Johnston, RI 02919 · (401) 232-3278 · nasappr@cox.net · Term Expires: 12/31/23 ·
Motor_Vehicle_Body_Class_B_ Lic
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DBR is the regulator for a wide variety of businesses in the state. DBR does not however, regulate every type of business in Rhode Island. We have regulatory authority over specific industries through Rhode Island Statute. Below is a directory of our major divisions and some popular sub divisions.
Motor Vehicle Glass Repair Licensing | Dept. of Business Regulation
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Official State of Rhode Island website · Contact Commercial Licensing via our Online Inquiry System or via email DBR.CommLicInquiry@dbr.ri.gov
Salvage Rebuilder Licensing | Dept. of Business Regulation
Official Free
The Division of Commercial Licensing and Regulation is responsible for creating standards and procedures for the issuance of a salvage rebuilder's license to licensed automobile repair shop facilities so that such facilities may repair total loss salvage vehicles.
Banking | Dept. of Business Regulation - RI.gov
Official Free
Licensees include mortgage loan ... mortgage servicers. Additionally, The Banking Division enforces statutes relating to maximum interest charges and state usury laws and conducts administrative hearings when required ....
Search a Registrant/Licensee | Contractors' Registration and Licensing Board
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State of Rhode Island, Contractors' Registration and Licensing Board , State Building Office · Agency Announcements Alerts · Check out our new Contractor "How To" page! This includes how to renew a Registration/License, how to submit a payment, how to upload attachments, and how to print a Registration/License Certificate.
Credit Unions | Dept. of Business Regulation - RI.gov
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Non Rhode Island Chartered Bank or Credit Union Lender or Loan Broker License Exemption Notice 2019 PDF file, less than 1mbmegabytes
Banking | Dept. of Business Regulation - RI.gov
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The division accomplishes its program objectives through the process of licensing, chartering and examining financial institutions and licensees. The purposes of examinations are to determine financial solvency and compliance with Rhode Island Banking Laws and Regulations for the protection of depositors and the public interest.
State Service - State Based Systems
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Virgin Islands Division of Banking, Insurance, and Financial Regulation No. 5049 Kongens Gade Charlotte Amalie St.
All Other Licensees - Applications, Forms & Other Information | Dept. of Business Regulation
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2007-6 Notification to All State of Rhode Island Licensed Lenders and Loan Brokers Concerning Changes of Rhode Island Licensing Laws Relating to Recently Enacted Article 16 Substitute A of the 2008 Budget and Companion Senate Bill 2007 S 104 Substitute A PDF file, less than 1mbmegabytes
Find Disciplinary Actions and Orders | Department of Health
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Violations against individual licenses are posted here. Information includes the date the action/order was entered and the full text of the decision. Actions/orders that are under investigation are not posted. Additionally, actions taken prior to December 09, 2014 may not be posted.
Rhode Island Department of State
Official Free
This search tool can be used to verify that a Notary Public or JP has an active commission or to find a notary to perform notarial services. If you have questions about your search results, contact us at [email protected] · Looking for a notary? Select your preferred type of notary service
Pharmacy Disciplinary Actions | Department of Health
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Official State of Rhode Island website · This list includes: Pharmacists, Pharmacy-Non-Residential, Pharmacy-Retail, Limited 'Pharmacists (Intern), Pharmacist Tech Trainee-In Training, Pharmacist Technician, Pharmacist Tech 1, and Pharmacist Tech 2
Physician Complaint Process | Department of Health
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Non-disciplinary letter with no decision: acknowledgment from BMLD, may offer advice to physician · Administratively Close: may be revisited later when new information appears · Unprofessional Conduct: there appears to be a violation of law; findings of fact and recommended sanctions are determined · If the full Board approves the IC's recommendation, any administrative action ...
Real Estate | Dept. of Business Regulation - RI.gov
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This section of Commercial Licensing issues licenses to candidates who meet the regulatory requirements for real estate brokers and salespersons. It also regulates real estate schools' curriculum and contracts with a testing vendor to provide licensing exams.
Access
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Mylicense
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Rhode Island Department of Health • 3 Capitol Hill • Providence RI 02908 Voice: 401-222-5960 • Fax: 401-222-6548 • TTY: 711 • Website
Participants - ARELLO
Official Free
Real Estate Licensee Verification Database · ARELLO.ORG · Home · Search · API · Learn more about what the services does. See which plan works best for your company. Find documentation and login credentials to test service. Learn more about the service ·
Rhode Island Bar Association
Official Free
Explore a special brochure honoring the history of Rhode Island’s IOLTA program and those who made it possible. Click Here to View the Brochure · Attorney Directory · Latest News · RI Bar Journal · Need a Lawyer? {{#if events}} {{#events}} {{{truncate title 50}}} {{moment startDateISO format="MMMM D"}} {{moment startDateISO format="h:mma dddd"}} {{/events}} {{/if}} All Events ·

Rhode Island Counties

All 5 Rhode Island counties. Click any county for local court, sheriff, recorder and assessor links.

Frequently Asked Questions

Rhode Island's official criminal-history repository is operated by the state law-enforcement agency. Free public access to a complete criminal history is generally not available; an official background check typically requires fingerprints and a fee. County-level court records can be searched at no cost through individual court websites.

Rhode Island's court system is headed by the Rhode Island Supreme Court. Trial-court business is handled by the Superior Court, District Court, Family Court, Workers' Compensation Court. Many Rhode Island courts publish docket searches and case lookups online — see the Court Records tab above for direct links.

The Rhode Island Secretary of State (or equivalent agency) operates the official business-entity search. You can typically search corporations, LLCs, LPs, and other registered entities by name or registration number. See the Licenses or Business tab above.

The Assessor determines property values for tax purposes. The Recorder (or Clerk-Recorder) records deeds, mortgages, liens, and other property documents. Some county offices combine these roles, others keep them separate. Check the specific county page for details.

Rhode Island vital records (birth, death, marriage, divorce certificates) are issued by the Rhode Island Department of Health (Center for Vital Records) and, in many cases, by local county clerks. Fees and ID requirements are set by the issuing agency.

Most county-level property and recorded-document searches are free for basic information through the Assessor or Recorder website. Certified copies of deeds typically have a per-page fee. Direct links are in the Property Records tab above.

The Rhode Island sex offender registry is maintained by the state law-enforcement agency under the Sex Offender Registration and Community Notification Act. The registry is searchable by name, ZIP code, or address.

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