Rhode Island — Registry Rules

• Adults and juveniles adjudicated of qualifying offenses must register with local police where they reside; certain nonresident workers and students must also register in the city/town of employment or school. Registration duties and covered persons are defined in R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-37.1-3.
• Initial deadline: Initial registration is within 24 hours of release, arrival, or establishing residence; nonresident workers/students must register in the jurisdiction of employment/school as well. See § 11-37.1-4.
• Verification: Address verification is annual for most; quarterly for persons classified under § 11-37.1-3(a)(3)–(5) (e.g., sexually violent predators/recidivists). Verification form must be returned within 10 days of receipt. See § 11-37.1-8.
• Primary method: Registration occurs in person with local law enforcement; the designated state law enforcement agency (Attorney General or designee) receives and disseminates data. See §§ 11-37.1-3, -5, -7.
• ⚠️ Changes in address, employment, school, internet identifiers, vehicles, temporary lodging (7+ days), and international travel (21-day advance notice) carry strict reporting duties. See §§ 11-37.1-3(e), -9.
• ⚠️ Residency buffers near schools: 300′ felony for most registrants remains in statute; the 1,000′ level-3 restriction was ruled unconstitutional (Mar. 16, 2023). See § 11-37.1-10 and Chapdelaine v. Neronha.
• ⚠️ Failure to register/verify/report is a felony (up to 10 years, $10,000). See § 11-37.1-10(a).
• ⚠️ Level-II/III cases trigger community notification and public posting after process under § 11-37.1-12–13.
• ⚠️ Costs: Courts may order offenders to pay community-notification costs under § 11-37.1-12.1 (as enacted).

Persons convicted/adjudicated of a criminal offense against a minor or a sexually violent offense; those determined a sexually violent predator, recidivists, and persons with aggravated offenses; individuals with qualifying federal/foreign/military offenses; and those convicted of violating § 11-37.1-10 must register in Rhode Island. Nonresident workers and students with a registration duty at home must register where they work or attend school in RI. See § 11-37.1-3(a)–(c) and definitions in § 11-37.1-2.

Duration: Registration continues for 10 years after completion of sentence unless the person qualifies as a sexually violent predator, recidivist, or aggravated offender, which triggers lifetime registration under § 11-37.1-4. Duration is fixed by statute and not shortened by tier assignment.

• Initial registration within 24 hours of release, arrival, or establishing residence; nonresident workers/students register in city/town of employment or school. § 11-37.1-4, § 11-37.1-3(b)–(c).
• Return verification form within 10 days of receipt (annual or quarterly depending on classification). § 11-37.1-8.
• Address changes: notify before moving and register in the new RI city/town within 24 hours; interstate moves require prior notice and registration in the new state. § 11-37.1-9(d).
• Changes to registration information (employment, school, vehicles, phone numbers, internet identifiers, etc.) must be reported immediately. § 11-37.1-9(e), § 11-37.1-3(e).
• Temporary lodging: immediate notice of change; maintain details for 7+ days away. § 11-37.1-9(f), § 11-37.1-3(e)(20).
• International travel: 21-day advance notice to local law enforcement. § 11-37.1-9(g).

• Registration itself is in person with local law enforcement; verification is by mail-back form within 10 days (annual or quarterly). §§ 11-37.1-3, -8.
• Some agencies may require in-person updates for changes or re-photos; information is forwarded to the designated state law enforcement agency. § 11-37.1-7.

State law criminalizes certain residences near schools: it is a felony for most registrants to reside within 300 feet of a school; the separate 1,000-foot level-III restriction was held unconstitutional in federal court (Mar. 16, 2023). See § 11-37.1-10(c)–(d) and Chapdelaine v. Neronha.

• Nonresident workers/students with a duty to register at home must register in RI where employed or enrolled; higher-education involvement adds an extra campus-location registration. § 11-37.1-3(b)–(c).
• Must disclose all email/IM handles and online identifiers as part of registration data. § 11-37.1-3(e)(11).

• Community notification is governed by three risk levels set by the Sex Offender Board of Review; Level II and III generally trigger public notifications and posting after notice/review. §§ 11-37.1-12–13 and Parole Board Guidelines.
• The statewide public search portal is RISOR via State Police. RISOR site.

• Before moving out of RI, notify local police; register in the new state per its laws. § 11-37.1-9(a)–(b).
• Provide itinerary for temporary lodging and international trips (21-day notice). §§ 11-37.1-3(e)(20)–(21), 11-37.1-9(g).

• RI law focuses on residence/employment/education rather than brief visits; persons establishing residence must register within 24 hours; nonresident workers/students must register where they work/attend. §§ 11-37.1-3, -4.
• If away from the registered residence 7+ days, report temporary lodging details. § 11-37.1-3(e)(20).

Knowingly failing to register, verify, or report changes is a felony (up to 10 years imprisonment or $10,000 fine, or both). Some school-zone residence violations carry up to 5 years. See § 11-37.1-10. Agencies forward information to the designated state law enforcement agency for state/federal systems. § 11-37.1-7.

• Registration duration depends on offense classification (e.g., 10 years from sentence expiration vs. lifetime for certain recidivists/aggravated offenses). See § 11-37.1-4.
• Risk-level challenges and community-notification review are available via Superior Court (or Family Court for juveniles) under §§ 11-37.1-13–16.
• Case law underscores careful computation of duration/expiration (e.g., Atryzek v. State). See Atryzek, 2022.

• Persons without a fixed address must register and follow homelessness procedures coordinated by RIDOC/local police. RIDOC Policy 20.07-4.
• Juvenile adjudications can trigger registry and leveling/notification; Family Court reviews apply. § 11-37.1-13.
• Higher-education students/employees have additional campus-location registration duties. § 11-37.1-3(c).

• Court may order costs of community notification to be paid by the offender; a Community Notification Awareness Fund exists for reimbursements. § 11-37.1-12.1, -12.2.
• General court fees/assessments may apply in underlying cases (see related Title 11 provisions). Title 11 index.

• Case: Chapdelaine v. Neronha — D.R.I. (2023-03-16) — Federal court held the 1,000-foot residency ban for Level-III offenders unconstitutional as void for vagueness. link
• Case: State v. Decredico — R.I. Supreme Court (2023-05-31) — Vacated a Level-II classification decision; clarified standards for Sex Offender Board of Review determinations. link
• Case: Atryzek v. State — R.I. Supreme Court (2022-02-11) — Post-conviction relief granted in part; addressed expiration-of-sentence timing relevant to registration duration. link
• Statute: 2025-S 0515A / 2025-H 5925 — 2025 Regular Session; effective N/A (proposed). Proposed to clarify residency restrictions post-Chapdelaine (e.g., 300′ near schools for Level I–III). Monitor for enactment. link