Licenses, insurance, phones and other laws

Key points

1. Your license is valid for up to 5 years, and older drivers get a shorter license term.

   Source: Handbook p. 73

   “Your license is valid for a maximum of five (5) years. If you are 68 years old or older, your license will only be valid for two (2) years.”
   Rhode Island Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 73

2. Proof of insurance must be carried in the vehicle with the registration at all times.

   Source: Handbook p. 55

   “Proof of insurance ($500 fine for failure to comply) must be carried in your vehicle along with the registration at all times.”
   Rhode Island Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 55

3. No matter your age, you may not use a wireless handset to compose, read or send a text message while driving.

   Source: Handbook p. 36

   “No matter the age, you are NOT allowed to use a wireless handset to compose, read or send text message while operating a motor vehicle”
   Rhode Island Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 36

4. Drivers under 18 may not use a cell phone, even hands free, except in an emergency.

   Source: Handbook p. 35

   “Drivers under the age of 18 are prohibited from using a cell phone while operating a motor vehicle, per R.I.G.L. 31-22-11.9. This includes a prohibition from using a hands free device or speakerphone. The only time a minor is permitted to use a cell phone is in the case of an emergency.”
   Rhode Island Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 35

5. You may not drive on a public highway while wearing earphones or headsets.

   Source: Handbook p. 55

   “Drivers in Rhode Island are not allowed to operate a motor vehicle upon a public highway while wearing earphones or headsets.”
   Rhode Island Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 55

6. You must clear snow and ice that limits vision, including roof snow that could blow onto other vehicles.

   Source: Handbook p. 55

   “State law in Rhode Island makes the motorist responsible for removing from the vehicle snow and ice that limit vision and for clearing away from the roof of the vehicle any snow that might blow down on the windshield or windows of other vehicles.”
   Rhode Island Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 55

7. Littering on public or private roadways or property carries a $500 fine.

   Source: Handbook p. 55

   “It is a violation of Rhode Island law to litter on public or private roadways or property ($500 dollar fine).”
   Rhode Island Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 55

8. If stopped at night, turn on your interior lights and leave them on until the officer lets you go.

   Source: Handbook p. 55

   “If stopped by a law enforcement officer at night, a motorist is required to turn on the vehicle’s interior lights and leave them on until the officer allows the driver to drive off.”
   Rhode Island Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 55

9. A new resident whose out of state license is valid, or expired 1 year or less, does not need the computerized test or the road test.

   Source: Handbook p. 16

   “If your out-of-state license is currently valid or has not been expired for more than one (1) year, you will not be required to take a computerized test or a road test.”
   Rhode Island Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 16

Numbers to know

3 questions from the Rhode Island practice test

1. 1. Rhode Island's seat belt law is a primary law for all ages. What does that mean for drivers?

   1. Only drivers under 18 can be ticketed for belts
   2. Officers must give a warning before writing a belt ticket
   3. Belts are required in the front seat but not the back
   4. You can be pulled over if anyone in the vehicle is unbuckled
   Show answer

   You can be pulled over if anyone in the vehicle is unbuckled. A primary law lets police stop a vehicle for the belt violation alone. Rhode Island's seat belt use law is primary for all ages, so you can be pulled over if anyone in the vehicle is unbuckled. The choice limiting it to drivers under 18 is wrong because it covers every age. A belt ticket does not depend on another violation or a prior warning, and the law is not limited to the front seat.

2. 2. Under Rhode Island's texting law, which use of a wireless handset is prohibited while operating a motor vehicle?

   1. Calling emergency services during an actual emergency
   2. Using a phone only after parking in a legal space
   3. Composing, reading, or sending a text message
   4. Listening to a passenger's spoken directions
   Show answer

   Composing, reading, or sending a text message. The manual states that, regardless of age, a driver may not use a wireless handset to compose, read, or send a text message while operating a motor vehicle. The parking choice describes a stopped situation but does not state the prohibited conduct, and emergency calling is not the listed texting activity. Spoken directions from a passenger are not handset texting. Remember the three covered actions: compose, read, and send.

3. 3. What is the only stated circumstance in which a Rhode Island minor may use a cell phone while driving?

   1. An emergency
   2. A hands-free call to a friend
   3. A call while stopped at a red light
   4. A work call during daylight
   Show answer

   An emergency. Drivers under eighteen are prohibited from using a cell phone while operating a motor vehicle, including hands-free devices and speakerphone. The manual gives one exception: an emergency. A red light does not automatically authorize a call, and neither a work purpose nor daylight changes the age-based rule. For a minor, connect cell phone use with the emergency exception only, not with the type of device or time of day.

Source: the Rhode Island Driver's Manual, IX. Laws You Must Know. This lesson is a plain English summary, not the law itself; where it differs, the manual and the statute govern. Last checked 2026-09-27.