Rhode Island
Rhode Island Public Recording Laws: Filming Rights in Public Spaces (2026)
Independently fact-checked against primary sources (last audited August 15, 2026). · Reviewed by the RecordingLaw editorial team. · Law checked current as of August 15, 2026. · 4 primary sources cited on this page. How we verify our legal content
In Rhode Island, filming and photography in public spaces are legal under the First Amendment, and no state law prohibits recording there. Audio recording follows one-party consent rules under R.I. Gen. Laws 11-35-21, meaning you may record conversations you are part of without notifying others.
Rhode Island broadly protects your right to record in public. No state law prohibits photography, video, or audio recording in public spaces. The Open Meetings Act (R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 42-46) requires government meetings to be open to the public.
You can record on streets, sidewalks, parks, at protests, and during public meetings.
Private property owners can ask you to stop and leave. Audio recording follows one-party consent rules.
The Rhode Island Secretary of State provides guidance on open government compliance.
More Rhode Island Recording Laws
Audio Recording | Video Recording | Voyeurism & Hidden Cameras | Workplace Recording | Recording Police | Phone Call Recording | Security Cameras | Recording in Public | Landlord-Tenant | Dashcam Laws | Schools | Medical Recording
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is it legal to record video in public places in Rhode Island?
Yes. Rhode Island has no state law prohibiting photography or video recording in public spaces, and this right is also protected by the First Amendment.
Can I record audio while filming in public in Rhode Island?
Yes, but audio recording of conversations follows Rhode Island's one-party consent rule under R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-35-21. You may record a conversation you are part of without telling the other people involved.
Can I record a public government meeting in Rhode Island?
Generally yes. The Open Meetings Act (R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 42-46) requires most government meetings to be open to the public, and recording is generally permitted.
Can a private property owner stop me from recording?
Yes. Even though a location may be open to the public, such as a store or restaurant, the property owner can ask you to stop recording and to leave.
Does the First Amendment protect recording the police in public in Rhode Island?
Courts within the First Circuit, which includes Rhode Island, have affirmed a First Amendment right to record in public spaces, though reasonable time, place, and manner rules can still apply.
Updates
Independently fact-checked against the cited primary sources; governing law re-checked for recent changes
Governing law re-checked for recent changes
Reviewed and approved by an editor
The Law Behind This Article
This article rests on the statutory provisions below, held in our own legal record and retrieved from the official source. Tap a section to read the operative text.
Rhode Island General Laws, Title 11: Criminal Offenses, Chapter 11-35: Public Utilities
§ 11-35-21Unauthorized interception, disclosure or use of wire, electronic, or oral communicationIn forcecited in 17 of our articles
(a) Except as otherwise specifically provided in chapter 5.1 of title 12, any person: (1) who willfully intercepts, attempts to intercept, or procures any other person to intercept or attempt to intercept, any wire, electronic, or oral communication; (2) who willfully discloses or attempts to disclose to any person the contents of any wire, electronic, or oral communication, knowing, or having reason to know that the information was obtained through interception of a wire, electronic, or oral communication in violation of this section; or (3) who willfully uses or attempts to use the contents of any wire, electronic, or oral communication, knowing, or having reason to know, that the information was obtained through interception of a wire, electronic, or oral communication in violation of this section; shall be imprisoned for not more than five (5) years. (b) The provisions of subdivisions (a)(2) and (3) of this section shall not apply to the contents of any wire, electronic, or oral communication, or evidence derived from those contents, which has become common knowledge or public information.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-08-31 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at webserver.rilegislature.gov
Cited in 5 court opinions in our collectionLatest citing opinion in our collection: 2023
In the courts (editorial summary, independently checked):Walden v. CITY OF PROVIDENCE, RI (2010) held municipalities are not persons who may be sued under sections 11-35-21 and 12-5.1-13. The earlier Walden v. City of Providence (2007) held this section is criminal but that R.I. Gen. Laws 9-1-2 supplies a civil right of action for its violation.
Opinions citing this section in our collection:
- Bartnicki v. Vopper (Supreme Court of the United States 2001, 532 U.S. 514)“…Stat. § 165.540 (1997); 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 5703 (2000); R. I. Gen. Laws § 11-35-21 (2000); Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-13-601 (…”
- Walden v. CITY OF PROVIDENCE, RI (Court of Appeals for the First Circuit 2010, 596 F.3d 38)“…te, 18 U.S.C. § 2511 et seq.; Rhode Island's wiretap laws, R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 11-35-21, 12-5.1-13; and the state'…”
- Boehner, John A. v. McDermott, James A. (Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit 1999, 191 F.3d 463)“…43 (1998); 18 Pa Cons Stat. Ann. §§ 5703, 5725 (West 1999); R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-35-21 (1998); Tenn.Code Ann. §§ 39-13-601 to…”
Identified automatically from the court opinions citing this section — not a ranking of which case controls.
Also relied on in: Rhode Island Audio Recording Laws: One-Party Consent Rules and Penalties (2026), Rhode Island Dashcam Laws: Mounting, Audio, and Evidence Rules (2026), Rhode Island Medical Recording Laws: Patient Rights and HIPAA Rules (2026)
Explore the law
This article also draws on these acts and chapters (opening at their first section): Rhode Island General Laws, Title 42: State Affairs and Government, Chapter 42-46: Open Meetings § 42-46-1 (Public policy)
Related law for further reading — not part of this article’s citations.
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Sources and References
- R.I. § 11-35-21(law.justia.com)
- RI Secretary of State(sos.ri.gov).gov
- RI Legislature(rilegislature.gov).gov
- R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-35-21(webserver.rilegislature.gov).gov
- R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 42-46 - Open Meetings Act(webserver.rilegislature.gov).gov