Will RI gun owners have to give up their ‘assault weapons’ in 2026? What to know.

• Rhode Island lawmakers are proposing a ban on the possession of firearms defined as “assault weapons.”
• Current owners would have until December 31, 2026, to sell, transfer, or destroy the prohibited firearms.
• The state’s law defines “assault weapons” based on specific features rather than by make or model.

Rhode Island lawmakers are once again attempting to ban the outright possession of a group of firearms they define as “assault weapons” after a controversial ban on the sale and manufacture of those weapons passed in 2025.

Put simply: The bills would add the word “possess” to this sentence, already in law: “No person shall manufacture, sell, offer to sell, transfer, or purchase a prohibited firearm, except as otherwise authorized.”

When would it go into effect?: Rhode Islanders who own a prohibited firearm purchased before July 1, 2026 would have until Dec. 31, 2026 to destroy, sell or transfer the firearm to a federally licensed firearms dealer or an individual who can lawfully possess that firearm.

Why July 1? That’s when the ban on the sale, manufacture or purchase of assault weapons goes into effect in Rhode Island, so no new assault weapons would be purchased in the state after that date.

Go deeper: Mass shootings in RI revive push to ban possession of ‘assault weapons’

Want to learn more? Read more about the proposal below:

What do the bills to ban the possession of assault weapons say?

The two bills, H8073 in the House and S2710 in the Senate, would rewrite the current law to say: “No person shall posses, manufacture, sell, offer to sell, transfer, or purchase a prohibited firearm, except as otherwise authorized under this section.”

It would give any Rhode Islander who “lawfully possesses a prohibited firearm prior to July 1, 2026” an opportunity to sell, offer to sell, or transfer their prohibited firearm to a federally licensed firearm dealer, or to an individual outside the state who may lawfully possess such weapon, by Dec. 31, 2026.

What is the punishment? Convictions for violating the law would come with a punishment of:

• Up to 10 years in prison or
• A fine up to $10,000
• Prohibited firearm would be forfeited

What is considered an assault weapon in Rhode Island, by law?

Rather than focus on prohibiting specific makes and models of firearms, Rhode Island’s assault weapons ban relies on particular features of a firearm to determine whether it qualifies as an “assault weapon.”

Here’s the breakdown of prohibited features for each type of firearm:

Shotguns:

• A semi-automatic shotgun that has a fixed magazine capacity exceeding six (6) rounds
• Any shotgun with a revolving cylinder

Semi-automatic rifles:

• A semi-automatic rifle with a fixed magazine capacity exceeding ten (10) rounds
• A semi-automatic rifle that has the ability to accept a detachable magazine, and has at least one of the following features:
  • A folding or telescoping stock
  • A bayonet mount
  • A grenade launcher
  • A shroud attached to the barrel or that partially or completely encircles the barrel, allowing the bearer to hold the firearm with the non-trigger hand without being burned, except an extension of the stock along the bottom of the barrel, which does not encircle or substantially encircle the barrel
  • A pistol grip or thumbhole stock
  • A flash suppressor or threaded barrel designed to accommodate a flash suppressor

Semi-automatic pistols:

• A semi-automatic pistol that has a fixed magazine capacity exceeding ten (10) rounds

Any semi-automatic firearm:

• A semi-automatic firearm that has the capacity to accept a belt ammunition feeding device

What is a semi-automatic firearm? The law defines it as any firearm which fires a single projectile for each single pull of the trigger and is self-reloading or automatically chambers a round, cartridge or bullet.