Motorcycle Laws & Licensing for Rhode Island, United States

Rhode Island, or “Little Rhody,” has a long list of strict motorcycle laws in place to encourage more responsible behavior from those who ride the high-powered two-wheel motor vehicles. Having the ability to ride a motorcycle can be exhilarating and can instill a feeling of power. However, that enthusiasm needs to be tempered sometimes with strict regulations so that motorcyclists do not recklessly endanger themselves and those around them.

Established in the interest of educating new and old motorcyclists, this article will cover Rhode Island’s motorcycle laws and steps for getting a license. 

While accidents are few and far between if you ride carefully, they can still happen at a moment’s notice. Inattentiveness, mechanical failure, or natural hazards can lead to your vehicle lying broken on the ground. This is why it is important to have motorcycle insurance that is valid in Rhode Island.

Most automobile liability policies tend to consist of liability for bodily injury, liability for property damage, and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. When you are in Rhode Island, your motorcycle insurance must at least include these expenses:

• $25,000 for bodily injury to a person per accident

• $50,000 for bodily injuries to multiple people per accident

• $25,000 for property damages sustained per accident

Aside from bodily injuries and property damages, there can be other costs that your insurance does not cover that can accumulate following an accident. The insurance examples listed here are optional but could provide additional coverage that could help you out of a financial pinch.

• Uninsured coverage

• Underinsured coverage

• Collision coverage

• Comprehensive coverage

• Bodily injury coverage

• Medical payment coverage

In Rhode Island, riders and passengers under 21 years old have to wear a motorcycle helmet. Individuals over 21 years old only have to wear a motorcycle helmet when they decide. Unfortunately, this has caused an increase in motorcycle fatalities in recent years:

• In 2019, preliminary data indicated that 30% of motorcycle fatalities were not wearing motorcycle helmets 

• On average, motorcyclists tend to represent 14% of all traffic-related fatalities

• Wearing motorcycle helmets reduce the risk of death by 37%

• Wearing motorcycle helmets reduce the risk of head injuries by 69%

The motorcycle helmets that are proven to be effective at reducing shock, absorbing impacts, and keeping your head intact are three-quarter and full-face helmets. Additional criteria to look out for is that the motorcycle helmet was made by the Snell Memorial Foundation and complies with the U.S. Department of Transportation. 

To start your journey, you first need to train while holding onto a Rhode Island motorcycle permit. Being only useful for 18 months, you can get one if you are 16 years old and have paid a fee of $27.50.

To be given the permit, you must fulfill all of the listed criteria:

• If you are under the age of 18:

  • Have signature and consent from a parent or legal guardian

  • Complete 33 hours of driver education

• Provide proof of Rhode Island residency

• Provide proof of U.S. citizenship

• Provide identification documents

• Take a photo

• Pass the knowledge exam

• Pass the vision exam

• Pay the required fees

Possessing a Rhode Island motorcycle permit allows you to operate a motorcycle within reason for a beginner. Therefore, you must ride while keeping these rules in mind:

• You cannot transport passengers

• You cannot operate on the freeways

• You must be supervised by a 21-year-old with a valid motorcycle license

• You must wear protective gear

After you have finished practicing with the permit, you should be ready to receive a Rhode Island motorcycle license. Being valid for five years, you can get one if you are 16 years old and have paid a fee of $27.50.

Listed below are the requirements you will need to fulfill to obtain a Rhode Island motorcycle license:

*Submitting a Certificate of Completion for a motorcycle safety course provided by the Community College of Rhode Island will allow you to waive the roads test.

• Complete 25 multiple-choice questions

• Questions will be based on content from RI DMV Driver’s Manual 

• Will be tested on an understanding of road rules and safe riding practices

• Requires a passing grade of 80% or higher

Any applicants who fail the written portion must wait at least eight days before they are allowed to retry.

• Will be conducted in a controlled, off-street area

• Your motorcycle will be subjected to a pre-ride inspection to ensure it meets safety standards

• Demonstrate a basic understanding of motorcycle operation

• You will be tested on your ability to stay within the speed limit, adjusting speed and position, maintaining visibility, operating under stress, accelerating, braking, turning, stopping, and swerving

• The examiner will grade you based on how well you ride at safe speeds, stay within the lanes, and demonstrate riding maneuvers

Upon failing the road skills test the first time, applicants must wait at least 30 days before they are allowed to retry. Upon a second failure, applicants must wait at least 90 days. After a third failure, applicants must wait at least 180 days.

As there are no laws in Rhode Island that deem it illegal to carry passengers under a certain age, you could technically transport anyone you like.

A passenger has to be seated in a safe position that is clear of the operator. The position also has to have enough space to allow the incorporation of a passenger seat, handholds, and footrests. It is best to place your passenger seat at one of these locations:

• The back part of a large driver’s seat

• Towards the rear as a separate saddle

• Fixed to the side as a sidecar

While there are no written rules that say your passengers have to be or above an age range, it is not necessarily safe for everyone to be on your motorcycle. The previous safety features mentioned are in place so that passengers will stay secure. But the features will not matter if the passenger cannot reach or hold them. Your passenger has to be able to:

• Reach the footrests

• Wear an approved motorcycle helmet

• Comply with not carrying packages

• Understand and follow your directions

Rhode Island does not permit motorcyclists to apply lane splitting in their travels. Lane splitting is when motorcyclists ride between lanes or rows of traffic as a way to avoid being stopped in place. As you travel through Rhode Island, take care to avoid trying any of these:

• Riding on top of the dividing lines between lanes

• Riding in between adjacent rows of stopped or slowed vehicles 

• Overtaking a larger vehicle ahead in the same lane 

Riders are not forbidden from riding in the same lane with at least one other motorcyclist or lane sharing throughout Rhode Island. Recommended for experienced riders only, they can try any of these if the conditions are right:

• You are allowed to make full use of the space within a single lane 

• You can only share a lane with another motorcycle if:

  • Both parties stay apart at least two abreast

  • Both parties consent beforehand

In Rhode Island, you must bring your motorcycle in for a vehicle and safety inspection before June 30th every year. Given enough time, even the hardiest of your motorcycle’s components will become inoperable without maintenance. Check all of these parts listed below to confirm that your motorcycle is in a state where it is okay to ride out on the streets:

• Horn

• Wheels

• Tires

• Handlebars 

•  Brake System 

• Controls

• Headlight 

•  Taillight 

•  Brake Light 

• Turn Signals

• Exhaust System

•  Muffler 

•  Rearview Mirrors

• Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles - Driver’s Manual
• Consumers Guide to Auto Insurance
• Rhode Island Department of Transportation - Motorcycle Safety
• Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles - Motorcycles
• Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles - New License Permits
• Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles - License Renewal
• Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles - Knowledge Exams
• Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles - Road Tests
• Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles - Fee Schedule