Rhode Island public records: who holds what

In Rhode Island, deeds are recorded by the City/Town Clerk or Recorder of Deeds, birth and death certificates come from the RIDOH Center for Vital Records / City or Town Clerk and requests for other government records fall under the Access to Public Records Act (APRA). Below: who holds every other record, what copies cost and the official link for each office.

Last checked against official sources on November 4, 2026.

On this page

1. Who holds what in Rhode Island
2. Public records law in Rhode Island
3. Divorce records in Rhode Island
4. Probate records and wills in Rhode Island
5. How Rhode Island organizes its records
6. Other records: background checks, voters, businesses, maps
7. Towns and cities in Rhode Island
8. Warnings from official sources
9. Official copies vs look-alike sites
10. Official directories
11. Sources

Who holds what in Rhode Island

The office that keeps each record, and the fee the law or the office sets for a copy. Open a record type for the full rules, ordering steps and older records.

Public records law in Rhode Island

Access to Public Records Act (APRA) (R.I. Gen. Laws Title 38, Chapter 2 (§§ 38-2-1 et seq.)) Read the law⁹

This law covers records that agencies hold, such as a county office's correspondence or a property file. Recorded deeds, vital records and court files usually have their own rules, set out in each record section.

Who can ask

Every person or entity; no reason and no personal identifying information may be required; no required form⁹

Response time

10 business days; may be extended up to an additional 20 business days (explained in writing) for voluminous requests, pending-request volume, or search/retrieval difficulty⁹

Copy fees

Copies: max $0.15 per page (letter/legal size). Search/retrieval: max $15 per hour, first hour free; multiple requests from the same requester to the same body within 30 days count as one request. Electronic records: no more than reasonable actual cost. Cost estimate and itemization available on request.¹⁰

If a request is refused

1) Petition the chief administrative officer of the public body (decision within 10 business days); 2) complaint to the Attorney General, who may sue in Superior Court; or the requester may sue in Superior Court with private counsel¹¹

What is exempt

§ 38-2-2(4) lists records that are not public, including attorney-client and doctor-patient records, personnel and other individually identifiable records otherwise confidential, preliminary drafts and working papers, records kept confidential by other law, and many others. Reasonably segregable public portions must be released.¹²

Official guide

riag.ri.gov/… The Attorney General's Open Government Unit investigates APRA/OMA complaints, publishes findings (searchable database) and training/guidance¹³

More on the Access to Public Records Act (APRA)

No answer in time

No response within 10 business days (or the extended period) = denial; if the body misses the deadline, copying and search/retrieval fees are waived¹⁴

Denial in writing

Denials must be in writing with specific reasons and appeal procedures, within 10 business days¹⁴

Fee waiver

A court may reduce or waive search/retrieval fees for public-interest requests that are not primarily commercial¹⁰

Penalties

Superior Court must fine up to $2,000 for knowing and willful violations and up to $1,000 for reckless violations, and award attorney fees to a prevailing plaintiff; wrongfully withheld records are provided free¹⁵

Secretary of State guide

sos.ri.gov/… Secretary of State 'Accessing Public Records' page explains APRA basics and links agency request forms¹⁶

Court records

APRA does not apply to court case files; ask the clerk of the court where the case was filed¹⁷

How to write a public records request

Divorce records in Rhode Island

Who holds it

Rhode Island Family Court, Domestic Relations Clerk's Office⁷

Online index

Docket search on the Judiciary Public Portal (same portal for all courts)⁴

Older records

Divorce records 1671-1900: the State Archives 'Where is that Record?' chart marks the Judicial Archives (Judicial Records Center) and your City or Town Hall¹⁸

How this works in other states: divorce records by state.

Probate records and wills in Rhode Island

Who holds it

Municipal probate court of each city/town (records requested from the city or town clerk); appeals go to Superior Court⁸

Providence (example)

Providence Probate Court, City Hall 5th floor, 25 Dorrance Street; fee schedule posted online¹⁹

Forms

sos.ri.gov/… Statewide probate forms published by the Secretary of State²⁰

How this works in other states: probate records and wills by state.

How Rhode Island organizes its records

• Cities and towns, not counties. No county government records offices: land records, vital records copies, probate and property tax are handled by the 39 cities and towns; courts and corrections are state-run.¹
• Municipal probate courts. Probate courts are municipal (one per city/town); probate records come from the city/town clerk; appeals to Superior Court.⁸
• Trade names centralized at the Department of State. Trade names (DBAs) moved from city/town clerks to the RI Department of State before January 1, 2026.²¹
• Any-town-hall vital records. Recent birth (1960+) and death/marriage (2022+) certificates can be obtained at any city or town hall; older ones only where the event occurred.⁵
• Open vs closed vital records. Vital records open at 100 years (births, marriages) and 50 years (deaths) and move to the State Archives.¹⁸

Other records: background checks, voters, businesses, maps

Criminal history checks

State repository

Office of the Attorney General, Bureau of Criminal Identification (BCI), Customer Service Center, 4 Howard Avenue, Cranston²²

Fee

$5 state background check²²

Who may order

Your own record; third parties only with your signed, notarized release²²

How to request

Walk-in with photo ID (no appointment), or by mail with notarized release, ID copy, $5 check/money order payable to 'BCI' and return envelope (about 14 days)²²

What it contains

Shows fingerprint-supported RI arrests that led to a conviction (or equivalent) or are pending; not dismissals, acquittals, sealed/expunged records, federal or out-of-state arrests²²

More about criminal history checks

National

National (FBI) checks require fingerprints and are only for authorized purposes²²

Juvenile

AG cannot provide juvenile records (Family Court)²²

Sex offender registry

Official registry

risp.ri.gov/safety-education/sex-offenders Rhode Island Sex Offender Registry (RISOR), managed by the Rhode Island State Police; public search hosted at sheriffalerts.com/cap_main.php (linked from RISP)²³

What it contains

Only Level II and Level III adult offenders are posted to the public website; Level I notification goes to law enforcement only²⁴

Inmate and jail lookups

State prisons

RI Department of Corrections Inmate Search (accept disclaimer first): doc.ri.gov/inmate-search²⁵

Voter records

Public or restricted

Registration is kept in the statewide Central Voter Registration System (CVRS); local boards of canvassers maintain voter status²⁶

Statewide file

The Department of State Elections Division offers a 'Voter File Request Form'²⁷

Check your registration

Voter Information Center at vote.sos.ri.gov²⁸

Registered counts

Registered voter counts by municipality: datahub.sos.ri.gov/RegisteredVoter.aspx²⁸

List prices

List of registered voters (Department of State order form, Rev. 04/2026): Statewide $700 printout / $25 disk / $25 email (includes three free data updates within a year); Congressional District $350 / $15 / $15; State Senate, State Representative district, city or town $25 printout, email free; payment required before processing; credit card adds a 3% service fee²⁹

Business names (DBA)

DBA at county

No longer local: since the 2025-26 transfer, the RI Department of State keeps all trade name (DBA) records; every municipality transferred its active trade names before January 1, 2026²¹

DBA filing fee

$20 to register a new trade name; annual renewal free (filed online Sept. 1-Nov. 30)³⁰

DBA statewide search

RI Trade Name Database (free; view and download registration PDFs): ridos.my.site.com/s/public-trade-search³¹

DBA copies

Letter of Status $20; certified copies $2 per document³¹

Entity fictitious names

Corporations, LLCs and nonprofits file a fictitious business name statement with the Department of State³²

More about business names (dba)

Entities at state

RI Department of State, Business Services Division, 148 W. River St., Providence; Corporate Database search²⁰

State search

business.sos.ri.gov/…²⁰

Certificate fees

Certificate of good standing: online $22 ($7 nonprofit); in person/mail/phone $20 ($5 nonprofit); long-form certificates $30³³

Ownership not public

Ownership (shareholders/members) is not recorded with any state agency³⁴

Liens and UCC filings

UCC central

RI Department of State, Business Services Division (UCC filings)³⁵

UCC search

Free online UCC database: business.sos.ri.gov/… (lapsed filings searchable separately)³⁶

UCC fee

Paper UCC1/UCC3/UCC5 $16 (1-2 pages), $32 (3+ pages); electronic $8 + $2; UCC-11 search $5 (+$2 online); copies $0.15/page³⁷

Liens at the county

Liens affecting real estate (federal tax liens, attachments, mechanics' liens, executions) are recorded in the city/town land evidence records³⁸

Judgments

A Superior Court writ of execution may be recorded in the land evidence records of the town where the debtor's real estate lies³⁹

GIS and parcel maps

State GIS portal

RIGIS - Rhode Island Geographic Information System geospatial data hub (rigis.org), a partnership linked to the Division of Statewide Planning and URI⁴⁰

Historical and genealogy records

State archives

Rhode Island State Archives (Department of State), 33 Broad St., Providence; Mon-Fri 8:30-4:30; free⁴¹

Vital holdings

Births and marriages over 100 years old and deaths over 50 years old; open records and indexes free online; certified copies by request form⁴²

Certifiable

Births/marriages 1853-1925, deaths 1853-1975⁴²

Pre

Pre-1853 records: microfilm at the Archives; certified copies from the city/town clerk⁴²

Processing time

Certified requests processed within 10 business days, then mailed⁴²

More about historical and genealogy records

Census

State census 1865-1935 and federal census 1850-1930 at the State Archives (research visit)¹⁸

Court archives

Court records 1671-1900 and naturalizations at the Judicial Records Center, Pawtucket⁴³

Catalog

State Archives catalog: catalog.sos.ri.gov⁴¹

Towns and cities in Rhode Island

Records here are kept by city and town clerks rather than by counties.

12 towns and cities with a full guide

Each guide lists the office for every record type, the official online searches, copy fees, phones and hours.

• Coventry
• Cranston
• Cumberland
• East Providence
• Johnston
• North Providence
• Pawtucket
• Providence
• South Kingstown
• Warwick
• West Warwick
• Woonsocket

All 39 towns and cities

Names in bold open our guide.

• Barrington
• Bristol
• Burrillville
• Central Falls
• Charlestown
• Coventry
• Cranston
• Cumberland
• East Greenwich
• East Providence
• Exeter
• Foster
• Glocester
• Hopkinton
• Jamestown
• Johnston
• Lincoln
• Little Compton
• Middletown
• Narragansett
• New Shoreham
• Newport
• North Kingstown
• North Providence
• North Smithfield
• Pawtucket
• Portsmouth
• Providence
• Richmond
• Scituate
• Smithfield
• South Kingstown
• Tiverton
• Warren
• Warwick
• West Greenwich
• West Warwick
• Westerly
• Woonsocket

The 5 counties

The Census Bureau lists no county government in Rhode Island; the counties are geographic areas.⁴⁴ Names in bold open our guide to the state and local offices that keep each county’s records.

• Bristol County
• Kent County
• Newport County
• Providence County
• Washington County

Warnings from official sources

• 'Certificate of Good Standing' mailers. Mailers from 'RI Certificate Services' (Centurion Filing Services) charged new businesses $84.50-$87.25 for Certificates of Good Standing that are not required and cost $7-$22 from the Secretary of State. AG sued (Feb. 2022) and obtained restitution (settlement approved Jan. 31, 2023). (Rhode Island Office of the Attorney General)⁴⁵

Official directories

Lists that name the office in every town.

• Directory of all 39 cities and towns (Department of State Government Directory)⁴⁶
• 'Where is that Record?' chart: which agency holds commonly requested records⁴¹
• Trade-name transfer dates for all 39 municipalities²¹

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from; all 46 sources were checked on November 4, 2026. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

1. Recorder of DeedsCity of Providence
2. R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-13-9 Fees for copies of recordRhode Island General Assembly (State of Rhode Island General Laws)
3. R.I. Gen. Laws § 44-5-26 Petition in superior court for relief from assessmentRhode Island General Assembly (State of Rhode Island General Laws)
4. Access to Case InformationRhode Island Judiciary
5. Birth, Death & Marriage Records (Vital Records)Rhode Island Department of Health, Center for Vital Records
6. Requesting a Vital Record from the StateRhode Island Department of Health, Center for Vital Records
7. About the Family CourtRhode Island Judiciary
8. Judicial Records Center - List of RecordsRhode Island Judiciary
9. R.I. Gen. Laws § 38-2-3 Right to inspect and copy recordsRhode Island General Assembly (State of Rhode Island General Laws)
10. R.I. Gen. Laws § 38-2-4 CostRhode Island General Assembly (State of Rhode Island General Laws)
11. R.I. Gen. Laws § 38-2-8 Administrative appealsRhode Island General Assembly (State of Rhode Island General Laws)
12. R.I. Gen. Laws § 38-2-2 Definitions (exemptions)Rhode Island General Assembly (State of Rhode Island General Laws)
13. Access Open Government ResourcesRhode Island Office of the Attorney General
14. R.I. Gen. Laws § 38-2-7 Denial of accessRhode Island General Assembly (State of Rhode Island General Laws)
15. R.I. Gen. Laws § 38-2-9 Jurisdiction of superior courtRhode Island General Assembly (State of Rhode Island General Laws)
16. Accessing Public RecordsRhode Island Department of State
17. Record, Report, and Document RequestsRhode Island Judiciary
18. Where can I find that Record?Rhode Island Department of State
19. Probate CourtCity of Providence
20. Business ServicesRhode Island Department of State
21. Trade Names - Municipal Transfer DatesRhode Island Department of State
22. Get a Background CheckRhode Island Office of the Attorney General
23. Rhode Island Sex Offender RegistryRhode Island State Police
24. Sexual Offender Community NotificationRhode Island Parole Board, Sex Offender Community Notification Unit
25. Incarceration Search (disclaimer)Rhode Island Department of Corrections
26. Voter List Maintenance in Rhode Island (info sheet)Rhode Island Department of State
27. Elections PublicationsRhode Island Department of State, Elections Division
28. Open Government CenterRhode Island Department of State
29. List of Registered Voters Order FormRhode Island Department of State, Elections Division
30. Register a RI Trade NameRhode Island Department of State
31. Trade Names - Obtain Evidence, Letter of Status & Certified CopiesRhode Island Department of State
32. Information for RI Trade NamesRhode Island Department of State
33. Order a Certificate of Status/Good StandingRhode Island Department of State
34. What Information Can We Provide?Rhode Island Department of State
35. Uniform Commercial Code (UCC)Rhode Island Department of State
36. Searching the UCC DatabaseRhode Island Department of State
37. UCC Fee Schedule (revised 07/2023)Rhode Island Department of State
38. R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-13-7 General recording feesRhode Island General Assembly (State of Rhode Island General Laws)
39. Superior Court Frequently Asked QuestionsRhode Island Judiciary
40. RIGIS - Rhode Island Maps and DataRhode Island Geographic Information System (RIGIS)
41. Rhode Island State ArchivesRhode Island Department of State
42. Rhode Island State Vital Records (State Archives)Rhode Island Department of State
43. Judicial Records CenterRhode Island Judiciary
44. Government Units List 2026US Census Bureau
45. AG files lawsuit to halt Certificate of Good Standing scheme (Feb. 23, 2022)Rhode Island Office of the Attorney General
46. Government Directory - Rhode Island Cities and TownsRhode Island Department of State