Secure Storage in Rhode Island

To comply with this new law, gun owners must securely store their firearms any time the firearms are not in their possession or control. Gun owners are also required to securely store their firearms in any premises under their control where a child or an individual prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms is likely to gain access to them.

Secure firearm storage means either:

• Securing the firearm in a locked container, or
• Equipping the firearm with a tamper-resistant mechanical lock or other safety device that is properly engaged to render the firearm inoperable by any unauthorized user.

This secure storage requirement applies to any location where a gun owner stores a firearm, including in a parked vehicle.

Gun owners may be subject to civil or criminal penalties if they fail to follow these requirements. More serious penalties may result if a child or prohibited individual gains access to an improperly secured loaded firearm. There is a limited exception to these requirements when a gun owner is carrying the firearm or is close enough to retrieve the firearm as if it were being carried on their person.

If you’ve made the decision to bring a gun into your home, it’s important to know how responsible gun owners work to keep their families safe by mitigating the inherent risks associated with firearm ownership. Every responsible gun owner securely stores their guns so that they are inaccessible to children and other people who are at risk of harming themselves or others. Here’s why:

• More than 700 children die by gun suicide each year, most often using guns belonging to a family member.
• Nearly 360 children under the age of 18 unintentionally shoot themselves or someone else each year.
• At least one-third of youth gun suicides and unintentional deaths could be prevented with increased secure storage.
• More than 200,000 guns are stolen from individuals every year—a significant portion of those are stolen from cars.

Safety is always an adult responsibility. Kids will be kids, so it’s always an adult’s responsibility to keep children safe. Always assume that curious or impulsive kids may find and touch an unsecured gun, even if they’ve been told not to. If a child handles a gun, a bad decision can quickly become a fatal one. Be SMART adults protect kids by making sure all guns are stored securely, which means they are inaccessible to kids, and by making sure children are never in the presence of unsecured guns.

Click here to download a fact sheet in English

Click here to download a fact sheet in Spanish

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