Rhode Island Public Records
State Level Information
Rhode Island was the 49th state to enact a law under the Freedom of Information Act.
The APRA, or Rhode Island Access to Public Records Act is a law that was first put into place in 1979 to ensure that the public has full and reasonable access to the public records of all governmental agencies in the state of Rhode Island. The law was significantly revised in 1991, 1998 and 2008.
The introduction to the law expressed the motivations clearly as follows, "The public's right to access to public records and the individual's right to dignity and privacy are both recognized to be principles of the utmost importance in a free society." Chapter 38.2 of the Rhode Island General Laws details the APRA with fifteen sub sections that detail it in its entirety.
State of Rhode Island Secretary of StateRhode Island Department of Agriculture
State of Rhode Island Department of Real Estate
Rhode Island Division of Taxation
Rhode Island Department of Transportation
Rhode Island Veterinary Medical Examining Board
Rhode Island Department of Health Services
Court Record Resources
An Adult Criminal History database is available to members of the law enforcement agencies in Rhode Island and around the country. Aspects of the database are also accessible by interested members of the public.
In 2008, the Rhode Island Public Safety Grant Administration Office received federal funds to help support court staff to "enable entry of disposition data into the criminal history repository" as well as to "create an interface between the Department of Corrections records management system and the livescan system to circumvent double-entry of demographic information into each system".
Rhode Island Judicial BranchRhode Island Criminal Justice Commission
Rhode Island State Capitol Police
Rhode Island Department of Corrections
Vital Records Facts
Rhode Island Archives DivisionRhode Island Office of Vital Records