Rhode Island Video Recording Laws: Surveillance, Filming, and Privacy Rules (2026)
Rhode Island places few restrictions on video recording in public but enforces strong protections against voyeurism and non-consensual intimate images. The state updated its laws in 2025 to cover AI-generated deepfakes. Video voyeurism under R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-64-2 carries up to 3 years in prison.
This guide covers public filming rights, voyeurism and intimate image laws, the 2025 deepfake update, workplace surveillance, and video evidence rules.
Public Video Recording
Rhode Island has no law prohibiting video recording in public. You can film on streets, sidewalks, parks, at protests, and during public meetings under the Open Meetings Act (R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 42-46).
Video Voyeurism: R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-64-2
R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-64-2 makes it a crime to use recording devices to capture images of a person in a state of undress or engaged in sexual activity in places where they have a reasonable expectation of privacy.
| Offense | Maximum Penalty |
|---|---|
| Video voyeurism | 3 years prison, $5,000 fine |
| Unauthorized dissemination (1st) | 1 year prison, $1,000 fine |
| Unauthorized dissemination (subsequent) | 5 years prison, $5,000 fine |
2025 Update: AI-Generated Deepfakes
In July 2025, Rhode Island expanded R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-64-3 to cover AI-generated and digitally altered intimate content. Creating or sharing synthetic intimate images of a real person without consent is now a crime.
Workplace Video Surveillance
Employers can install cameras in common areas. Cameras cannot be in bathrooms, locker rooms, or changing areas.
More Rhode Island Recording Laws
Audio Recording | Video Recording | Voyeurism & Hidden Cameras | Workplace Recording | Recording Police | Phone Call Recording | Security Cameras | Recording in Public | Landlord-Tenant | Dashcam Laws | Schools | Medical Recording
Sources and References
- R.I. § 11-64-2(law.justia.com)
- RI General Assembly(rilegislature.gov).gov
- FAA UAS(faa.gov).gov