Rhode Island Reckless Driving: Misdemeanor, Felony and License Rules

Rhode Island makes reckless driving a misdemeanor on a first conviction and a felony on a second or later conviction under R.I. Gen. Laws 31-27-4, which covers anyone who "operates a motor vehicle recklessly so that the lives or safety of the public might be endangered." Section 31-27-4 sets no fine or jail term of its own, so the ranges come from two default sections: up to $500, up to one year, or both for the misdemeanor (Section 31-27-13(c)), and one to five years, a fine up to $5,000, or both for the felony (Section 31-27-14).

Information last verified on 2026-10-25. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

Jurisdiction scope: This article covers Rhode Island statutes on reckless driving (R.I. Gen. Laws 31-27-4), the "driving so as to endanger" injury offenses, eluding police, street racing, aggressive driving and speed rules, the license consequences in Chapter 31-11, and driving without a valid license. It does not cover DUI penalties (see Rhode Island DUI laws), vehicular homicide (see Rhode Island manslaughter laws), leaving the scene of a crash (see Rhode Island hit-and-run laws), city or town ordinances, or federal and commercial-driver rules beyond a short note. For other states, see reckless driving laws by state.

What is reckless driving in Rhode Island?

Rhode Island puts reckless driving and eluding police in the same sentence. Section 31-27-4, titled "Reckless driving and other offenses against public safety," provides:

"Any person who operates a motor vehicle recklessly so that the lives or safety of the public might be endangered, or operates a vehicle in an attempt to elude or flee from a traffic officer or police vehicle, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor for the first conviction and a felony for the second and each subsequent conviction." R.I. Gen. Laws 31-27-4

The reckless driving prong has two parts: operating a motor vehicle recklessly, and doing it so that the lives or safety of the public "might be endangered." The section speaks of danger that might result and does not mention injury; it also does not define "recklessly" or list specific acts.

Where it applies: highways and elsewhere

Most of Rhode Island's rules of the road apply only on highways and public property. Reckless driving is an exception. Section 31-12-1 provides that chapters 12 to 27 of Title 31 "refer exclusively to the operation of vehicles upon highways and on all state, city or town owned public property," except that the provisions of chapter 26 and Sections 31-27-1 through 31-27-4 "shall apply upon highways and elsewhere throughout the state." That exception covers the reckless driving section and the three "driving so as to endanger" sections described below.

Which court hears it

Section 8-8.2-2 sends most motor vehicle and traffic offenses to the Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal, but it lists exceptions, including "reckless driving and other offenses against public safety as provided in § 31-27-4," eluding a law enforcement officer in a high speed pursuit, and driving after denial, suspension or revocation of a license. Those charges are not heard by the Traffic Tribunal.

Is reckless driving a misdemeanor or a felony in Rhode Island?

Both, depending on the driver's record. Under Section 31-27-4, a first conviction is a misdemeanor and a second or later conviction is a felony. Because the section states the grade but no penalty, the ranges come from the general penalty sections of Chapter 31-27.

First conviction (misdemeanor). Section 31-27-13(c) supplies the default misdemeanor penalty for Title 31's chapters 1 to 27. Unless another penalty is provided by those chapters, by chapter 34 of Title 31 or by other Rhode Island law, it provides:

"every person convicted of a misdemeanor violation of these chapters shall be punished by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars ($500), or by imprisonment for not more than one year, or by both fine and imprisonment." R.I. Gen. Laws 31-27-13(c)

Second and later convictions (felony). Section 31-27-14 supplies the penalty for a violation of any provision of chapters 1 to 27 of Title 31 that the chapter or other Rhode Island law declares to be a felony. Such a person:

"shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than one year nor more than five (5) years, or by a fine of not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000), or by both fine and imprisonment." R.I. Gen. Laws 31-27-14

Section 31-27-4 counts convictions and contains no look-back period for the felony grade.

A change to the one-year figure is already enacted. P.L. 2026, ch. 189 provides that "Whenever the phrase 'one year' appears in any provision of the general or public laws in reference to the maximum sentence of imprisonment that may be imposed, such phrase shall mean, be interpreted as, and be applied as three hundred sixty-four (364) days," and the act "shall take effect on July 1, 2027." Until that date, the misdemeanor maximum in Section 31-27-13(c) reads as one year.

When someone is hurt: driving so as to endanger

When reckless driving injures someone, Rhode Island charges a separate offense, "driving so as to endanger," graded by the harm. Each version applies to operation of a vehicle "in reckless disregard of the safety of others, including violations of § 31-27-22" (the street racing section).

• Physical injury (Section 31-27-1.2). When "the physical injury of any person ensues as a proximate result," the driver is guilty of "driving so as to endanger, resulting in physical injury" and shall "upon conviction be imprisoned for not more than two (2) years" and have the license suspended "for no more than one year."
• Serious bodily injury (Section 31-27-1.1). When serious bodily injury results, the offense is "driving so as to endanger, resulting in serious bodily injury," punishable by imprisonment "for not more than five (5) years" and a license suspension "for no more than three (3) years." The section defines serious bodily injury as "physical injury that creates a substantial risk of death or causes serious permanent disfigurement or protracted loss or impairment of the function of any bodily member or organ."

Neither section attaches a "misdemeanor" or "felony" label. Rhode Island's general definitions in Section 11-1-2 provide that, "Unless otherwise provided," an offense punishable by "imprisonment for a term of more than one year, or by a fine of more than one thousand dollars ($1,000)" is a felony, and one punishable by imprisonment "not exceeding one year, or by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), or both" is a misdemeanor.

How fast is reckless driving in Rhode Island?

Neither Section 31-27-4 nor the speed sections of Chapter 31-14 name a speed at which driving becomes reckless driving. Chapter 31-14's speed rules are enforced with fines:

• Reasonable and prudent speed. Section 31-14-1 provides: "No person shall drive a vehicle on a highway at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions and having regard to the actual and potential hazards then existing." Violations "are subject to fines enumerated in § 31-41.1-4."
• Fines per mile per hour. Under Section 31-41.1-4(b)(2), for speeds "in excess of ten miles per hour (10 m.p.h.) over the posted speed limit on public highways," the fine is a mandatory $10 for each mile over the limit for a first offense, $15 per mile for a second offense within 12 months of the first, and $20 per mile for a third or later offense within 12 months of the first. "In addition, the license may be suspended up to sixty (60) days."
• Conditions requiring reduced speeds. Section 31-14-3 also provides that "Violations of this section are subject to fines enumerated in § 31-41.1-4"; the section does not call a violation reckless driving.

The one criminal speed figure in Chapter 31-27 is in the eluding statute, Section 31-27-4.1, which applies to a driver fleeing police in a high speed pursuit "at speeds greater than fifteen (15) miles per hour over the speed limit." Section 31-27-4.2(c) defines a high speed pursuit as an attempt to apprehend a vehicle's occupants "at speeds in excess of fifteen miles per hour (15 MPH) over the speed limit."

Reckless driving points and license suspension in Rhode Island

Rhode Island's driver licensing chapters (31-10 and 31-11) and the reckless driving chapter (31-27) assign no point value to reckless driving. License consequences turn on convictions and charges instead:

• Three reckless driving charges in 12 months: three-year revocation. Under Section 31-11-6, a license "shall be immediately revoked upon receipt by the division of motor vehicles of a record of the operator's or chauffeur's final conviction" for listed offenses, including "(7) Conviction, or forfeiture of bail not vacated, upon three (3) charges of reckless driving committed within a period of twelve (12) months, three (3) years." The same section revokes for 18 months for "Any felony in the commission of which a motor vehicle is used."
• DMV suspension for a reckless or negligent driver: up to one year. Section 31-11-7 lists having "Been a reckless or negligent driver of a motor vehicle" among its grounds, and, except for one listed category, "the suspension shall be for any length of time, not exceeding one year, that the division of motor vehicles shall determine is necessary in order to protect public safety."
• Eluding under Section 31-27-4: up to six months. Section 31-11-8(b) requires the DMV to suspend a license "for a period fixed by any court of the state, not exceeding six (6) months, after final conviction for willfully evading or attempting to evade an order to stop by a uniformed police officer operating a marked police vehicle, as provided in § 31-27-4."
• Injury tiers. The driving-so-as-to-endanger sections carry their own suspensions: up to one year for physical injury (31-27-1.2) and up to three years for serious bodily injury (31-27-1.1).
• Unpaid fines. Under Section 31-11-25, the DMV "shall suspend" a license when a court certifies that the driver failed to pay fines or costs or to make satisfactory arrangements, after the driver's opportunity to request an ability-to-pay hearing.

Four moving violations in 18 months

Section 31-27-24 lets a court fine a driver up to $1,000, and requires 60 hours of driver retraining and 60 hours of community service, for "moving violations on four (4) separate and distinct occasions within an eighteen (18) month period"; the court may suspend the license up to one year or revoke it for up to two years after making "specific findings of fact" that continued driving "would pose a substantial traffic safety hazard." For that section only, "moving violations" means 11 listed sections, among them the speed rules in 31-14-1, 31-14-2 and 31-14-3 and aggressive driving under 31-27.1-3. Reckless driving under 31-27-4 is not on the list.

Habitual offender

Chapter 31-40 defines a habitual offender in two ways, each counting only offenses committed within a three-year period (Section 31-40-2). The first is three or more convictions of listed offenses, a list that does not name reckless driving but does include "(vi) Any offense punishable as a felony under the motor vehicle laws of Rhode Island or any felony in the commission of which a motor vehicle is used" (Section 31-40-2(1)). The second is six or more convictions of offenses whose commission "requires the division of motor vehicles or authorizes a court to suspend or revoke the privilege to operate motor vehicles on the highways of this state for a period of thirty (30) days or more" (Section 31-40-2(2)). Driving in violation of a habitual offender order "may be punished by imprisonment of not more than five (5) years," and no part of the sentence may be suspended or deferred except where the driving was necessitated by an apparent extreme emergency to save life or limb (Section 31-40-8(a)).

Commercial drivers

Rhode Island's commercial license chapter defines a "serious traffic violation" to include a conviction, "when operating a commercial motor vehicle," of "Reckless driving as defined by state or local law or regulation" (Section 31-10.3-3). Section 31-10.3-31(b)(6) requires a suspension of at least 60 days for two serious traffic violations involving a commercial motor vehicle within three years and at least 120 days for three or more, and Section 31-10.3-31(n) applies the federal rules in 49 C.F.R. 383.51, under which a second reckless driving conviction in a separate incident within three years disqualifies a commercial license holder for 60 days and a third or later for 120 days; a conviction in a personal vehicle counts only if it results in a revocation, cancellation or suspension of the license or non-commercial driving privileges (49 C.F.R. 383.51, Table 2). The reckless driving laws by state hub covers the federal layer.

Is there a careless driving law in Rhode Island?

No offense in Chapters 31-14, 31-15, 31-27 or 31-27.1 of Title 31 is named careless, negligent or inattentive driving. The nearest rules are civil:

• Reasonable and prudent speed under Section 31-14-1, enforced with fines under Section 31-41.1-4.
• Aggressive driving under Chapter 31-27.1. Section 31-27.1-3 defines it as operating a vehicle in violation of the Chapter 14 speed rules while also violating "two (2) or more" listed sections: obeying traffic control devices, overtaking on the right, driving within a lane, following too closely, yielding the right of way, entering the roadway, turn signals, school bus and stop or yield sign rules, and using the breakdown lane for travel.

Under Section 31-27.1-4, aggressive driving carries a fine "not less than two hundred sixty dollars ($260) nor more than five hundred dollars ($500)." A person convicted of a first offense "may be required to attend an educational program approved by the division of motor vehicles" and "may be subject to a minimum thirty (30) days suspension of his or her driver's license." The underlying violations "may be prosecuted separately," and all violations of the chapter "shall be heard and determined by the traffic tribunal."

Eluding police in Rhode Island

Rhode Island has two eluding statutes, and both remain in the code.

• Section 31-27-4 covers a person who "operates a vehicle in an attempt to elude or flee from a traffic officer or police vehicle": a misdemeanor for the first conviction and a felony for the second and later, with the same default ranges as reckless driving (31-27-13(c) and 31-27-14). Section 31-11-8(b) adds a court-fixed suspension of up to six months.
• Section 31-27-4.1 covers a person who, "in an attempt to elude or flee from a police officer in an emergency police vehicle in a high speed pursuit," drives more than 15 mph over the limit "or who causes property damage only in excess of one thousand dollars ($1,000)." For a first conviction the person "may be subject to" up to one year at the Adult Correctional Institutions and a fine of $500 to $1,000, plus a license suspension of 90 days to six months and forfeiture of the vehicle. For a second or later conviction the person "shall" be sentenced to two to five years, fined $2,000 to $5,000, receive a license suspension of one to five years, and forfeit the vehicle.

Section 31-27-4.3(a) limits forfeiture: no vehicle "shall be forfeited under the provisions of this chapter unless it shall appear that the owner of the vehicle had knowledge, actual or constructive, and was a consenting party to the alleged illegal act."

Street racing in Rhode Island

Section 31-27-22 makes it "unlawful to engage in street racing on any public road, street or highway of this state, whether or not there is a formal agreement to race." It defines street racing as two or more people "competing or racing in a situation in which one of the motor vehicles is beside or to the rear of a motor vehicle operated by a competing driver and one driver attempts to prevent the competing driver from passing or overtaking him or her, or one or more individuals competing in a race against time."

• First violation: a misdemeanor, imprisonment for not more than one year, a fine of $500 to $1,000, 10 to 60 hours of public community restitution, and a license suspension of 90 days to six months (31-27-22(b)(1)).
• Second violation within five years: a felony, imprisonment for not more than two years, a fine "of not less than one thousand dollars ($1,000)," 60 to 100 hours of community restitution, and a suspension of six months to two years (31-27-22(b)(2)).
• Third or later violation within five years: a felony, imprisonment for not more than five years, a fine of $2,500, at least 100 hours of community restitution, and a suspension of one to five years (31-27-22(b)(3)).
• Racing with passengers: imprisonment of not more than five years, a fine of not more than $5,000, up to 100 hours of community restitution and a suspension of at least one year, "to be served in addition and consecutively to the sentence provided for the underlying offense" (31-27-22(c)).
• Impoundment: when the vehicle is registered to the racer or the registrant permits its use, it "may be impounded at the registered owner's expense for not less than one day or more than thirty (30) days" (31-27-22(d)).

Racing that injures or kills someone falls under the driving-so-as-to-endanger sections, each of which names "violations of § 31-27-22." Chapter 31-27 contains no separate street-takeover or exhibition-of-speed offense.

Does Rhode Island have a wet reckless?

Rhode Island's DUI and chemical-test sections in Chapter 31-27 (Sections 31-27-2, 31-27-2.1, 31-27-2.2, 31-27-2.4 through 31-27-2.9, and 31-27-3) contain no provision on a plea to reckless driving in place of a DUI charge, and none treats a reckless driving conviction as a prior DUI offense. Reckless driving does appear in the license-suspension rules: driving while a license is suspended for reckless driving is penalized alongside driving while suspended for DUI or a chemical-test refusal (Section 31-11-18.1, below). For DUI penalties, see Rhode Island DUI laws.

Driving without a license in Rhode Island

Rhode Island splits unlicensed driving into two sections according to why the driver has no valid license.

Section 31-11-18 (no license, expired, or suspended for other reasons). This covers a person who never applied for a license, was refused, has an expired license, "or who otherwise drives without a license," or drives while suspended, revoked or cancelled "for reasons other than those provided for in § 31-11-18.1." Penalties, as amended by P.L. 2022, chapters 336 and 337 (effective January 1, 2023):

• First violation: "a civil penalty of not more than one hundred fifty dollars ($150)"; second: not more than $250; third: not more than $350. These are heard in the Traffic Tribunal.
• Fourth or later violation: a misdemeanor; the person "may, in the discretion of the sentencing judge, be imprisoned for a term not exceeding one year, fined not less than five hundred dollars ($500) nor more than one thousand dollars ($1,000)," and the judge may suspend the license for up to one year. These are heard in district court.

Section 31-11-18(d) adds a rule for an expired license only. The driver "shall be issued a summons to appear in the traffic tribunal not fewer than ten (10) days after the issuance of the summons," and "shall not be taken into custody based solely on this charge absent a warrant." Presenting proof of reinstatement at the charging police department within ten days "shall cause the summons to be voided and shall otherwise constitute a complete defense to the charge of driving after expiration of license and a bar to prosecution for that charge." The same subsection provides that "Any convictions under subsection (c) shall be expunged pursuant to the provisions of chapter 1.3 of title 12"; see Rhode Island expungement laws.

Section 31-11-18.1 (suspended for DUI, refusal, reckless driving and other listed reasons). This applies when the license was suspended, revoked or cancelled for operating under the influence, refusing a chemical test, reckless driving, vehicular manslaughter or operating so as to endanger resulting in death, or "three (3) moving violations within a one-year period." It is a misdemeanor for the first and second offenses and a felony for the third or later.

• First conviction: "a mandatory fine of five hundred dollars ($500)," and if the suspension was for DUI, refusal, reckless driving, manslaughter or operation so as to endanger with death resulting, imprisonment "for a minimum of ten (10) days."
• Second conviction within five years: a mandatory $500 fine, and for those same suspension reasons, imprisonment "for a minimum of six (6) months to one year."
• Later conviction within five years: a fine of $1,000 and imprisonment of up to one year or a court-approved public service program; for those same suspension reasons, imprisonment "for a minimum of one year."
• "No fines, suspensions, treatment, or jail provided for under this section can be suspended" (31-11-18.1(d)).
• The DMV adds a suspension of at least three more months after a first conviction and at least six more months after a second, and revokes the license on any later conviction (31-11-18.1(b)).

Teen license restrictions. Under Section 31-10-6.4, breaking a learner's permit or provisional license restriction "concerning time of driving or the presence of a supervising driver in the vehicle constitutes operating a motor vehicle without a license." Breaking any other restriction, such as passenger limits, is an infraction with a fine of $100 for a first offense, $110 for a second and $140 for a third or later.

Rhode Island reckless driving offenses and penalties at a glance

Rhode Island's general class definitions are in R.I. Gen. Laws 11-1-2, which separates felonies (more than one year or a fine over $1,000), misdemeanors (up to one year and a fine up to $1,000) and petty misdemeanors (up to six months or a fine up to $500), "Unless otherwise provided." P.L. 2026, ch. 189 rewrites these definitions effective July 1, 2027. The Title 31 defaults that set the reckless driving ranges are Sections 31-27-13(c) and 31-27-14. For the full class table, see Rhode Island felony and misdemeanor classes.

Vehicular homicide in Rhode Island

When reckless driving causes a death, the governing offense is "driving so as to endanger, resulting in death" under R.I. Gen. Laws 31-27-1, covered on the Rhode Island manslaughter laws page.

Recent changes to Rhode Island reckless driving laws

• Reckless driving itself. Section 31-27-4 was last amended by P.L. 2007, chapters 121 and 193, the acts that also produced Section 31-27-1.2 and the street racing section, 31-27-22.
• 2023: unlicensed driving. P.L. 2022, chapters 336 and 337, both effective January 1, 2023, amended Section 31-11-18, which now sets civil penalties for the first three violations.
• 2023: move-over rule. P.L. 2023, chapters 49 and 50 (effective June 12, 2023) amended Section 31-14-3; violations remain subject to the fines in Section 31-41.1-4.
• Coming July 1, 2027: one year becomes 364 days. Under P.L. 2026, ch. 189, a "one year" maximum prison term in any general or public law, including the default misdemeanor range in Section 31-27-13(c), will mean 364 days, and the same act rewrites the felony, misdemeanor and petty misdemeanor definitions in Section 11-1-2 from that date.

Related Rhode Island laws

• Reckless driving laws by state
• Rhode Island DUI laws
• Rhode Island manslaughter laws
• Rhode Island felony and misdemeanor classes
• Rhode Island hit-and-run laws
• Rhode Island expungement laws
• Massachusetts reckless driving laws

This article is general legal information about Rhode Island law, not legal advice. For a specific situation, contact a lawyer licensed in Rhode Island, or the Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles for license questions.

Last updated: 2026-10-25.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is reckless driving a misdemeanor in Rhode Island?

A first conviction is. R.I. Gen. Laws 31-27-4 makes reckless driving a misdemeanor for the first conviction, punishable under the default range in 31-27-13(c) by a fine up to $500, up to one year, or both.

Can reckless driving be a felony in Rhode Island?

Yes. Section 31-27-4 makes the second and each later conviction a felony, punishable under 31-27-14 by one to five years, a fine up to $5,000, or both. Street racing also becomes a felony on a second violation within five years (31-27-22(b)(2)).

How fast is reckless driving in Rhode Island?

Section 31-27-4 names no speed. Speeding more than 10 mph over the limit carries a civil fine of $10 per mph over for a first offense, more for repeats within 12 months (31-41.1-4(b)(2)); fleeing police at more than 15 mph over the limit is high speed eluding under 31-27-4.1.

How many points is reckless driving in Rhode Island?

Rhode Island's license chapters and the reckless driving chapter assign no points. Instead, three reckless driving charges within 12 months that end in conviction or unvacated bail forfeiture bring a three-year revocation under 31-11-6(7).

Does reckless driving suspend your license in Rhode Island?

Section 31-11-7 lets the DMV suspend a reckless or negligent driver for up to one year, and 31-11-6(7) revokes for three years after three reckless driving charges within 12 months. Driving so as to endanger carries its own suspensions: up to one year for physical injury and up to three years for serious bodily injury.

Does reckless driving apply in a parking lot in Rhode Island?

Section 31-12-1(2) provides that Sections 31-27-1 to 31-27-4, which include reckless driving, apply upon highways and elsewhere throughout the state.

Is there careless driving in Rhode Island?

Rhode Island's rules of the road (Chapters 31-14, 31-15, 31-27 and 31-27.1) contain no offense named careless or inattentive driving. The closest rules are the civil reasonable-and-prudent speed rule (31-14-1) and aggressive driving (31-27.1-3), fined $260 to $500 in the Traffic Tribunal.

Does Rhode Island have a wet reckless?

Rhode Island's DUI and chemical-test sections in Chapter 31-27 contain no provision on a reckless driving plea in place of a DUI charge, and none treats reckless driving as a prior DUI offense.

What is the penalty for street racing in Rhode Island?

A first violation of 31-27-22 is a misdemeanor with up to one year, a $500 to $1,000 fine, 10 to 60 hours of community restitution and a 90-day to six-month suspension. A second within five years is a felony with up to two years, and a third up to five years.

What happens if you drive without a license in Rhode Island?

Under 31-11-18, the first three violations are civil, with penalties up to $150, $250 and $350; a fourth is a misdemeanor. Driving while suspended for DUI, refusal, reckless driving or other reasons listed in 31-11-18.1 is a crime with a mandatory $500 fine.