Weird Laws in Rhode Island: Which Are Still on the Books?

Rhode Island's list of weird laws holds up remarkably well. We checked five claims from popular lists against the Rhode Island General Laws as of October 21, 2026, and every one is current law. One applies to a single beach in a single town. For other states, see our guide to weird laws by state.

Weird laws in Rhode Island: the verdicts

Each claim below was checked against the Rhode Island code and, where it names a town, the local code. 5 claims checked.

Still on the books

The claim: It is illegal to bite off another person's leg or limb.

What the law says: Maliciously or on purpose putting out an eye, slitting a nose, ear or lip, or cutting off, biting off or disabling any limb or member of another person is a mayhem offense punishable by 1 to 20 years in prison. 'Bite off' is the statute's actual wording.

R.I. Gen. Laws 11-29-1

“Every person who shall voluntarily, maliciously or of purpose put out an eye, slit the nose, ear, or lip, or cut off, bite off, or disable any limb or member of another, shall be imprisoned not exceeding twenty (20) years nor less than one year.”

Penalty: "shall be imprisoned not exceeding twenty (20) years nor less than one year" (R.I. Gen. Laws 11-29-1)

No court opinion in our database cites this section.

Primary source · Checked October 21, 2026.

Still on the books

The claim: Cap guns are illegal.

What the law says: A 1905 Rhode Island law still on the books makes it unlawful to sell, possess with intent to sell or use, or fire any toy pistol, a repeating toy cane, or any other toy device for firing blank cartridges, with a fine of up to $20 per offense (R.I. Gen. Laws 11-13-4, 11-13-6). Separately, the fireworks law allows people 16 and older to buy and use small paper caps (11-13-1), so the two provisions sit uneasily together; no court decision applying the toy-pistol ban was found.

R.I. Gen. Laws 11-13-4, 11-13-6

“No person or persons shall sell, expose for sale, possess with intent to sell or use, or discharge or use, within this state, any repeating toy cane for discharging any explosive, any toy pistol, or any other toy device designed or used for the discharge of blank cartridges.”

Penalty: "Any person violating any of the provisions of § 11-13-4 or 11-13-5 shall be fined not exceeding twenty dollars ($20.00) for each offense." (11-13-6)

No court opinion in our database cites this section.

Primary source · Checked October 21, 2026.

Still on the books

The claim: A license is required to play professional sports on Sunday.

What the law says: Professional athletic games (admission charged or players paid) may be played on Sunday (the 'first day of the week') only under a license from the city or town licensing authorities, issued after a written application and public notice; amateur games on Sunday noon to 6 pm may also be authorized locally.

R.I. Gen. Laws 41-6-3 (with 41-6-1, 41-6-4)

“Professional athletic games, except ice polo and hockey, may be played and held in any city or town on the first day of the week under a license therefor issued by the licensing authorities of the town or city in the manner designated under this chapter”

No court opinion in our database cites this section.

Primary source · Checked October 21, 2026.

Still on the books

The claim: Only Barrington residents may take seaweed from the public beach, limited in amount.

What the law says: Only inhabitants of Barrington may take seaweed from the described public beach (Hyde's Hole west to the Watson heirs' land), by day, up to two loads each per day, with a $10-per-load forfeit for others.

R.I. Gen. Laws 46-11-1 to 46-11-3

“No person other than an inhabitant of the town of Barrington shall be permitted to take or carry off from the beach any seaweed in any manner whatsoever.”

Penalty: 46-11-3: forfeit of $10 per load, half to the informer and half to the town of Barrington

No court opinion in our database cites this section.

Primary source · Checked October 21, 2026.

Still on the books

The claim: Traditional tie-down calf roping is prohibited.

What the law says: In a Rhode Island rodeo, calf roping is limited to breakaway roping, where the calf is released immediately after being roped without a sudden stop or fall, so traditional tie-down roping is barred at rodeos. Each violation carries a fine of $50 to $500.

R.I. Gen. Laws 4-20-7 (with 4-20-4, 4-20-9)

“The roping of any calf in any rodeo is limited to breakaway calf roping, where the calf is released immediately after it is roped without the animal being subjected to a sudden stop or fall.”

Penalty: "Whoever violates any provision of this chapter, shall, for each offense be fined not less than fifty dollars ($50.00) nor more than five hundred dollars ($500)." (R.I. Gen. Laws 4-20-9)

No court opinion in our database cites this section.

Primary source · Checked October 21, 2026.

Checked October 21, 2026. This is legal history and information, not legal advice. Laws change; the linked official text is the authority.

Old-fashioned wording, serious crime

The claim that it is illegal to bite off someone's limb sounds like a joke, but it is the literal text of Rhode Island's mayhem statute. R.I. Gen. Laws 11-29-1 reads:

Every person who shall voluntarily, maliciously or of purpose put out an eye, slit the nose, ear, or lip, or cut off, bite off, or disable any limb or member of another, shall be imprisoned not exceeding twenty (20) years nor less than one year.

Biting sits in the same list as cutting and disabling. The punishment is a prison term of 1 to 20 years.

Toy pistols and paper caps

The cap gun claim rests on a 1905 law that remains in the General Laws. Section 11-13-4 provides:

No person or persons shall sell, expose for sale, possess with intent to sell or use, or discharge or use, within this state, any repeating toy cane for discharging any explosive, any toy pistol, or any other toy device designed or used for the discharge of blank cartridges.

Under 11-13-6, a violation carries a fine of up to $20 per offense. The complication is that the state's fireworks law, 11-13-1, allows people 16 and older to buy and use small paper caps, so the two provisions sit uneasily together. No court decision applying the toy pistol ban was found.

Sunday games need a local license

Rhode Island still regulates sports on Sunday, which the statute calls "the first day of the week." Under R.I. Gen. Laws 41-6-3, professional athletic games, meaning those that charge admission or pay their players, may be held on Sunday only under a license from the city or town licensing authorities:

Professional athletic games, except ice polo and hockey, may be played and held in any city or town on the first day of the week under a license therefor issued by the licensing authorities of the town or city in the manner designated under this chapter

The license follows a written application and public notice. Amateur games between noon and 6 p.m. on Sunday may also be authorized locally.

One town's seaweed

The most local law on this list is in the state code. R.I. Gen. Laws 46-11-2 states that "No person other than an inhabitant of the town of Barrington shall be permitted to take or carry off from the beach any seaweed in any manner whatsoever." The beach is described in the chapter as running from Hyde's Hole west to the land of the Watson heirs. Inhabitants may take seaweed by day, up to two loads each per day. Under 46-11-3, anyone else forfeits $10 per load, half to the informer and half to the town of Barrington.

Breakaway roping only

The calf roping claim is accurate for rodeos. R.I. Gen. Laws 4-20-7 limits "the roping of any calf in any rodeo" to breakaway calf roping, "where the calf is released immediately after it is roped without the animal being subjected to a sudden stop or fall." That leaves no room for traditional tie-down roping at a Rhode Island rodeo. Under 4-20-9, each violation of the chapter is punished by a fine of $50 to $500.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it illegal to bite off someone's limb in Rhode Island?

Yes. Under R.I. Gen. Laws 11-29-1, anyone who voluntarily, maliciously or of purpose puts out an eye, slits the nose, ear or lip, or cuts off, bites off or disables any limb or member of another faces 1 to 20 years in prison.

Are cap guns illegal in Rhode Island?

R.I. Gen. Laws 11-13-4 bans selling, exposing for sale, possessing with intent to sell or use, or firing any toy pistol, repeating toy cane or other toy device for blank cartridges, with a fine of up to $20 per offense (11-13-6). The fireworks law, 11-13-1, separately allows people 16 and older to buy and use small paper caps, and no court decision applying the toy pistol ban was found.

Do professional sports need a license to play on Sunday in Rhode Island?

Under R.I. Gen. Laws 41-6-3, professional athletic games, except ice polo and hockey, may be played on Sunday only under a license from the city or town licensing authorities, issued after a written application and public notice. Amateur games from noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday may also be authorized locally.

Who may take seaweed from the beach in Barrington, Rhode Island?

R.I. Gen. Laws 46-11-2 allows only inhabitants of Barrington to take seaweed from the described public beach, by day and up to two loads each per day. Anyone else forfeits $10 per load under 46-11-3, half to the informer and half to the town.

Is calf roping banned in Rhode Island?

At a rodeo, R.I. Gen. Laws 4-20-7 limits calf roping to breakaway roping, where the calf is released immediately after being roped without a sudden stop or fall. Each violation carries a fine of $50 to $500 under 4-20-9.

What are some weird laws in Rhode Island?

All five claims we checked are current law: the mayhem statute that names biting off a limb, the 1905 toy pistol ban, licensing for professional sports on Sunday, the Barrington seaweed rule and the breakaway-only calf roping rule for rodeos.