Where you can never park in Rhode Island
Whether or not a sign is posted, Rhode Island prohibits parking within 15 feet of a fire hydrant, in any marked crosswalk, on a sidewalk, in front of a public or private driveway, within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection, within 30 feet of a stop sign or traffic signal, within 50 feet of the nearest railroad crossing rail, in a designated bicycle lane, and within 20 feet of a fire-station driveway. These distances appear on the test verbatim — memorize them.
Curb colors
Rhode Island uses a standardized set of curb colors. Red means absolutely no stopping, standing or parking. Yellow is a loading zone; you may stop only long enough to load or unload passengers or freight. White is for very brief passenger pickup or drop-off only. Green allows parking for a short, posted time limit. Blue is reserved for vehicles displaying a disabled placard or plate.
For a deeper read on this topic across all 50 states, see our right-of-way, speed limits, and alcohol and drugs articles.
Hill parking
When parking on a hill in Rhode Island, set the parking brake and turn the front wheels so the vehicle will roll into the curb if the brakes fail. Heading downhill, turn the wheels toward the curb. Heading uphill with a curb, turn the wheels away from the curb so the right rear tire rolls back against it. Heading uphill or downhill with no curb, always turn the wheels toward the edge of the road so a runaway vehicle leaves the roadway.
Disabled parking
Disabled parking spaces in Rhode Island are reserved for vehicles displaying a valid disabled placard or plate AND being used to transport the qualified person. Parking in a disabled space without a placard is a high-fine offense. The placard is for the person, not the car — a relative may use the placard only when the qualified person is the one being driven.
Parallel parking
The road test for an unrestricted Rhode Island license includes parallel parking. The standard maneuver is to pull alongside the car ahead of your space, signal, back at a 45-degree angle until your front bumper clears the rear bumper of the car ahead, then straighten the wheel and slide in. The vehicle should end up within 18 inches of the curb without hitting either neighboring car.
Quick facts about Rhode Island
- Capital: Providence
- Minimum permit age: 16
- Current permit fee: $36.50
- Supervised hold period: 6 months
- Adult BAC limit: 0.08% · Under-21 BAC: 0.02%
- Default speed limits: 65 mph rural Interstate, 65 mph urban Interstate, 25 mph residential, 20 mph school zone
- Handheld phone use: banned
- Vision standard: 20/40 acuity in at least one eye, corrected or uncorrected
- Reinstatement fee after suspension: $300 for DUI
- Official source: RI DMV
Other Rhode Island guides on PermitPrep
Each link below opens a dedicated Rhode Island page. Every guide is built from the same official RI DMV handbook so the rules stay consistent across topics.
- Rhode Island Permit Practice Test — Practice test for Rhode Island drivers.
- Rhode Island Driving Permit Guide — Permit guide for Rhode Island drivers.
- Rhode Island Road Signs Test — Signs test for Rhode Island drivers.
- Rhode Island Traffic Laws Summary — Traffic laws for Rhode Island drivers.
- Rhode Island Right-of-Way Rules — Right of way for Rhode Island drivers.
- Rhode Island Speed Limits Explained — Speed limits for Rhode Island drivers.
- Rhode Island DUI Laws — DUI laws for Rhode Island drivers.
- Rhode Island Cell Phone Laws — Cell phone laws for Rhode Island drivers.
Ready to test what you have learned? Take the free Rhode Island permit practice test — 20 randomized questions, instant grading, full explanations.