Rhode Island § 3-12-3 § 3-12-3. Entry on licensed premises — Arrest without warrant — Evidence of unlawful sales.

Rhode Island Statutes

§ 3-12-3 — § 3-12-3. Entry on licensed premises — Arrest without warrant — Evidence of unlawful sales.

Rhode Island § 3-12-3

Title 3Alcoholic Beverages

Ch. 3-12Enforcement of Title

This text of Rhode Island § 3-12-3 (§ 3-12-3. Entry on licensed premises — Arrest without warrant — Evidence of unlawful sales.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Rhode Island primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

R.I. Gen. Laws § 3-12-3 (2026).

Text

§ 3-12-3. Entry on licensed premises — Arrest without warrant — Evidence of unlawful sales.
The mayor and council of any city, or the town council, or either member, or the chief
            of police of any city or town, or any police officer, or any town constable specially
            authorized by that city or town council, or any member of the division of state police,
            or agent of the department of business regulation and the division of taxation, may
            at any time enter upon the premises of any person licensed under this title to ascertain
            the manner in which that person conducts his or her business and to preserve order;
            and every chief of police, police officer, town

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§ 3-12-3. Entry on licensed premises — Arrest without warrant — Evidence of unlawful sales.

The mayor and council of any city, or the town council, or either member, or the chief of police of any city or town, or any police officer, or any town constable specially authorized by that city or town council, or any member of the division of state police, or agent of the department of business regulation and the division of taxation, may at any time enter upon the premises of any person licensed under this title to ascertain the manner in which that person conducts his or her business and to preserve order; and every chief of police, police officer, town constable or member of the division of state police, has the power to arrest, without a warrant, all persons found actually engaged, in the premises entered, in the commission of any offense in violation of any of the provisions of this title and to keep those persons arrested in custody until they can be brought before some magistrate (but for a period not to exceed twenty-four (24) hours) having the proper jurisdiction of that offense in that city or town to be dealt with according to law; and whenever any person is seen to drink any beverage in those premises, or in any part of those premises, on any days or hours prohibited, under this title, it is evidence that those beverages were sold and kept for sale by the occupant of those premises or his or her authorized agent.

Legislative History

P.L. 1933, ch. 2013, § 71; G.L. 1938, ch. 174, § 3; P.L. 1939, ch. 659, § 2; impl. am. P.L. 1939, ch. 660, § 120; G.L. 1956, § 3-12-3; P.L. 1996, ch. 100, art. 36, § 13; P.L. 2015, ch. 260, § 1; P.L. 2015, ch. 275, § 1.