Rhode Island § 31-23-51 § 31-23-51. Earphones and headsets prohibited.

Rhode Island Statutes

§ 31-23-51 — § 31-23-51. Earphones and headsets prohibited.

Rhode Island § 31-23-51

Title 31Motor and Other vehicles

Ch. 31-23Equipment and Accessories Generally

This text of Rhode Island § 31-23-51 (§ 31-23-51. Earphones and headsets prohibited.) 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 § 31-23-51 (2026).

Text

§ 31-23-51. Earphones and headsets prohibited.

(a) No person shall operate a bicycle or motor vehicle upon any highway while wearing earphones, a headset, headphone, or other listening device. Any person who violates this section shall be fined:

(1)one hundred dollars ($100) for the first offense,

(2)one hundred ten dollars ($110) for the second offense, and (3) one hundred forty dollars ($140) for the third and each subsequent offense.

(b) This section shall not apply to:

(1) Any emergency vehicle operator using an integrated intercom system;

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§ 31-23-51. Earphones and headsets prohibited.

(a) No person shall operate a bicycle or motor vehicle upon any highway while wearing earphones, a headset, headphone, or other listening device. Any person who violates this section shall be fined: (1) one hundred dollars ($100) for the first offense, (2) one hundred ten dollars ($110) for the second offense, and (3) one hundred forty dollars ($140) for the third and each subsequent offense.

(b) This section shall not apply to:

(1) Any emergency vehicle operator using an integrated intercom system;

(2) Any person operating a motorcycle who is using a headset installed in a helmet and worn so as to prevent the speakers from making direct contact with the user's ears so that the user can hear surrounding sounds;

(3) Any person using a headset in conjunction with a cellular telephone that only provides sound through one ear and allows surrounding sounds to be heard with the other ear;

(4) Any person using a headset in conjunction with the communicating with the central base operation that only provides sound through one ear and allows surrounding sounds to be heard with the other ear;

(5) Any person using a hearing aid(s) or instrument for the improvement of hearing.

(c) The department of motor vehicles shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this section.

Legislative History

P.L. 1983, ch. 234, § 1; P.L. 1989, ch. 72, § 1; P.L. 2002, ch. 58, § 4; P.L. 2002, ch. 292, § 127; P.L. 2002, ch. 312, § 1; P.L. 2008, ch. 100, art. 12, § 10; P.L. 2013, ch. 422, § 1; P.L. 2025, ch. 278, art. 11, § 5, effective June 29, 2025.