Rhode Island § 31-38-1 § 31-38-1. Vehicles without required equipment or in unsafe condition — Inspection sticker for used cars for sale required.

Rhode Island Statutes

§ 31-38-1 — § 31-38-1. Vehicles without required equipment or in unsafe condition — Inspection sticker for used cars for sale required.

Rhode Island § 31-38-1

Title 31Motor and Other vehicles

Ch. 31-38Inspection of Motor Vehicles

This text of Rhode Island § 31-38-1 (§ 31-38-1. Vehicles without required equipment or in unsafe condition — Inspection sticker for used cars for sale required.) 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 § 31-38-1 (2026).

Text

§ 31-38-1. Vehicles without required equipment or in unsafe condition — Inspection sticker for
               used cars for sale required.
(a) No person shall sell at retail, drive, or move on any highway any motor vehicle, trailer,
            semitrailer, or pole trailer or any combination of them unless the equipment upon
            the vehicle is in good working order and adjustment as required in this title, and
            the vehicle is in such safe mechanical condition as not to endanger the driver or
            other occupant or any person upon the highway.
         
(b) No dealer of used vehicles, as defined by § 31-1-19(b), shall sell at retail a used motor vehic

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§ 31-38-1. Vehicles without required equipment or in unsafe condition — Inspection sticker for used cars for sale required.

(a) No person shall sell at retail, drive, or move on any highway any motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer or any combination of them unless the equipment upon the vehicle is in good working order and adjustment as required in this title, and the vehicle is in such safe mechanical condition as not to endanger the driver or other occupant or any person upon the highway.

(b) No dealer of used vehicles, as defined by § 31-1-19(b), shall sell at retail a used motor vehicle unless a new inspection of the vehicle conforming to the standards set pursuant to this chapter and chapter 47.1 of this title has been conducted and the vehicle has a new certificate of inspection affixed to the windshield at the time of sale, except used cars:

(1) Sold "for parts onlyâ€� and clearly identified accordingly on the bill of sale: or

(2) Purchased at the end of the lease term by the current lessee with a valid certificate of inspection affixed to the windshield at the time of sale that is issued by the state of Rhode Island.

Legislative History

P.L. 1977, ch. 14, § 2; P.L. 1984, ch. 71, § 1; P.L. 1987, ch. 222, § 2; P.L. 1987, ch. 341, § 1; P.L. 1989, ch. 542, § 96; P.L. 1990, ch. 239, § 1; P.L. 1998, ch. 327, § 2; P.L. 2024, ch. 142, § 1, effective December 17, 2024; P.L. 2024, ch. 144, § 1, effective December 17, 2024.