Miscellaneous Motor Vehicle Laws

R.I.G.L. 31-23.3-2: Nontransparent Windshield and Windows:

No person shall own and operate any motor vehicle upon any public highway, road or street with transparent or sunscreen material, window application, reflective film or non-reflective film used in any way to cover or treat the front windshield, the side windows immediately adjacent to the right and left of the operator’s seat, the side windows immediately to the rear of the operator’s seat and the front passenger seat and the rear windows unless this vehicle meets one of the criteria set forth in 31-23.3-3. The fine for a violation of this law is $250.00. Rhode Island follows the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards of a total visible light transmittance of not less than seventy percent (70%).

R.I.G.L. 31-23-13.1: Altering height of or operating a motor vehicle with an altered height prohibited:

No person shall alter the height of or operate a motor vehicle with an altered height that has an original manufacturer’s gross vehicle weight rating of up to and including ten thousand pounds (10,000 lbs.), by elevating or lowering the chassis or body by more than four inches (4”) from the original manufacturer’s specified height by use of so called ‘shackle lift kits’ for leaf springs or by use of lifts for coil springs, tires, or any other means or device.

R.I.G.L. 31-45-1: Noise Limits:

(a) No person shall operate a motor vehicle, nor shall the owner of any vehicle allow the vehicle to be operated, at any time, or under any condition of grade, load, acceleration, or deceleration, in such a manner as to exceed the following noise limit based on a distance of fifty feet (50') from the center of the lane of travel within the speed limit. For the purposes of this section, "dbA" means decibels measured with a calibrated sound level meter weighted to the "A" scale.

(b) In speed zones of thirty-five miles per hour (35 mph) or less, not more than eighty-six (86) dbA. In speed zones of more than thirty-five miles per hour (35 mph), not more than ninety (90) dbA.

Note: This law also allows local cities and towns to develop other means to deal with noise regulations.

R.I.G.L. 31-24-22: Multiple beam lamps required:

Except as provided, the head lamps, or the auxiliary driving lamps, or combination of them on motor vehicles other than a motorcycle or a motor-driven cycle, shall be arranged so that selection may be made between distributions of light projected to different elevations.

R.I.G.L. 31-24-47: Regulation and certification of light devices:

The Administrator of the Division of Motor Vehicles is authorized to approve or disapprove lighting devices and to issue and enforce regulations establishing standards and specifications for the approval of such lighting devices, their installation and aiming. The regulations shall correlate with and, so far as possible, conform to the current standards and specifications of the Society of Automotive Engineers applicable to the equipment.

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