Official State of Rhode Island website

State of Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles Department of Revenue

Plate Types

Ocean Passenger

Passenger Plates

  • Available for Sedans (Cars), SUV’s, Wagons, Passenger (not cargo) vans
  • Renewed every two years
  • Renewal month is based on the first letter of a registered owner’s last name, or the first letter of the name of the company to which the vehicle is registered
Ocean Commercial

Commercial Plates

  • Pickup trucks, heavy trucks, cargo vans
  • Renewed annually in March
Ocean Combination

Combination Plates

  • Any vehicle that could be registered with commercial plates with a maximum GVWR of 8800 lbs
  • Renewed annually in March
  • RIGL 31-3-64
Ocean Trailer

Trailer Plates

  • Trailers (vehicles without a motor to power them that are used on the public roads)
  • Commercial Trailers – Renewed annually in March
  • Non-Commercial Trailers – Renewed every two years in April
  • RIGL 31-1-5
Ocean Motorcycle

Motorcycle Plates

antique

Antique Plates

  • Any vehicle 25 years old or older used for pleasure only and not the “primary vehicle” of the owner
  • Dual Registration Permitted
  • Renewed every two years in May
  • Requires Antique Affidavit
  • RIGL 31-1-3 (a)(1)
Ocean Public Service

Public Plates

  • Vehicles used to transport persons for compensation of any form including buses and most ambulances
  • Requires GU-1338 Insurance and Approval Form from State Safety and Emissions Garage
  • Renewed every two years in July
Ocean Camper

Camper Plates

  • RV’s and Camper Trailers
  • Renewed every two years in September
  • RIGL 31-3-42
Ocean Suburban

Suburban Plates

  • Wagons, SUV’s, vans, vehicles with a hatch for rear entry
  • Sedans and pickup trucks are NOT eligible for Suburban plates
  • Renewed every two years in September
  • RIGL 31-1-3(bb)
Ocean Radio Operator

Radio Operator

  • Any vehicle owned by a radio amateur licensed by the FCC. The FCC license must be furnished to the DMV for issuance of these plates and the plate number shall be the individual’s call sign
  • Renewed every two years in June
  • Maximum GVWR – 9000 lbs
  • RIGL 31-3-39
Ocean Farm

Farm

  • Vehicles used for agricultural operations and owned by agricultural organizations that would be ineligible to be registered with passenger plates
  • Requires approval from State Division of Taxation and DMV Enforcement Office for initial issuance of plates
  • Renewed every two years in February
  • RIGL 31-1-8 and RIGL 31-3-31

Street Rod / Custom Vehicle / Specially Constructed Vehicle

Street Rod

Street Rod

  • Defined as "A kit or replica vehicle intended to resemble a vehicle model year 1948 and older OR it is an authentic 1948 model year or older vehicle that has been altered significantly from the manufacturer's original design and/or has a body constructed mostly from non-original materials".
  • Must be approved, classified and assigned a VIN by the Safety and Emissions office
  • RIGL 31-3-31.1
custom vehicle

Custom Vehicle

  • Defined as "A kit or replica vehicle intended to resemble a vehicle at least 25 model years old, but newer than model year 1948 OR it is an authentic vehicle from those model years but has been altered significantly from the manufacturer's original design and/or has a body constructed mostly from non-original parts".
  • Must be approved, classified and assigned a VIN by the Safety and Emissions office
  • RIGL 31-3-31.2

Specially Constructed Vehicle

  • Defined as "every vehicle of a type that must be registered under chapters 3-9 of this title, but not originally constructed under a distinctive name, make, model, or type by a generally recognized manufacturer of vehicles; provided, that specially constructed vehicles shall include hand-built, home-built, and one-off cars that do not resemble any production car.  Specially constructed vehicles shall be entitled to standard passenger automobile plates; provided, that all safety and emissions standards applied to reconstructed vehicles are met".
  • must be pre-approved by the Safety and Emissions office
  • RIGL 31-1-6
  • RIGL 31-3-31.3

Authentic Antique Vehicles

Antique plates will be limited to authentic vehicles whose model year is more than 25 years old.

Modified Vehicles

  • If an authentic antique vehicle has been heavily modified, and the owner of the vehicle wants to have Street Rod / Custom Vehicle plates, the Safety and Emission Control Office will make the final determination as to whether the vehicle should have Antique Plates or Street Rod / Custom Vehicle Plates.
  • For Authentic Vehicles that have been heavily modified, but are not replicas, the regular registration procedure would prevail.  Make and model information would be entered normally.

Temporary Plates

  • 5-day plates issued at DMV locations for the express purpose of obtaining a VIN Inspection from a local police station prior to an initial registration in Rhode Island
  • All paperwork, including proper proof of Rhode Island insurance, (besides a required VIN check) is required to be submitted before obtaining a 5-day temp plate
  • These cannot be used to transport a vehicle from Rhode Island to another state
  • RIGL 31-3-17.3