Rhode Island Zoning & Land Use Laws

Rhode Island ADU Law

Rhode Island has a statewide ADU law — Rhode Island General Laws § 45-24-73 — Design Standards Required for Accessory Dwelling Units; Consistent Statewide Treatment of Accessory Dwelling Units Required (as amended by P.L. 2024, ch. 284 [2024-H 7062 Sub A] and ch. 285 [2024-S 2998 Sub A], eff. June 25, 2024) — effective 2024-06-25. This law preempts local ordinances — cities and counties cannot impose restrictions stricter than the state standard. Key provisions include: One accessory dwelling unit (ADU) per lot shall be allowed by right on an owner-occupied property as a reasonable accommodation for family members with disabilities.; One accessory dwelling unit (ADU) per lot shall be allowed by right on a lot with a total lot area of 20,000 square feet or more where the primary use is residential.; One accessory dwelling unit (ADU) per lot shall be allowed by right where the proposed ADU is located within the existing footprint of the primary structure or an existing accessory structure and does not expand that footprint., and 6 more.

Cottage Food Law

Statewide cottage-food-law status for Rhode Island has not been confirmed — see the official source for current requirements.

Recent Legislative Changes

Rhode Island Cities with Zoning Data