Rep. Finn’s Gun Registration Statement Deemed ‘Mostly True'

“Currently, there’s no way to know who has weapons in Rhode Island. We don’t keep records on anything, we don’t require licenses and we don’t register guns. Rhode Island could tell you who has a camper, but we couldn’t figure out who has a gun.”  - Rep. Linda Finn (D-Dist. 72, Middletown, Portsmouth)

How accurate is the quote in bold? According to Politifact Rhode Island, it is "mostly true," which by their definition means the statement is accurate, but needs clarification or additional information.

Finn's gun registration bill (2013-H 5573) would require gun-owners to register their weapon with their local police. Failure to do so would result in up to three years in prison and fines of up to $3,000. Similar to other gun control proposals across the country, the bill has been met with controversy and it drew hundreds of opponents at the State House rally recently.

Although Rhode Island does not have a central database of legal gun owners, there are ways local police can determine if someone may own a gun, although it is not a complete list.

Anyone who buys a gun must fill out an application under statutes 11-47-35 and 11-47-35.2. That information is not saved however, since under statute 11-47-41  a government agency is forbidden to keep any record of the gun owners.

However, in order to carry a gun, an individual must apply to the Department of Attorney General or their local police department for a permit. Police can request confirmation for an individual permit, but by law, the attorney general cannot give departments the complete list.

In a nutshell, police departments might have insight into some gun owners, but not all.  On the flip side, local police have access to a consolidated registry of people who own campers.