Rhode Island One-Party

Licensing & Regulation

Rhode Island licenses PIs through the Office of the Attorney General under R.I.G.L. §5-5-1 et seq. Applicants must be 25+, U.S. citizens or legal residents, demonstrate five years of experience, and submit fingerprints.

Physical Surveillance

Public surveillance is permitted. Rhode Island's stalking statute (R.I.G.L. §11-59-2) constrains intrusive conduct. GPS tracking on a non-owned vehicle is risky.

Audio & Video Recording Consent

Rhode Island is a one-party-consent state under R.I.G.L. §11-35-21. The recording party must be a participant.

Domestic, Marital & Infidelity Investigations

Rhode Island allows fault-based divorce; adultery is a ground. PIs document patterns. Accessing a spouse's accounts may violate R.I.G.L. §11-52-1 et seq. (computer crime).

Cybersecurity, Hacking & Digital Investigations

R.I.G.L. §11-52-1 et seq. (Computer Crime) parallels the CFAA. OSINT is permitted; pretexting is barred.

Missing Persons, Skip Tracing & Harassment

RI State Police coordinate missing-persons cases. DPPA fully applies. RI's stalking statute is broad.