State Guide
Age of Consent in Rhode Island
A plain-English guide to the age of consent in Rhode Island, cited to R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-37-6. This guide confirmed a close-in-age carve-out for authority-based relationships directly, but could not locate the wider exemption many secondary sources describe.
Authority-tier carve-out confirmed; general exemption unverifiedRhode Island at a glance
The core figures from this guide, in one place.
| Age of consent | 16 |
|---|---|
| Governing statute | R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-37-6 (Third Degree Sexual Assault) |
| Core offense | Offender 18+, victim 14–15, penetration — no gap allowance confirmed in text reviewed |
| Confirmed carve-out | Position-of-authority tier, ages 16–20, consensual |
| Reported, unconfirmed claim | A general 30-month exemption, ages 14–17 |
Overview
Rhode Island sets its age of consent at 16. R.I. Gen. Laws Section 11-37-6(b)(1) makes it third-degree sexual assault for someone over 18 to sexually penetrate a victim over 14 and under 16. The specific statute text this guide directly retrieved from the official Rhode Island General Assembly website does not include a numeric age-gap allowance for this core offense.
Age of consent in Rhode Island
Section 11-37-6(b)(1) applies to sexual penetration where the offender is over 18 and the victim is over 14 and under 16. Section 11-37-6(b)(2) separately addresses a victim 14 through 17 where the offender holds supervisory, disciplinary, or other authority over them, whether through penetration or contact.
Close-in-age rules in Rhode Island
Section 11-37-6(b)(2)(iii), which this guide confirmed directly, states that it is not a violation of the position-of-authority tier if the parties are engaging in the conduct consensually and are both between 16 and 20 years old. This is a genuine, narrow carve-out, but it applies specifically to the authority-based provision, not the general third-degree offense.
Exceptions and defenses
Consent by the minor is explicitly not a defense to the core third-degree offense, confirmed across sources. A position of authority, such as supervisory or disciplinary power arising from professional or occupational status, triggers a separate basis for the same charge for a victim up to 17, distinct from the ordinary age-of-consent threshold of 16.
Applicable statutes
The codified Rhode Island law this guide is drawn from.
Practical examples
Example 1. A 15-year-old and a 19-year-old, sexual penetration, a four-year gap. Based on the primary text this guide confirmed, third-degree sexual assault applies.
Example 2. A 15-year-old and a 17-year-old, sexual penetration, a two-year gap. If the widely reported general exemption is accurate, this could fall within it; this guide could not confirm that outcome against the primary text it retrieved.
Example 3. A 17-year-old resident advisor and an 18-year-old dorm resident, consensual, a one-year gap. This fits the confirmed authority-tier carve-out, since both are between 16 and 20.
Frequently asked questions about Rhode Island
What is the age of consent in Rhode Island?
16. R.I. Gen. Laws Section 11-37-6 makes it third-degree sexual assault for someone over 18 to sexually penetrate a 14-or-15-year-old.
Does Rhode Island have a Romeo and Juliet law?
This guide confirmed a narrow carve-out for the position-of-authority tier only. Many secondary sources describe a broader, roughly 30-month general exemption, but this guide could not locate that language in the primary text it reviewed.
Why does this guide say the general exemption is unconfirmed?
The specific subsection of R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-37-6 this guide retrieved directly did not contain the broader exemption language that other sources describe. This guide discloses the gap rather than assuming the secondary sources are correct.
Does a position of authority ever help rather than hurt?
Yes, in one specific, confirmed instance: consensual conduct where both people are 16 through 20 is carved out of the authority-based tier specifically.
Does a mistaken belief about age count as a defense?
Consent by the minor is not a defense to the core offense. This guide did not find a separate mistake-of-age provision in the text it reviewed.
Official sources
Primary and official sources this guide is built from.
Confirmed vs. reported claims
This guide separates what it verified from what it could not.
| Claim | Status |
|---|---|
| Core offense: 18+, victim 14–15, penetration | Confirmed directly |
| Authority-tier carve-out, ages 16–20 | Confirmed directly |
| General 30-month exemption, ages 14–17 | Widely reported, unconfirmed by this guide |
About this guide
Who wrote it, who reviewed it, and when it was last checked.
RomeoAndJulietLaw.com Editorial Team
Drafted from the Rhode Island General Laws via the official Rhode Island General Assembly website, cross-checked against multiple independent legal references.
Pending attorney review
This guide has not yet been checked by a licensed Rhode Island attorney. It is sourced and cited, but should not be treated as attorney-reviewed until this line is updated with a named reviewer.
Primary source for this guide
Editorial notes
This guide reflects R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-37-6 as of 27 July 2026, drawn directly from the official Rhode Island General Assembly website. It has not yet been reviewed by a licensed Rhode Island attorney. A significant open question is flagged above: numerous secondary sources describe a general 30-month close-in-age exemption that this guide could not locate in the specific subsection text it retrieved. This should be the first item confirmed in any future review, ideally by checking the complete current statute for any additional subsections.