R.I. Gen. Laws § 20-7-12.1: Unauthorized possession and/or transfer of pots and traps.

(a) No person except the director of environmental management, enforcement officers, and authorized technical personnel of the department of environmental management shall place, set, keep, maintain, sell, transfer, or have in his or her possession, any pot, trap, car, or any other device used in taking or holding lobster or crabs, nor take, remove, or carry away from the beach or shore any pot, trap, car, or other device or line (warp) or buoy without the written permission of the their owner.

(b) Every person convicted of violating this section shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) for each offense, or be imprisoned not exceeding one year, or both, and each pot, trap, car, or device used in violation of this section shall constitute a separate offense. In addition, if that person is licensed, his or her license shall be revoked for one year.