R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-3-45.1: Police registration plates.

(a) The administrator of the division of motor vehicles shall upon request issue to all police departments within this state, as listed in § 12-7-21 but, excluding the Rhode Island state police, and Rhode Island sheriffs’ department, police registration plates.

(b) The above described plates shall be imprinted with the word “police” and shall be of a distinctive color to distinguish them from standard registration plates.