R.I. Gen. Laws § 6-11.2-3: License required.

(a) No person, including a secondary metals recycler, salvage yard operator or second hand dealer, shall engage in the business of purchasing, selling, bartering or dealing any regulated metals property or any articles containing those metals, from the general public for the purpose of reselling or recycling the regulated metals in any condition without first obtaining a license from the department of attorney general.

(b) This section shall not apply to the purchase of old metals from a person who is licensed to engage in the business of purchasing, selling, bartering or dealing in junk, old metals or secondhand articles, and who has previously recorded the contents of the load, pursuant to this section, and such person provides a written statement affirming such record at the time of the transaction.