{"data":{"id":"us-ri/r.i.-gen.-laws-40-9.1-3.1","jurisdiction":"us-ri","citation":"R.I. Gen. Laws § 40-9.1-3.1","heading":"Misrepresentation of service animal.","body":"(a) It is a violation of this chapter for an individual to take an animal into a public area where pets are not permitted, and state that the animal is a service animal entitled to be present, if the animal is not a service animal.\n(b) Businesses may post a decal suitable in a front window or door, stating that service animals are welcome and that misrepresentation of a service animal is a violation of Rhode Island law.\n(c) It shall be a violation for any individual to misrepresent a pet or any other animal as a service animal when attempting to gain access to or remain in a public area. A violation of this section occurs when:\n(1) An individual expressly represents that an animal in his or her possession is a service animal for the purpose of obtaining any rights or privileges afforded to persons with disabilities accompanied by service animals, but unavailable to people and their pets or other animals; and\n(2) The individual knew or should have known that the animal in question did not meet the definition of a service animal.\n(d) A violation of this section shall be deemed a civil violation, punishable by up to thirty (30) hours of community service for an organization that serves individuals with disabilities at the discretion of the court.","path":["Title 40 Human Services","Chapter 9.1 Equal Rights to Public Facilities"],"source_url":"https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE40/40-9.1/40-9.1-3.1.htm","current_through":"site files published 2025-08-13","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T19:59:28Z","sha256":"88633ad8cfb98c6906d4358c12d27e046327f10c34d7ed19ae99ed91c78a3239","source_id":"us-ri","stale":true,"prev":"us-ri/r.i.-gen.-laws-40-9.1-3","next":"us-ri/r.i.-gen.-laws-40-9.1-4"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}