Welcome to the Rhode Island Zoning Law Website
If you are interested in zoning or other land use issues in Rhode Island, this site is for you! My goal is to provide a comprehensive online resource for lawyers, municipal officials, real estate professionals and others involved in land use law in Rhode Island. It should also be useful to owners of homes and businesses in Rhode Island.
Materials available on the site include an up-to-date hyperlinked version of the Zoning Enabling Act of 1991, links to zoning ordinances in virtually all Rhode Island cities and towns, articles on Rhode Island zoning law, and documents important in tracing the history of zoning law in Rhode Island, all of which may be accessed through the links at the left.
Although minor zoning matters can often be handled by non-attorney landowners, especially with the help of the zoning books listed below, some zoning issues call for an experienced land use attorney. For many years I have been practicing in zoning and related fields of law at the Newport firm of Miller Scott & Holbrook. Naturally I recommend this firm highly!
Books on Rhode Island Zoning Law
Rhode Island Zoning Handbook
First published in 1993, the Rhode Island Zoning Handbook, a 350-page comprehensive text on Rhode Island zoning law, has become the standard reference work for attorneys. It is now in a second edition published in 2006 and is updated annually.
The Handbook is based on all zoning cases ever decided by the Rhode Island Supreme Court, plus federal regulation of zoning, including cell towers, churches and other religious uses, so-called "adult" entertainment businesses, constitutionality of various zoning provisions, and federal anti-discrimination statutes.
This reference work is thoroughly indexed and cross-referenced, with a Table of Contents, Table of Cases, Table of Constitutional Provisions and Statutes, and Table of Other Authorities (including references to law reviews, bar journals, and ALR annotations), plus a very detailed Index.
Read a review of the RI Zoning Handbook from the Rhode Island Bar Journal.
The price of the Rhode Island Zoning Handbook is $80.00 plus tax. Shipping is free for prepaid orders. Order form
The 2011 cumulative supplement to the Handbook is now available and may be purchased for $18 plus sales tax. Order form (Note: Purchase of the Rhode Island Zoning Handbook includes the most recent annual supplement.)
Rhode Island Zoning for Non-Lawyers
Rhode Island Zoning for Non-Lawyers was written for contractors, real estate agents, surveyors, architects, and prospective buyers of new houses, as well as owners of small businesses and homeowners buying, renovating, or changing the use of an existing building. It should also be highly useful to non-lawyer municipal officials and to ordinary citizens appointed to the local zoning board, planning board, or historic district commission.
Based on the Rhode Island Zoning Handbook, this reference book for lay people is written in easy-to-read non-technical language, without footnotes. It contains a complete discussion of zoning law and procedures (including every step in the zoning process) packed into just under a hundred pages. Furthermore, Rhode Island Zoning for Non-Lawyers has a well-organized table of contents and a detailed index, making it easy for those not familiar with the law to find what they are looking for. There is also a special section entitled "Explanation of Terms Used in Zoning."
The price of the Rhode Island Zoning for Non-Lawyers is $12.00 plus tax. Shipping is a flat $2.00 for 1-4 copies. Order form (See order form for larger orders.)