AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- EQUIPMENT AND ACCESSORIES GENERALLY (Requires every vehicle that operates in intrastate commerce be permanently marked with a US DOT Number effective April 1, 2027.)

S3097

2026 -- S 3097
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LC005136
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
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A N A C T
RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- EQUIPMENT AND ACCESSORIES
GENERALLY

Introduced By:
Senators Britto, McKenney, Burke, Urso, and Bissaillon

Date Introduced:
March 13, 2026

Referred To:
Senate Housing & Municipal Government
(Dept. of Transportation)
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
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SECTION 1. Section 31-23-1 of the General Laws in Chapter 31-23 entitled "Equipment
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and Accessories Generally" is hereby amended to read as follows:
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31-23-1. Driving of unsafe vehicle — Disobedience of requirements — Inspections of
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motor carriers — Fines.
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(a) It is a civil violation for any person to drive or move, or for the owner, employer or
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employee to cause or knowingly permit to be driven or moved, on any highway any vehicle or
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combination of vehicles which is in such an unsafe condition as to endanger any person, or which
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does not contain those parts or is not at all times equipped with lamps and other equipment in proper
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condition and adjustment as required in this chapter or chapter 24 of this title, or for any person to
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do any act forbidden or fail to perform any act required under these chapters.
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(b)(1) For the purpose of reducing the number and severity of accidents, all commercial
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motor vehicles must meet applicable standards set forth in this chapter and chapter 24 of this title
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and in the federal motor carrier safety regulations (FMCSR) contained in 49 CFR Parts 387 and
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390-399, and the Hazardous Materials Regulations in 49 CFR Parts 107 (subparts F and G only),
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171-173, 177, 178 and 180, as amended except as may be determined by the administrator to be
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inapplicable to a state enforcement program, as amended and adopted by the U.S. Department of
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Transportation (U.S. DOT), Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, as may be amended from
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time to time. Part 391.11(b)(1) of FMCSR, 49 CFR 391.11(b)(1) shall not apply to intrastate drivers

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of commercial motor vehicles except for drivers of school buses and vehicles placarded under 49
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CFR Part 172, Subpart F. Rules and Regulations shall be promulgated by the director of the
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department of revenue for the administration and enforcement of motor carrier safety. The rules
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and regulations shall be promulgated to ensure uniformity in motor carrier safety enforcement
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activities and to increase the likelihood that safety defects, driver deficiencies, and unsafe carrier
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practices will be detected and corrected.
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(2) Effective April 1, 2027, every carrier that operates a motor vehicle engaged in intrastate
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commerce must be permanently marked with a USDOT number assigned in a manner conforming
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to the provisions of 49 CFR 390.21T.
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(3) For purposes of § 31-23-1(b)(2), the following vehicles which operated solely within
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the State of Rhode Island are exempted from the vehicle marking and DOT number requirements:
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(i) Vehicles owned and operated by the State of Rhode Island or a political subdivision
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thereof;
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(ii) Vehicles carrying "hazardous materials" that are owned and operated by a city, town
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or agency of the State of Rhode Island, but this exemption shall not apply to a private contractor
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transporting hazardous materials on behalf of a city, town or an agency of the State of Rhode Island;
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(iii) Transit-type buses operated by cities or towns that are used to transport persons locally
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and which are marked with the name of the municipal bus company or its logo;
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(iv) Buses operated by the Rhode Island public transit authority including the vehicles
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operated under the ride program;
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(v) School buses and school pupil transport vehicles that transport students and or pupils
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locally; and
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(vi) Vehicles of professional driving schools that are used to provide driving skills training
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for Class A, B, or C commercial driver licenses.
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(2)
(4)
Any carrier convicted of violating the rules and regulations established pursuant to
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this subsection shall be fined as provided in § 31-41.1-4 for each offense.
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(c) For the purposes of this section, “carrier” is defined as any company or person who
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furthers their commercial or private enterprise by use of a vehicle that has a gross vehicle weight
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rating
(GVWR) of ten thousand and one (10,001) or more pounds, or that transports hazardous
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material

or gross combination weight rating, or gross vehicle weight or gross combination weight
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of ten thousand one pounds (10,001 lbs.) or more, whichever is greater; or is designed or used to
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transport more than eight (8) passengers, including the driver, for compensation; or is designed or
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used to transport more than fifteen (15) passengers including the driver, and is not used to transport
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passengers for compensation; or is used in transporting hazardous material and transported in a

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quantity requiring placarding
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(d) Authorized examiners, investigators, officers, or regulatory inspectors from the
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department of revenue with proper identification issued by the director of the department of
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revenue, the state police, and local law enforcement officials with proper identification certifying
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they are qualified motor carrier enforcement personnel trained according to subsection (f) of this
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section, shall have a right of entry and authority to examine all equipment of motor carriers and
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lessors and enter upon and perform inspections of motor carrier vehicles in operation. They shall
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have authority to inspect, examine, and copy all accounts, books, records, memoranda,
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correspondence and other documents of the motor carriers and or lessors and the documents,
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accounts, books, records, correspondence, and memoranda of any person controlling, controlled
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by, or under common control of any carrier which relate to the enforcement of this chapter.
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(e)(1) Authorized examiners, investigators, officers, or regulatory inspectors from the state
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police, local law enforcement officials or the department of revenue shall declare “out of service”
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any motor vehicle which, by reason of its mechanical condition or loading, is so imminently
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hazardous to operate as to be likely to cause an accident or a breakdown. An “out of service vehicle”
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sticker shall be used to mark vehicles out of service. The “out of service vehicle” sticker shall be
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affixed to the driver’s window on power units placed out of service and, affixed to the left front
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corner of trailers or semi-trailers placed out of service.
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(2) No person shall remove the “out of service vehicle” sticker from any motor vehicle
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prior to completion of all repairs required by the “out of service” notice.
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(3) Any motor vehicle discovered to be in an unsafe condition while being operated on the
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highway may be continued in operation only to the nearest place where repairs can be safely
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effected.
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(4) Operation in an unsafe condition will be conducted only if it is less hazardous to the
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public than to permit the vehicle to remain on the highway.
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(5) A motor carrier shall not require or permit a person to operate a motor vehicle declared
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out of service until all the repairs required by the out of service notice are satisfactorily completed.
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(6) Any person convicted of unauthorized removal or causing to be removed an “out of
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service vehicle” sticker shall be fined as provided in § 31-41.1-4.
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(7) Any person convicted of operating or causing to operate an “out of service vehicle” on
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a public highway shall be fined as provided in § 31-41.1-4.
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(f) In order to enforce the provisions of this section, authorized examiners, investigators,
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officers, or regulatory inspectors must satisfactorily complete a course of instruction as prescribed
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by the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT), Federal Motor Carrier Safety

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Administration in the federal motor carrier safety regulations (FMCSR) safety inspection
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procedures, and out of service criteria with at least annual in-service training covering the
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prescribed instruction.
Inspector certification and annual in-service trainings are to be managed by
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the Rhode Island state police as the lead Motor Carrier Safety Administration Program agency.
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(g) Violations of the provisions of this section shall be recorded in the commercial vehicle
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inspection report approved by the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT), Federal Motor
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Carrier Safety Administration in addition to the appropriate Rhode Island state uniform summons.
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(h) Any fine imposed as a result of a violation of this section shall not be subject to any
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additional assessments imposed pursuant to any other laws of the state of Rhode Island.
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SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- EQUIPMENT AND ACCESSORIES
GENERALLY
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This act would, effective April 1, 2027, require every vehicle that operates in intrastate
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commerce be permanently marked with a USDOT number.
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This act would take effect upon passage.
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