Rhode Island Municipal Code Library
Read the land use regulations for your Rhode Island city or town.
A free public collection of the zoning ordinances and land development and subdivision regulations adopted by Rhode Island’s 39 cities and towns, organized to make them easier to find, read, and search.
Documents are available for 39 of 39 municipalities; 2 of those also include land development and subdivision regulations.
All cities and towns, A–Z
Documents are currently available for 39 of Rhode Island's 39 municipalities. More are added as records become available.
This municipality's documents have not yet been added to the library. The municipal clerk maintains the official record and can provide information about how to access it.
Unofficial copy. The municipal clerk maintains the official record.
This municipality's documents have not yet been added to the library. The municipal clerk maintains the official record and can provide information about how to access it.
Records are added as municipalities publish them.
Map of Rhode Island
Select a city or townMunicipal land use basics
What is a zoning ordinance?
A zoning ordinance divides a municipality into districts and sets what may be built in each one: permitted uses, lot sizes, setbacks, height, and parking. It is adopted by the city or town council and applies to every property within the municipal boundary.
What are land development and subdivision regulations?
These rules govern how land is divided into lots and how new development is reviewed. They set the application stages, the required plans, the standards for roads and drainage, and the findings a planning board must make before approval.
What is an amendment?
An amendment is a change to the adopted text or to the zoning map. It is proposed, advertised, heard in public, and voted on. Once adopted it becomes part of the ordinance, which is why the version and adoption date on each document matter.
MuniAnchor is a municipal planning workspace for Rhode Island. We keep the adopted text of each participating municipality current and publish it here for anyone to read, free and without an account.