Hidden camera laws in Rhode Island

The actual statute, in plain English — not a paraphrase of a paraphrase.

The statute

R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-64-2 (Video Voyeurism)

What it prohibits

Rhode Island bans using, installing, or permitting the use or installation of an imaging device to capture, record, store, or transmit images of another person’s intimate areas without knowledge or consent, where they have a reasonable expectation of privacy, for sexual arousal or gratification. Disseminating or selling such images, and using a device to look into an occupied dwelling for the same purpose, are also covered.

Penalty

The statute sets a penalty of up to 3 years imprisonment and/or up to a $5,000 fine, but the text never labels this "misdemeanor" or "felony" — read the current statute rather than relying on a class name here.

This is general public information, not legal advice, verified against the statute text linked below as of this writing — legislatures amend these laws periodically (Florida renamed its own statute in 2024). If this matters for a real situation, read the current text yourself or talk to a lawyer: https://law.justia.com/codes/rhode-island/2022/title-11/chapter-11-64/section-11-64-2/. Separately, recording audio of a conversation is governed by a different law (wiretap/eavesdropping statutes, which vary by state on whether one party or all parties must consent) — this page covers image/video capture only.

If you've actually found something, the statute matters less than what you do next: read the six steps here.

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Other states

South DakotaSDCL § 22-21-4 (Use or Dissemination of Visual Recording or Photographic Device Without Consent) UtahUtah Code § 76-12-307 (Recorded or Photographed Voyeurism) Vermont13 V.S.A. § 2605 (Voyeurism) West VirginiaW. Va. Code § 61-8-28 (Criminal Invasion of Privacy) WyomingWyo. Stat. § 6-4-304 (Voyeurism; Penalties) CaliforniaPenal Code § 647(j) TexasPenal Code § 21.15 (Invasive Visual Recording) New YorkPenal Law § 250.45 (Unlawful Surveillance, Second Degree)