(a)  Every person in any city or town who opens or keeps open any tavern, victualing house, cookshop, oyster house, or oyster cellar, without possessing a license obtained from the city or town council, or in any place other than that specified in that license, shall be fined fifty dollars ($50.00) for each offense, one-half (½) of that amount to the use of the city or town in which the offense has been committed and one-half (½) to the use of the state.

lawyer at desk

Ask a business law question, get an answer ASAP!
Thousands of highly rated, verified business lawyers.
Click here to chat with a lawyer about your rights.

Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 5-24-3

  • person: may be construed to extend to and include co-partnerships and bodies corporate and politic. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-6
  • town: may be construed to include city; the words "town council" include city council; the words "town clerk" include city clerk; the words "ward clerk" include clerk of election district; the words "town treasurer" include city treasurer; and the words "town sergeant" include city sergeant. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-9
  • town council: include city council; the words "town clerk" include city clerk; the words "ward clerk" include clerk of election district; the words "town treasurer" include city treasurer; and the words "town sergeant" include city sergeant. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-9

(b)  In addition to the fines enumerated above, the city of Pawtucket may close any unlicensed tavern, victualing house, cookshop, oyster house, or oyster cellar until the unlicensed tavern, victualing house, cookshop, oyster house, or oyster cellar obtains a license from the Pawtucket city council or the Pawtucket city council sitting as the Pawtucket board of license commissioners.

History of Section.
G.L. 1896, ch. 101, § 3; G.L. 1909, ch. 122, § 3; G.L. 1923, ch. 126, § 3; G.L. 1938, ch. 361, § 3; G.L. 1956, § 5-24-3; P.L. 2012, ch. 58, § 1; P.L. 2012, ch. 60, § 1.