Traffic Offences in Rhode Island

Prior to 1975, all traffic offenses in Rhode Island, except for parking tickets, were classified as misdemeanors and felonies, and prosecuted in the District Court. This changed with the establishment of the Administrative Adjudication Division, and the decriminalization of most traffic offenses.  Most traffic offenses became “civil violations.”  In 1992, the Administrative Adjudicative Court replaced the Administrative Adjudication Division.

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Today, traffic court is conducted under the authority of the Traffic Tribunal, which was established by the Rhode Island Traffic Safety and Accountability Act of 1999 and R I. Gen. Laws 8-8-8.2. The Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal is located at 670 New London Avenue, Cranston, Rhode Island.  The Traffic Tribunal has two satellite locations.  One is located at Woonsocket City Hall, Main Street, Woonsocket, RI 02895, and the other is located at the Oliver Stedman Government Center, 4800 Tower Hill Road, Wakefield, RI. 

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Traffic court is a term that refers to a specialized judicial process for handling traffic ticket cases.  In Rhode Island, this process is handled at one of the Traffic Tribunal locations or by a municipal court.  This will be specified on the traffic citation.