R.I. Gen. Laws ch. 34-18 § 34-18-60
Sealing and unsealing of court files
Operative Text
(a) Actions arising under §§ 34-18-35, 34-18-36, and 34-18-38 may be sealed by the court upon motion by any party or parties filed at least thirty (30) days after the expiration of the appeal period following the conclusion of the underlying civil action. (b) In ruling on the motion to seal, the court shall grant the motion and seal the record of the civil action upon a finding that the underlying civil action was dismissed as a result of a motion to dismiss, the action was resolved by stipulation and the terms of the stipulation have been satisfied by the parties, any monetary judgment against the moving party has been satisfied in full, or the action has been dismissed for lack of prosecution after a five-year (5) period. The court shall also make a finding that the moving party notified all parties to the underlying civil action of their motion to seal the record and that motion is the only request made under this section by the moving party within the previous five (5) years. (c) Any party to an action arising under §§ 34-18-35, 34-18-36, and 34-18-38 may file a motion to seal the record of the action upon satisfaction of the requirements set forth in subsections (a) and (b) of this section. Parties requesting seal of their record under this section are limited to one request every five (5) years.
Section 34-18-60 of Rhode Island's Residential Landlord and Tenant Act establishes a process by which court records from certain eviction-related civil actions can be sealed. A court may grant a sealing motion when specific conditions are met — such as the case being dismissed, a settlement being fully satisfied, or a judgment being paid in full — and only after a waiting period following the end of the appeal window. Each party is limited to one sealing request every five years, and all other parties to the original action must be notified of the motion.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § 34-18-60, landlords who were parties to civil actions brought under the referenced sections may be eligible to seek sealing of those court records once the applicable conditions are satisfied, including full satisfaction of any monetary judgment and the passage of at least 30 days after the appeal period closes. Compliant operators generally document the resolution of the underlying action — whether by dismissal, stipulation, or judgment satisfaction — to support a future sealing motion. Because the statute limits each party to one request every five years, property managers typically track prior sealing requests carefully before filing.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 34-18-60 gives tenants who were parties to covered civil actions the right to petition the court to seal those records, which can be significant for rental history and background checks. A tenant may file a motion to seal once the case has been resolved in one of the qualifying ways — such as a dismissal or a fully satisfied stipulation — and after the required waiting period has passed. Tenants interested in pursuing this option may benefit from consulting a tenant-rights organization or legal aid provider familiar with Rhode Island housing law to understand whether their specific case history meets the statutory criteria.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 15, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References In
Rules and statutes that cite this regulation