RI Department of Business Regulation: Essential & NonEssential retail Businesses

Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation

​In accordance with Governor Raimondo’s March 28, 2020 executive order, the Department of
Business Regulation is providing the following list of critical and non-critical retail businesses.
For questions on these guidelines, please submit your questions online to the Department of
Business Regulation using the web form available at https://dbr.ri.gov/critical/. You may also call
the Department of Business Regulation at 401-889-5550.

Critical retail businesses include:
- Food and beverage stores (e.g. supermarkets; liquor, specialty food, bodega and
convenience stores; farmers’ markets; food banks and pantries)
- Pharmacies and medical supply stores, compassion centers
- Pet supply stores
- Printing shops, mail and delivery stores and operations, office supply
- Gas stations
- Laundromats
- Electronics and telecommunications stores
- Industrial, construction, agricultural/seafood equipment and supply stores, hardware
stores, general power equipment
- Funeral homes
- Auto repair and supply
- Banks and credit unions
- Firearms stores
- Healthcare and public safety professional uniform stores
- And other stores and businesses identified as critical by the Department of Business
Regulation.

​Non-critical retail businesses include:
- Arts & crafts stores
- Florists
- Furniture stores (by appointment only)
- Car and other motor vehicle dealerships (except for auto repair and by appointment only)
- Music stores
- Billiard stores
- Sporting goods stores
- Home furnishings stores
- Lawn/garden supply stores (note that agricultural/seafood supply would be allowed to be
open)
- Book stores
- Departments stores
- Gift stores
- Beauty supply stores
- Second-hand/consignment stores
- Shoe stores
- Clothing stores
- Jewelry stores

Additional guidance:
- Restaurants and bars may continue to operate only for pickup, drive-through, and
delivery as per the Governor’s Executive Order 20-04.
- All critical retail employers are required to implement social distancing and to work from
home to the extent possible.
- Financial services offered by pawn shops and payday lenders would be allowed to
continue. In-person retail at pawn shops would be considered non-critical and closed.
- For stores that are mixed retail and service, general retail with customers coming in and
out of your store is not permitted.
- For non-critical retail stores, although in-person retail sales are not allowed, retailers may
continue to receive and ship orders made by phone or online.