Rhode Island General Laws Title 5. Businesses and Professions § 5-65-19. Penalty for operating without a registration--Failure to comply with a final order or decision--Repeat offenses

(1) Any person who fails to register as a contractor as adjudged in a final order issued by the board, upon proper written notification, is deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be imprisoned for a term not exceeding one year, fined not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), or both, for a first or second offense. A third or subsequent violation of this chapter by a person for failure to register as a contractor is deemed a felony and, upon conviction, the violator shall be imprisoned for a term not exceeding two (2) years, fined not more than two thousand dollars ($2,000), or both.

(2) Any person who violates a final order of the board where the monetary total of the order is not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000), upon proper written notification, is deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction, shall be imprisoned for a term not exceeding one year, fined not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), or both.

(3) Any person who violates a final order of the board where the monetary total of the order is five thousand dollars ($5,000) or more, upon written notification, is deemed guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, shall be imprisoned for a term not exceeding ten (10) years, fined not more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or both.

(4) In addition to any sentence or fine imposed by the court under subsections (1), (2), and (3), the court shall order a defendant to comply with any outstanding final order or decision of the board or office, including payment of any outstanding fine or fines previously imposed by the board or office pursuant to this chapter.

(5) If by final orders or decisions of the board or office a contractor is found to have committed violations of this chapter with respect to three (3) or more separate contracts with three (3) separate individuals/aggrieved parties and the violations occurred within a twenty-four-month (24) period, the violations shall be deemed and prosecuted as a felony and upon conviction the violator shall be subject to imprisonment for a term not to exceed ten (10) years or fined not more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000).