Law / United States / 
Rhode Island
Requiring consumers to furnish social security numbers
In force.
A sensitive categories rule binding public and private bodies.
- Obligation class
- Prohibition
- Audit expectation
- none
As of .
What it requires
- Unless federal law requires otherwise, do not require a consumer of goods or services to disclose all or part of a social security number incident to the sale of consumer goods or services, except that an insurance company or an institution licensed by the state or federal government for financial services may require applicants to disclose it, it may be required for providing and billing health care or pharmaceutical-related services, and it may be required as a condition of applying for a credit card (section 6-13-17(a)).
These lines are LexLint's reading of the law's text, as of .
If you get it wrong
Criminal exposureYes
Private right of actionYes
Criminal exposure note
Section 6-13-17(b): a person violating the section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, is fined not more than $500.
Who enforces it
Enforcement body
Rhode Island Attorney General, who has the duty to enforce and restrain violations of the sections of chapter 13 of title 6 (section 6-13-6).
Settledness
- As of
What this law does
Section 6-13-17(a) of the Rhode Island General Laws bars a person, unless federal law requires otherwise, from requiring a consumer of goods or services to disclose all or part of a social security number incident to the sale of consumer goods or services.
Section 6-13-17(a) of the Rhode Island General Laws allows insurance companies and institutions licensed by the state or federal government for financial services to require applicants to disclose a social security number, allows a number to be required for providing and billing health care or pharmaceutical-related services, and allows disclosure to be required as a condition of applying for a credit card.
Section 6-13-17(b) of the Rhode Island General Laws makes a person who violates the section guilty of a misdemeanor punishable on conviction by a fine of not more than $500. Section 6-13-17(c) of the Rhode Island General Laws lets a court in a civil action alleging a violation award a prevailing consumer damages, reasonable attorneys' fees and costs, and afford injunctive relief against a person or business that commits or proposes to commit a violation.
Section 6-13-6 of the Rhode Island General Laws makes it the duty of the attorney general to enforce and restrain violations of the sections of chapter 13 of title 6, and gives the superior court jurisdiction to enjoin an act the chapter forbids on the complaint of any person. Public Law 2011, chapter 57 (H 5202), enacted , amended sections 6-13-15, 6-13-17 and 6-13-19.
Section 6-13-17 of the Rhode Island General Laws was enacted by Public Law 1993, chapter 435, section 1, and its history note lists later amendments through Public Law 2014, chapter 528.
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