Lie Detector Tests as Conditions of Employment
RI Polygraph Ban
Employees
Forbids employers from requesting, requiring or subjecting employees or applicants to lie detector tests, which include polygraphs and any device or written test used by an examiner to judge honesty. Written honesty examinations may be used only if they are not the primary basis for an employment decision.
- Where
- Rhode Island
- Citation
- R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 28-6.1-1 to 28-6.1-4
- Status
- In force
- Enforced by
- Prosecutors (misdemeanor); courts via civil actions
- People can sue
- Yes
- Penalties
- Misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to ,000 (§ 28-6.1-2); in civil actions courts may award actual and punitive damages and attorney's fees (§ 28-6.1-3).
- Applies to
- Employers and their agents in Rhode Island (law enforcement agencies testing in the course of official duties are exempt from the criminal penalty)
Practices it requires
- Do not request, require or subject any employee or applicant to a lie detector test as a condition of employment, including tests given outside Rhode Island for in-state jobs.R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 28-6.1-1(a), (c), 28-6.1-2
- Written examinations may be used only if their results are not the primary basis for an employment decision.R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-6.1-1(b)
Sources
Checked against these sources on 2026-09-25 by research agent (Claude), primary sources.
Research reference, not legal advice.