Support Rhode Island

[kydecker]

Rhode Island

• Birth Certificate
• BCI
  • Needs to be notarized
• Proof of Residency
  • Lease
  • Utility Bill
• Name Change Petition
  • Needs to be notarized
• Bring to probate court or superior court
  • Normally court date within about 2 weeks
  • Do have to appear in person
• Mostly easy
  • Even for folks with probation or record
• One judge is extremely transphobic
• When is Probate Court open?
• Have to go to court in the city you reside in
• Pawtucket specifically you have to fill out one other form “Entry of appearance”
• Name changes generally in the morning
• Sealing name change request: may take longer
  • Most don’t opt for it
  • Concern when domestic violence is a factor
• No publication requirements
• Organizations?
  • No specific ones
  • Jinwoo Pang
    • Org primarily focuses on substance abuse, sex work, homelessness
• In Rhode Island, in most cities you need to mail out and receive your own background check
  • Rhode Island website isn’t intuitive
  • State Background Check = “BCI”
  • Only take checks or money orders
• First step: getting background check, getting birth certificate
  • Takes around 3 weeks
  • In-person can generally happen same-day, but often not accessible to people
  • Most people mail it out

Do you have FAQ or other written guide you normally share?

• Link with all forms in one place, zine, checklist: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1QI4NVqFEJdWojgD9UZ__veYzJx9dHeUW

Different court / flow if you have a record

• No record: probate court (clearer, simpler petition)
• Record or on probation: superior court (general petition)

Superior court has indigency forms

Probate court maybe not?

Costs around $40-50

Superior court is $130

Two copies of decree, extra copies of decree