Frequently Asked Questions

Click here to register online for a program with the South Kingstown Parks & Recreation Department. If you do not have a CivicRec user account set up, you will need to set your account before you can register.  

You can also register in person at the Neighborhood Guild, 325 Columbia Street in Peace Dale.  We accept Mastercard, Visa, or Discover in-house and If you have any questions, call us at 401-789-9301. 

Program payments are due at the time you register for a program. Payment can be made in the form of credit card (Mastercard, Visa, Discover), personal check or cash.

Financial aid is available to South Kingstown youth who qualify for the free or reduced meal program through the South Kingstown school department. For interested youth and adults please call 401-789-9301 and speak to Lenka Capek. We will be glad to assist you.

If a program is cancelled due to insufficient registration you will be notified prior to the start of the class. If the program needs to be cancelled or postponed due to instructor illness or an unrelated weather problem, you will be notified by phone. Due to the volume of phone calls, we can’t call you if a program is cancelled due to the weather. You are welcome to call us at 401-789-9301 to find out if your class is cancelled due to the weather. Weather cancellations are posted on the Town’s website and Parks and Recreation Facebook page. In addition, softball and youth basketball game cancellations are posted on QuickScores.

Our refund policy is printed in each of our seasonal brochures. Brochures are also available at the Town Hall, The Center, local libraries and at various retail stores located throughout the community.

Park facilities may be reserved online.   For questions or assistance, please contact Noelle Brousseau at 789-9301 ext. 3102.  For Rec Center rentals, contact Steve Gurenberg at 284-1975 ext. 3302.

The summer brochure is typically available the week before Memorial Day.

The Town of South Kingstown participates in a Vendor E-mail Notification System with other RI Municipalities. The system allows vendors who register to be notified by E-mail of upcoming bid solicitations. After registering on-line, bid specifications are available for download and printing. When registering online, vendors will be required to supply contact information prior to viewing/downloading specifications so they can be notified of any addendums or modifications to the specifications prior to the bid opening. Vendors may register here.

The bid results are posted to the Bidder Notification System within 3 business days after the bid opening.

The Town’s bid specifications include information specific to each project/purchase. Generally, bids must be delivered to the Town in a sealed envelope that is clearly marked with the bid title information and must be submitted to the Office of the

Procurement Administrator

Finance Department

180 High Street

Wakefield

RI 02879

Unless otherwise noted in the specifications.

To see current job postings, please visit us online.

The Town has many different types of positions - full time, part time, seasonal, temporary, and per diem. Different departments have different needs, some hiring seasonal employees each year, others have only full time employees, and others have a variety of position types. Please check the Employment Opportunities page frequently.

Current employees of the Town of South Kingstown, whether full time, part time, seasonal, temporary, or per diem, should follow the same process an external applicant would in applying for a position. Please submit a cover letter, resume, and application, and follow the instructions within the posting. Within the employment application, please check Yes when asked if you have ever worked for the Town, and indicate when (currently) and what department (provide the name of your department/division).

The Town's employment application is available online. Hard copies can be obtained at Town Hall from the Personnel Office on the 2nd floor, and in the Town Hall lobby.

The Town now only accepts electronic applications through our online portal.  Please note the following when applying:

• If you have not applied for a job with the Town of South Kingstown through the online portal in the past, you will need to sign up for an account by clicking on the job you wish to apply for and following the instructions to create an account.  You will need to create and username and password for the account.  
• Once you create an account, you can log in to apply for any job listed in the portal.  Your information and applications will be saved in the event you apply for other positions with the Town in the future. 
• If you are an existing employee and already have credentials to access the Munis Employee Self Serve system please log in using by clicking on the "already an employee?" Log in link at the bottom of the Applicant Login page.
• You will have the opportunity to attach a cover letter, resume, and other supporting materials after you have completed all application fields.  
• It is strongly recommended that applicants provide a cover letter and resume, in addition to the employment application. 

If you have difficulty viewing the online application portal, creating credentials, or logging into the portal:

• Try a different browser and/or refresh your browser page. 
• Contact the South Kingstown Personnel Office at hr@southkingstownri.gov or call 401-789-9331 X 1237 or X1238.  Normal business hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  

If you do not have access to a personal computer, tablet or phone and would like to complete an application for employment, please contact the Personnel Division using one of the options above to discuss options for computer access or alternate application methods.  

Based on the Town's security protocols, we cannot access documents shared via Google Drive or other cloud based shared drives.  When applying by email, please attach your application materials as a PDF. 

If you submitted your application materials via email to hr@southkingstownri.gov, you will receive an automated email response confirming receipt.

If you mailed or hand delivered your application materials, and provided an email address within your application materials, you will receive an email response confirming receipt typically within 48 hours of submission.

If you mailed or hand delivered your application materials and did not provide an email address, a postcard will be sent to your mailing address confirming receipt.

Once an application is received, it is shared with the hiring manager for review. Some positions are open until filled, others have a defined closing date. Following the review of applications, potential candidates are identified and invited for an interview.

The Town conducts a background check on all potential employees, full time, part time, seasonal, temporary, and per diem. All employment offers are contingent upon completing a successful background check.

When positions become available within the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Department, the Town conducts periodic recruitments in order to determine an eligibility list for full time and per diem job openings. The Town will provide notice of the recruitment the same way the Town advertises other job postings. Applicants for full time positions must have a valid RI Paramedic license at time of appointment. Applicants for Per Diem positions must have a valid RI Paramedic or EMT-Cardiac license at time of appointment. Along with the recruitment posting, the Town will post further detail regarding the recruitment and application process, which includes written, physical agility, and scenario-based assessments, as well as a thorough background check and pre-placement health screening.

When preparing for your interview, please feel free to peruse our website, reviewing the respective department pages, FAQs, the agendas and minutes for recent Town Council and other boards and commission meetings, and any other information shared within the site that is of interest to you. We also recommend reviewing recent publications, including the Town's most recent Annual Report, the most recent municipal budget, and any other Town documents of interest to you.

When your Real Estate taxes are escrowed as part of your mortgage, your lender will retrieve your tax information directly from the Town. If you have questions as to whether or not a lender will me making a tax payment on your behalf, you should contact your lending institution or mortgage service provider directly. Effective July 2025, the Tax Collector's Office will send out hard-copy tax bills to all taxpayers. If your taxes are paid as part of escrow, your lender will continue to self-retrieve your tax information; the printed bill is being sent to you as a reference for your convenience. 

Real Estate taxes are assessed to the owner of record as of December 31st of each year for the current calendar year. As a result, the hard copy of the tax roll will always display, in printed form, the owner of record as of December 31^st of the prior year, regardless of changes in ownership. Although your name may not be printed on the hard copy of your property’s current tax bill, your new ownership has been recorded accordingly in all property databases, and will be reflected in the printing of the upcoming tax roll.

You can view the ownership record on your property using the Assessor’s Database. 

Any effective grace period is established in the annual Tax Resolution, as enacted by the Town Council.

The 2025 Tax Resolutions state, in part:

“If the first installment or any succeeding installment of taxes is not paid prior to the first (1st) day of the next calendar month following the last date of the respective installment period or periods as they occur, then the whole tax or remaining unpaid balance of the tax as the case may be, shall immediately become due and payable and shall carry until collected a penalty at the rate of twelve percent (12%) per annum from August 1, 2025 for real and personal property taxes, and motor vehicle excise tax as allowed by the laws of the State of Rhode Island.  Upon payment of any and all delinquent quarterly installments together with interest accrued on the full unpaid balance of the tax, the right to pay the remaining taxes on the installment basis will be reinstated.”

To view the full 2025 Tax Resolutions, click here. 

Quarter 1 – Due August 1 (Delinquent after August 31)

Quarter 2 – Due November 1 (Delinquent after November 30)

Quarter 3 – Due February 1 (Delinquent after February 28)

Quarter 4 – Due May 1 (Delinquent after May 31) 

A late notice is generated in an automation if any tax or sewer payment installment is past-due after the conclusion of a grace period. Once an installment is past-due and an account transitions into a delinquent status, the full remaining balance on the account is listed as due on any late notice correspondence. If you believe that you have received a late notice in error, please do not ignore the notice – we strongly encourage you to contact the Tax Collector’s office for assistance. 

If you choose to mail a payment, the Tax Collector’s office will honor a postmark in consideration of timeliness. The postmark must be from the United States postal service; we will not honor the purchase-date of self-applied postage. If you intend to mail payment and you are concerned about meeting a deadline, we encourage you to bring your envelope to the post office and have the envelope postmarked in-person; if you leave an envelope in your local mailbox, there is no guarantee that the post office will stamp the postmark in same-day processing. 

The Tax Collector’s office can accept Real Estate, Motor Vehicle, Tangible taxes, and utility payments via credit or debit card. Taxpayers have the option to pay their tax bills by major credit card (MasterCard, Visa, or Discover), or by debit card with the Visa or MasterCard logo.

Card-based payments may be made in-person or online. Online transactions require the payee to know the unique correlating account number for a given account, information which is located at the top of the every tax bill and utility bill. To pay online, please click here. 

Many merchants accepting credit or debit cards are willing to pay the fees charged by credit card companies in order to provide that service to its customers. As a municipality, we do not have the option of paying those fees since we must collect the full amount of the tax bill. Therefore, when a taxpayer uses a credit card, the fees must be charged over and above the amount of the bill being paid.

A convenience fee is charged for processing each debit or credit card transaction as payment to a third party credit card processing service provider for accepting and processing the payment. The fee also covers the cost of the operation of a system for accepting card-based payments. This convenience fee is charged directly to the taxpayer as a separate charge on their cardholder statement. The fee amounts to 3% of the payment amount or a minimum of $2.00. No part of the convenience fee is paid to the Town of South Kingstown. 

The 2025 Real Estate (both residential and commercial) tax rate is $8.94 per thousand of assessed value, and the Tangible/Personal Property tax rate is $11.05 per thousand of assessed value.

Retail and Wholesale Inventory is exempt from assessment as of December 31, 2006. 

Please visit our Background Checks page.

I you have a complaint regarding a recent interaction with the Town's Police Department, please submit a

Residents of Narragansett and South Kingstown have the option of contracting with a private hauler or taking their trash and recyclables to the Rose Hill Regional Transfer Station (RHRTS) located at 163 Rose Hill Road, Peace Dale, RI  02883. For each bag of trash you generate and bring to the RHRTS, place a "tag" on the bag prior to disposal. "Tags" are sold in lots of 5 and may be purchased at South Kingstown Town Hall or the RHRTS. 

The RHRTS is located at 163 Rose Hill Road in Peace Dale one-half mile north of Saugatucket Road (minutes from the center of Wakefield). Hours are 7 a.m. - 3 p.m., Monday through Saturday (closed holidays). Please call 401-783-4554 for more information.

Holiday Schedule

The Rose Hill Regional Transfer Station is closed the following observed holidays:

-New Year’s Day

-Martin Luther King Day

-Memorial Day

-Juneteenth

-Independence Day

-Victory Day

-Labor Day

-Columbus Day

-Veteran’s Day

-Thanksgiving Day

-Christmas Day

There are two ways to dispose of leaves and yard waste:

1. You can purchase Yard Waste "tags" to dispose of leaves and grass clippings in your brown paper yard waste bags. Yard waste bags can be brought to the RHRTS for disposal. Yard waste tags can be purchased at the South Kingstown Town Hall or at the RHRTS.

2. You can take miscellaneous yard waste over the scale at RHRTS and pay 3.5¢ per pound (there's a $5 minimum).

Get the

No, but you will need to adhere tags on your trash and yard waste. Tags can be purchased at the RHRTS Scale House or at South Kingstown Town Hall. 

When you drive into the RHRTS, pull up to the left side of the scale house. The attendant will weigh your vehicle full and then have you drive to the windows to unload your items. After you remove your items, you'll drive back over the scale to be weighed empty. You'll be charged by the pound for the difference ($5 minimum charge). Make sure to have proof of residency (ID, Utility Bill, Insurance, etc). 

Cash and debit or credit cards are accepted for payment. Checks are no longer accepted for payment.

Rose Hill Regional Transfer Station is open to residences of South Kingstown and Narragansett. All users of the transfer station bagged waste area must be prepared to show proof of residence at all times. 

For bulky waste, mattresses, propane tanks and other items disposed of for a fee, proof-of-residence must be provided to receive the residential rate. If sufficient proof is not provided, customer will be charged commercial rates. 

Examples of acceptable Proof of Residence include: Driver's License with South Kingstown or Narragansett address, Utility Bill, Tax Bill, Home or Renter's Insurance Bill, Vehicle Registration, Rental Agreement. These items can be displayed on a phone if hard copy is not available. 

Please complete the Town's Adoption Application, and contact the Animal Shelter for further details. Note that all applicants are carefully screened.

See our animals available for adoption on our Petfinder page.

At this time the South Kingstown Animal Shelter is not accepting volunteers.

Payments & donations are accepted in cash, checks or money orders can be made payable to the Town of South Kingstown.

Yes, the Town offers spay/neuter assistance program for qualifying residents. For more information, to access applications, or to see if you are eligible for program participation, please review the Spay Neuter Assistance Program information on the

The Pets for Patriots Program works with nationwide partners including shelter and veterinary networks, military and veteran organizations, and the public to end animal homelessness in the US and give military veterans and their families the greatest “thank you” of all: the love of a companion dog or cat. Pets for Patriots values the lives of both the most vulnerable and heroic among us.

Veteran benefits: 

• Receive discounts or other specials when you adopt from a Pets for Patriots shelter partner

• Save on your new Pats for Patriots pet’s ongoing medical care with discounted fees from a Pets for Patriots veterinary partners

• Enjoy Pets for Patriots-only savings on everyday supplies, pet insurance, food and more

• Receive a $150 ‘welcome home’ gift card to help start life with your new Pets for Patriots pet

• Get the unconditional love of a companion dog or cat

For your lot to be conforming it must meet the minimum lot area and the minimum width as shown in the Table of Conforming Dimensional Regulations as indicated on Link 1. 

If you have the area but not the width you will still use the table of Dimensional Regulations to calculate your setbacks and coverage as indicated on Link 1.

If your lot does not have the minimum required lot area you will use the Non-Conforming table formulas as indicated on Link 2.

Link 1: Conforming Dimensional Regulations

Link 2: Non-Conforming Dimensional Regulations

To determine what Zoning District your property is located see Link 3, then enter your address, then click on layers (top right icon) then scroll down and click on Zoning

Link 3: WEB GIS

Rhode Island Dept. of Environmental Management (DEM), Office of Water Resources has an online septic permit search from 1968 to current. 

Link: Septic System Search RI DEM

If the house was built after 2016 our office may have the records electronically stored. 

Click the link below then enter your address in the search bar:

https://msc.fema.gov/portal/home

As of December 1, 2025, building permits are required for any accessory structure 64 square feet or greater in floor area.  All sheds, regardless of size, must meet the required zoning setbacks for the specific lot.

The link below will direct you to RI DEM Water Resource Division: 

RI DEM DOCK FACT SHEET

Yes, a building permit, site plan and structural detail, along with an electrical permit will be required for any pool the can hold 24” or more of water is required. Additionally any pool under 48” in height requires perimeter fencing and may depending on site conditions require additional safety measures. 

All pools must be located at least 10’ from any property lines. If property is serviced by a septic system, documentation of septic location must be provided. 

For in ground pools only: depending on the amount of ground disturbance a Soil Erosion and Sediment Control (SERCS) permit may need to applied for through the Department of Public Service.

Yes, for overlay or strip and replace, however the code limits roof overlay to a maximum of two layers total.

Yes, a Building Permit is required. Additionally, an Electrical Permit will also be required for removal/attachment of the electric meter.

Yes, a building permit, framing plan and site plan are required regardless of if the deck is remaining the same size or changing size.

Yes. The guard railings will need to comply with current code.

Yes, replacement windows require a building permit. 

No, a building permit will only be required if you alter (add or remove) an existing wall, in which case all necessary engineering will need to be submitted with the building permit.

Plumbing and electrical permits may be needed if you are adding new electrical or relocating plumbing.

Yes, the type of window required is classified by what wind zone you are in either 110 mph or 120 mph.

Please call the office for a determination 401-789-9331 x 1225

Yes, a building permit, framing plan and floor plan are required.  Additionally you may also need electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits depending on the scope of work.

No, whether tile, hardwood, vinyl or laminate no permit is needed.

Yes, a building permit with site plan and structural detail are required. 

Additionally, depending on the amount of ground disturbance a Soil Erosion and Sediment Control (SERCS) permit may need to applied for through the Department of Public Service.

Yes, a sign permit will be required.

RI General Law 23-27.3-113.3.2 requires a contractor to be registered prior to the approval of a permit issued for work that requires a permit.

RI General Law 23-27.3-113.31 requires a person to be licensed prior to the approval of a permit issued for work that requires a permit for plumbing, mechanical, electrical, and fire alarm work.

Both sections of the RI General Law have a provision that the owner/occupant of a single family dwelling may obtain permits for all work being completed by them on their residence without the need for a contractors registration or professional trade license.

You may visit the record search option here OpenGov Rental Registration and enter the address you are inquiring about into the search bar.

Mold Many residents complain about mold in their homes. No recognized federal, state, or local health agency has created a standard for acceptable and unacceptable levels of mold inside a building. Consistent mold growth can be indicative of moisture issues resulting from plumbing or other leaks in the home.  Inspectors address any active sources of moisture (roof and plumbing leaks, bathroom and laundry humidity, and venting problems), but can only address the presence of mold as a general sanitation issue.  It is up to residents to clean up existing mold colonies or negotiate with property owners over their removal. The RI Department of Health provides education on mold and supplies this informational pamphlet. Testing for the presence of mold is not recommended by the Health Department.

How to Apply to the Zoning Board of Review

Ten (10) signed applications, Ten (10) signed and notarized owner authorization forms, Ten (10) site plans clearly showing area of work, One (1) 200’ Radius Plans & One (1) 200’ Abutter’s List, Ten (10) of any other relevant information (Elevations, OWTS, CRMC, etc…), a check made payable to the Town of South Kingstown in the appropriate amount.

• $175.00 Residential
• $250.00 Commercial
• $300.00 Multi-Family

Generally, it takes one to two months after filling to appear before the board.

The entire process from start to finish takes roughly 3 months.

The Chair will call the petition and invite the applicant to come forward. All parties will be sworn in and the owner or the representative of the owner will present the petition. After the applicant has given all testimony the Chair will ask if there is anyone present who wishes to speak in regards to petition. After all testimony has been heard the Board will deliberate and render a verbal decision.

The decision of the Board on every petition or appeal shall be in written form and shall include the reasons for the decision, findings of fact, and any special conditions attached thereto. The decision shall be filed in the Town of South Kingstown’s Land Evidence within forty-five (45) days of the Board’s vote, and shall be open to public inspection. Notice of such decision shall be mailed to the applicant. An aggrieved party may appeal a decision of the board to the Superior Court for Washington County by filing a complaint setting forth the reasons of appeal within twenty (20) days after such decision has been filed and posted with the town clerk.

Where the board denies a request for a special use permit, variance or otherwise rules against the applicant on other than procedural grounds, the board may not consider another application requesting any or all of the same changes for a period of one (1) year from the date of such denial or withdrawal (or from the date of final court action if the decision has been appealed) except: (a) where ordered to do so on remand by a court of competent jurisdiction, or (b) where the application is accompanied by an affidavit setting forth facts, to the satisfaction of said board, showing a substantial change of circumstances justifying a rehearing.

Any variance or special use permit granted or authorized by the Board shall expire one (1) year after the date of the filing of the decision in the office of the Town Clerk, unless the applicant shall, within one (1) year, obtain a legal building permit and proceed with the construction, or obtain a certificate of occupancy when no legal building permit is required. If application is made prior to the expiration of the initial one-year period, the board may, upon written request and for cause shown, renew the variance or special use permit for a second one-year period. Said request for an extension need not be advertised nor noticed.

Further extension for cause. Should an applicant fail to begin construction with a legal building permit, or obtain a certificate of occupancy within the second one-year period, the board may upon written request filed prior to the expiration of the second one-year period, renew the variance or special use permit for a third one-year period provided that the applicant can demonstrate due diligence in proceeding and substantial financial commitment in promoting the subject of the variance or special use permit since the date of the filing of the resolution. Notice shall be given in accordance with section 906 and a hearing shall be held on the request.

The Rec Center is located at 30 St. Dominic Road across from the Senior Center. The main office phone number is 284-1975

Hours vary by season.

Please click on the Weekly Schedule to find current hours.

Non-residents are welcome to attend drop-in programs and will be charged a non-resident rate. If you are registered for a particular program, the registration fee covers the use of the facility.  

Drop-In Programs - $6

Open Programs - $4

Fitness Room - $4

Track - $1

Punch Cards for 20 visits are also available at a reduced daily rate.

The Recreation Gymnasium Schedule is updated and posted every Friday for the following week.  You can find copies at the front desk, on our Facebook page or right on the website using the following link: www.southkingstownri.com/210/reccenter.  You can also contact the Rec Center at 401-284-1975, we love to hear from you!  Remember, schedules are always subject to change. 

Moving the property line between two existing lots or parcels is called an Administrative Subdivision.  Administrative Subdivisions require application to the Planning Department and are reviewed and approved by the Administrative Officer of the Planning Board.  Click here for more information about the Administrative Subdivision review process.

Lot mergers are considered Administrative Subdivisions.  Administrative Subdivisions require application to the Planning Department and are reviewed and approved by the Administrative Officer of the Planning Board.  Click here for more information about the Administrative Subdivision review process.

There are three types of subdivision allowed in Rhode Island: Administrative, Minor, and Major.  An Administrative Subdivision is one in which no new lots are created for development.  A Minor Subdivision results in 5 or fewer lots, and a Major Subdivision results in 6 or more lots.  All subdivisions require application to the Planning Department, and the review process is dependent on the type of subdivision requested.  More information on the three types of subdivision, and the respective review processes, can be found here.

The review process for a development project depends on the size and scale of the proposal.  More information on the different project types, as well as information about the respective review processes, can be found here.

The Town maintains an interactive AxisGIS, which you can use to look up information relative to any property in South Kingstown.  Call Tracey Owens at (401) 789-9311 x1249 with any questions.

Call the Planning Department at (401) 789-9331 x1244 to order any of the Town’s existing maps, including tax maps.

Visit the Town Clerk's office to order and pay for recorded plat maps and plans.  Once paid, bring the receipt form to the Planning Department to pick up your print.

You may visit the record search option OpenGov Rental Registration and enter the address you are inquiring about into the search bar.

No. Once issued, a registration is not transferable to subsequent property owner(s).

Pursuant to Zoning Ordinance, Article 5.5, adopted by the Town Council, all rental dwellings/units must be registered annually with the Zoning Official.

The Rental Registration ordinance was adopted on October 14, 2025.

A Short-Term Rental is defined as offering a property for transient lodging for 30 days or less

Rental dwellings/units owned by the South Kingstown Housing Authority and rental units that are deed restricted as affordable housing are exempt from the registration fee.

No, currently the ordinance does not require the registration to be posted.

The enforcement staff will be investigating properties who have failed to register. Property owners found in violation of the ordinance will be subject to fine and potential court summons.

The registration fees are as follows:

1. $300.00 per unit for rentals of 30 days or less
2. $50.00 per unit for rentals over 30 days, but not to exceed a total of $1,000.00 (20 units) for any one property owner.