Gold Star Parents' Exemption — but Only in Fifteen Named Towns
Rhode Island gives the parent of a son or daughter who lost their life as a result of service a $3,000 exemption from assessed valuation. The catch is written into the statute: IT APPLIES ONLY IN FIFTEEN NAMED MUNICIPALITIES — Cranston, Warren, Cumberland, North Providence, Smithfield, Westerly, Barrington, Jamestown, Lincoln, West Warwick, Narragansett, Tiverton, Charlestown and others listed there. If your town is not on the list, this exemption does not reach you, however clearly you meet every other condition. On revaluation the adjustment preserves the same monetary saving as the previous bill.
Verified August 27, 2026
What this benefit is
Rhode Island gives the parent of a son or daughter who lost their life as a result of service a $3,000 exemption from assessed valuation. The catch is written into the statute: IT APPLIES ONLY IN FIFTEEN NAMED MUNICIPALITIES — Cranston, Warren, Cumberland, North Providence, Smithfield, Westerly, Barrington, Jamestown, Lincoln, West Warwick, Narragansett, Tiverton, Charlestown and others listed there. If your town is not on the list, this exemption does not reach you, however clearly you meet every other condition. On revaluation the adjustment preserves the same monetary saving as the previous bill.
What it's worth: $3,000 off assessed valuation, in fifteen named municipalities only
- $3,000 exemption from assessed valuation is the statutory base.
- IT APPLIES ONLY IN THE MUNICIPALITIES NAMED IN THE STATUTE — Cranston, Warren, Cumberland, North Providence, Smithfield, Westerly, Barrington, Jamestown, Lincoln, West Warwick, Narragansett, Tiverton and Charlestown among them, fifteen in all.
- If your town is not named, the exemption does not reach you.
- It runs to the PARENT of a son or daughter who lost their life as a result of service, death determined IN THE LINE OF DUTY.
- ON REVALUATION the adjustment preserves the same monetary saving as the prior tax bill, so it does not erode.
- The saving depends on your municipality's tax rate.
Who is entitled to it
- The servicemember died in the line of duty.
- This is the home you own.
- Rhode Island property.
Not sure whether that describes you?
Answer a few questions about this benefit specifically — we only ask what this one actually depends on, and we stop as soon as we know.
How to claim it
Deadline: By your municipality's filing deadline- 1Check first whether your municipality is one of the fifteen named in the statute. That decides everything else.
- 2If it is, apply to the city or town assessor with the documentation of the death in the line of duty.
- 3Ask the assessor to confirm the revaluation adjustment, so the saving is preserved when the town revalues.
- 4If your town is not named, ask your representative — the list is statutory and towns have been added to it over time.
- 5Rhode Island's §44-3-4 veteran exemptions are separate; check whether any of those apply to you as well.
- Form
- Application to your city or town assessor
- File with
- Your city or town assessor
- Annual
- Claimed once a year.
Sources
- authority · published policyRI Office of Veterans Services — property tax exemptions
- operating · published policyRhode Island Division of Taxation
This finder provides an informational match, not a government eligibility determination. The responsible agency decides your application.