---
title: "What is a certification hearing in Rhode Island juvenile court?"
description: "A certification hearing is how the Attorney General asks the Rhode Island Family Court to keep a juvenile felony case but allow a sentence longer than the court's normal limit of age 19. Under R.I...."
url: https://www.chadbanklaw.com/faq-items/what-is-a-certification-hearing-in-rhode-island-juvenile-court/
date: 2026-10-20
modified: 2026-10-20
author: "The Law Office of Chad F Bank"
type: avada_faq
lang: en
---

# What is a certification hearing in Rhode Island juvenile court?

A certification hearing is how the Attorney General asks the Rhode Island Family Court to keep a juvenile felony case but allow a sentence longer than the court's normal limit of age 19. Under R.I. Gen. Laws § 14-1-7.2, the state must prove probable cause, that the youth's history or the nature of the offense makes certification necessary to protect the public, and that the time left before 19 is likely too short for rehabilitation. A certified juvenile gets a jury trial. If convicted, the sentence can run past 19, up to the adult maximum, with the balance served at the adult prison, and the youth's name becomes public. A youth 16 or older found delinquent of two indictable offenses committed after turning 16 must be certified. The motion has to be filed within 30 days of arraignment, so early defense work matters.