R.I. Gen. Laws § 3-5-17

Before granting a license to any person under the provisions of this chapter and title, the board, body or official to whom application for the license is made, shall give notice by advertisement published once a week for at least two (2) weeks in some newspaper published in the city or town where the applicant proposes to carry on business, or, if there is no newspaper published in a city or town, then in some newspaper having a general circulation in the city or town. Applications for retailer€™s Class F, P and Class G licenses need not be advertised. The advertisement shall contain the name of the applicant and a description by street and number or other plain designation of the particular location for which the license is requested. Notice of the application shall also be given, by mail, to all owners of property within two hundred feet (200€²) of the place of business seeking the application. The notice shall be given by the board, body or official to whom the application is made, and the cost of the application shall be borne by the applicant. The notices shall state that remonstrants are entitled to be heard before the granting of the license, and shall name the time and place of the hearing. At the time and place a fair opportunity shall be granted the remonstrants to make their objections before acting upon the application; provided that no advertisement or notice need be given pursuant to this section when a license holder applies for a temporary seasonal expansion of an existing liquor license.