Governor Lincoln Chafee signed the bill - shortly after the final approval of the measure by the state's lawmakers.
Hundreds of gay rights activists celebrated the move outside the Statehouse in the capital, Providence, by holding a victory party.
The first weddings are due to take place on 1 August when the law takes effect. The Catholic Church in the state opposed the bill.
"Now, at long last, you are free to marry the person that you love," Gov Chafee told the cheering crowds after signing the bill.
The legislation states that religious institutions may set their own rules for whom they deem eligible to marry.
It also specifies that no religious leader is obligated to perform any marriage ceremony.
Rhode Island is the last state in the New England region to allow gay marriage.
Polls have shown a rapid rise in support for same-sex marriage in the US, and President Barack Obama and most US Senate Democrats now back same-sex marriage.
Source: BBC
Related stories:
1. France legalizes gay marriage
2. New Zealand legalises same-sex marriage 5/03/2013
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