Stop and Identify States 2024

Each state in the United States has its own specific set of laws, which address everything from whether marijuana is legal or whether the state endorses the death penalty to whether one may legally adopt an axolotl. Each state's legal approach to fighting crime is unique, and some state governments have enacted "stop and identify" statutes.

What does "stop and identify" mean? It's a simple concept. In states where this statute is enacted, a person suspected of committing a crime is legally obligated to identify themselves to authorities.

In states without Stop and Identify laws, a person is not legally required to show their ID to police officers. Even in states with a Stop and Identify statute, a person is not required to provide identification without a reasonable belief that: a crime has been committed, a crime is currently being committed, or a crime was committed. The specifics of when the law applies often varies by state.

If a police officer does have reason to believe a person may have violated the law, that officer may require that person to identify themselves and may temporarily detain them and conduct a patdown if it is believed that they are carrying a weapon. However, unreasonable searches and seizures are banned, and a warrant must be issued after showing probable cause to conduct searches of vehicles, homes, or other property.

Twenty-six U.S. states had some form of "stop and identify laws as of 2024. In some states, name, address, and what a person is doing is all that needs to be disclosed. In other states, such as Indiana, a date of birth is required. According to Nevada's laws, all that is required to be disclosed is a person's full name. In some Stop and Identify states, a criminal penalty may be imposed upon anyone who refuses to identify themselves. Note too that in some states, police are permitted to respond to a person who refuses to identify themselves by simply detaining that person until they can be positively identified by some other means.