Do I have to identify myself to the police?

Do I have to identify myself to the police?

Jeffrey K. Rubenstein (Criminal Defense Attorney) gives expert video advice on: Under what circumstances can I be detained by a police officer?; Do I have to identify myself to the police?; What if I can't afford an attorney? and more...

You are not legally obliged to identify yourself to the police. However, truthfully, on the street, if you fail to identify yourself to a police officer who asks, you are probably going to be detained. The police officer will probably say in the report that it wasn't because you refused to identify yourself but because the actions of you not identifying yourself caused them to be suspicious for some other reason.