I took “stopped by police” to mean while driving. In that case, I would typically have state-issued DL, SSC, and state-issued tradesman and contractor licenses.
If not driving, I might have DL and SSC, or I might have nothing at all.
I normally carry my state issued ID (not a DL - I don’t drive) and my SSC. My birth certificate stays at home. I also do not have a passport, because I’m generally too broke to travel, much less out of the country.
Assuming ‘stopped by police’ means I was driving my car, then I would have my Georgia DL.
But, I also marked ‘I’m a legal citizen of this country. I’m effed.’ because I am not certain that my DL is good enough to prove that I am a legal resident.
Of course, since I am a grandfatherly looking white guy, the probability of being stopped by INS (or whatever the heck they call it these days) is rather small.
Driver’s license and passport card.
In California, you have to have proof of legal residence to acquire a drivers license, but possession of a drivers license does not prove you are currently a legal residence, since the conditions of your legal residence can expire. So, while I carry my drivers license whenever I go outside my neighborhood, it doesn’t prove my right to be in the US. And I don’t typically carry any other official documentation.
When I visit a foreign country, I do carry my passport with me at all times. Assuming that I entered legally, the passport will have whatever stamps that give me permission to be there. Of course, that’s not really a legal right, since most countries reserve the power to expel foreigners for several reasons and rarely give the foreigner the right to resist expulsion.
In Europe, it makes sense to have a passport. Here, where are we going to go? Canada? Up until about a year ago, you didn’t need a passport to cross that border. And now we can get an “enhanced” drivers license (in Michigan, at least, I assume in other states that border Canada) that’s good enough for re-entering from Canada.
I assume there’s something similar for crossing the Mexican border. That’s all we border.
Any Australians or New Zealanders here? Do you carry a passport? Where do you go with it.
Here in Arizona I have on several occasions seen Hispanics turned away from buying beer despite their having Mexican IDs. I think there might be a law preventing them from selling alcohol if all they’ve got is foreign ID.
I usually have my driver’s license, but not when I’m just out for a walk. The question is, if I didn’t have proof, where would they deport me to? Can I choose New Zealand or Australia?
For about 20 years (roughly from the age of 25 to the age of 47) I didn’t have a passport, living in Australia. However, illegal immigration is not the same problem in Australia. Although Australia’s nearest neighbours (Papua New Guinea and Indonesia) are third-world countries, it’s not possible to walk into Australia: you need to take a boat or a plane, and that’s easier to control. So there isn’t the same political pressure to identify illegal immigrants and deport them.
(And most illegal immigrants in Australia come from Europe or North America, I suspect – people who come in as tourists and just stay).
I always carry my DL and SSC. I see absolutely no reason not to have those on you if you are going out. They stay in the secure portion of my wallet. Everything else stays at home or in the safe deposit box. Especially the birth certificate. If you lose that thing you are screwed.
If I’m in my car, I have my driver’s license. If not, I don’t. I keep the clutch purse in the side of the door.
Well, unless I was walking somewhere with intent to buy. I’d probably have the clutch then.
When we were stopped by the State Police in Idaho {spits}, my husband’s Alberta driver’s license was all he needed to show for them to give us our speeding ticket and send us on our way. Maybe it was okay because we were headed north. 
I wouldn’t carry it, but in my safety deposit box I have both a passport and my naturalization certificate.
On me? DL and SSC.
As Giles says.
Carry drivers licence in wallet, essentially at all times.
Passport and birth certificate are in the home office.
As you can’t simply drive/walk across the international border I would expect few Australians would carry their passports on a daily basis.
I have trawled through the Department of Immigration website and the recommendation is that visitors should carry two forms of ID with them (drivers licence, birth certificate or passport), at least on being photo ID. However there is no mention of whether holders of work permits are required to carry them.
I have three passports. (Two are expired, but nevertheless prove that I am a citizen.) Maybe I should start carrying one around with me…just in case.
I actually was legally obliged to carry around ID proving my nationality and my legal right to be in the country when I lived in Bulgaria. I followed this law to the fucking letter, always making sure I had my card even when I was just running to the market on the corner for a couple items. Number of times an official asked me to produce it? Zero.
I’ve got several items. First off I have an SF-86 on file with the feds, it’s the federal security clearance designation (you practically have to donate an organ to complete and be authorized for one of those damned things), but any police agency looking me up will have a ton of info on me immediately, including fingerprints. On me I carry my SS card (I know you’re not 'sposed to, I keep forgetting to take it out of my purse and file it at home), my driver’s license, my base access badge(s), and my faculty ID card.
Perhaps you just didn’t “look” illegal.
I don’t have a driver’s licence, and keep my passport and birth certificate at home. I guess I could show them my Working With Children card and point out that since you need a police check to get one of them I must be legal, or show them my student ID as the university wouldn’t have let me enrol if I wasn’t supposed to be here. I doubt that’d fly, though. My student card isn’t even considered proof that I’m entitled to a concession fare on the bus.
I often have my passport on me.
Shit happens. I’m on the water a good bit, and wind up unintentionally in the water a few times each year. Why risk it?
In addition, I’ve lived in the US for the past 51 years and have never been asked for proof of citizenship. If I were asked, I’d laugh and let my lawyer handle the specifics. I’d also contact the media.