Show me an id!

When looking to American films (and probably in real life too), and a police officer halts a suspect, he wants to see some identification. What is expected to be shown ?

I would imagine he’s wanting to see a Driver’s License. That has a picture of the person’s face, their name, birthday, hair and eye color, weight, and also their tax ID/social security number.
-Ben

Look officer, it’s right there in my subconscious, buried underneath my ego.

Sorry officer, I must have left mine at home on Altair IV.

That’s no excuse, Mr. Morbius.

Sorry, mods.

Sir Rhosis

[gestapo]

  • I trust zat your papers are in order, Herr Freud?*
    [/gestapo]

My state doesn’t include SS# (Texas). But our Department of Publiic Safety also issues State Identification Cards that are not Driver’s Licenses, but have all the same info.

If you have one, a passport’ll fill the bill.

Just so it can’t be said that I used this thread just for a cheap joke:

When I was in college, I also used my student ID along with my drivers license. Not police, but a lot of establishments will ask for two IDs.

Also, there are many programs in existence to provide picture IDs, especially for children.

Sir Rhosis

I don’t believe that (assuming you’re not driving a car and are instead merely a pedestrian) you are required to have any identity papers on your person.

In the event that a police officer has legally sufficient reason to stop you and assess you, however, the absence of identity papers may justify them holding onto you until they can verify your identity.

Be that as it may, the police are not supposed to just stop anyone at random and demand to see ID.