Quote:
Originally Posted by pdurrant
Apart from whether there's another National ID scheme, another interesting question is when do you need to use it?
For instance, is it issued as some kind of card that a policeman can require you to produce if they stop you in the street? ...
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In the US it is up to states to impose those requirements, not the federal government. I think in most states if you are stopped by police for any reason, they do have the right to require you to identify yourself through some verifiable means whether that is an official ID card, birth certificate, or verbally by giving them the official numbers associated with an ID card, for example giving them your drivers license card number or Social Security number, or even giving them your full name and birth date. Whatever means you chose to identify yourself will likely be verified via computer databases. Refusing to properly identify yourself to police can have serious consequences, depending on the policies in place for that law enforcement agency. Each state can set its own rules and policies and quite often law enforcement agencies can add to those rules and policies. This has come to the fore front lately in the US with many demanding reforms to these rules and policies.
I would think that in most states and cities, if you falsely identify yourself to police, you WILL be subject to arrest. There are databases of fingerprints, face recognition, ID card numbers, etc. which law enforcement might have access to, so they can sometimes identify a person in that manner if they so choose. In the US, most states require fingerprints be given by anyone applying for an ID card like a drivers license, so the fingerprint database has quite a large number of people in it. However, each state has their own database which might not be shared with other states or the feds.
To be clear, each state, and often each law enforcement agency, sets its own rules and regulations. With 50 states, numerous territories, and more cities than I can count, that means the answers to your questions are very complex. If you throw a rock in any direction from where you are standing, it might land in a place with different rules and regulations. American law is rather complicated because of that. What applies in one place can be different in another place.