YouTube Shorts is throwing me in a rabbit hole of policeman seemingly overstepping the boundaries when stopping citizens for a routine check. The discussions often revolve around asking and not wanting to show their ID (“unless you can tell me what crime you accuse me of”). Is there a particular reason why they’re so hesitant to present their ID to the police officer? It only seems to escalate the situation. In Belgium I don’t see the harm in showing my ID when I’m stopping by a police officer. (added url as an example)
The answers (as I understand them) :
If you’re a US citizen, it depends on the state or DC (assuming that’s what you meant by Washington).
If you aren’t a citizen, you don’t have as many rights. Now any law enforcement officer won’t know that you’re not a citizen (if you aren’t), but it’s easiest to just provide papers upon request.
I have never refused to ID, but I’ve only been asked due to legal reasons like speeding or I was near a border or at customs.
In short, go with the flow, don’t break the law, have fun, and enjoy your stay!