When You Must Identify
C.R.S. 16-3-103 — a name, an address and identification if available, never a social security number
A peace officer in Colorado may stop a person the officer reasonably suspects is committing, has committed or is about to commit a crime. The stop is not an arrest.
Who handles this in Colorado: legal aid programs and the state offices, listed in the Colorado directory.
- The officer may require the person's name and address, identification if available, and an explanation of their actions.
- The officer may not require the person to produce or say their social security number.
- Where the officer reasonably suspects that personal safety requires it, the officer may pat the person down for weapons.
The Supreme Court of the United States has held that an officer who can point to specific facts suggesting criminal activity may stop a person briefly to investigate, and may pat down their outer clothing for weapons where the officer reasonably believes the person is armed and dangerous. It has also held that a state law requiring a person lawfully detained on reasonable suspicion to state their name does not violate the Fourth Amendment. Whether any such duty exists is a question of the state's own statute, which is what this page sets out. Those holdings are a floor: a state's own constitution and statutes can give more protection than they do, never less.
Sources for this section (3)
- C.R.S. 16-3-103 — Stopping of suspect
- Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S. 1 (1968) — Investigative stops require reasonable suspicion
- Hiibel v. Sixth Judicial District, 542 U.S. 177 (2004) — A stop and identify law may be enforced only once reasonable suspicion exists
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Colorado attorney.