When You Must Identify
Fla. Stat. 901.151 — a temporary detention, and no false name
Under Florida's Stop and Frisk Law, an officer who encounters a person in circumstances reasonably indicating the person has committed, is committing or is about to commit a crime may temporarily detain the person to learn the person's identity and the circumstances that raised the suspicion.
| The limit | What the statute says |
|---|---|
| The limitHow long | What the statute saysNo longer than is reasonably necessary for that purpose |
| The limitWhere | What the statute saysNot beyond the place where it began or its immediate vicinity |
| The limitWhat ends it | What the statute saysArrest if probable cause appears; release if it does not |
| The limitA frisk | What the statute saysOnly with probable cause to believe the person is armed with a dangerous weapon, and only to find it |
A false name is a crime; the statute on it reaches a person arrested or lawfully detained. Giving a false name, or otherwise falsely identifying oneself, to an officer or jail staff after being arrested or lawfully detained is a first degree misdemeanor, and a third degree felony if another person is harmed by the use of their name.
A driver presents a license on an officer's demand. Resisting, obstructing or opposing an officer in the lawful execution of a legal duty, without violence, is a first degree misdemeanor.
Evidence found in a stop and frisk search is not admissible unless the search was authorized by and done in compliance with the statute.
Sources for this section (4)
- Fla. Stat. 901.151 — Stop and Frisk Law
- Fla. Stat. 901.36 — Prohibition against giving false name or false identification by person arrested or lawfully detained
- Fla. Stat. 322.15 — License to be carried and exhibited on demand
- Fla. Stat. 843.02 — Resisting officer without violence to his or her person
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Florida attorney.