Traffic Stops
G.L. c. 90, § 25 — name, address, license and registration, on a police officer's request
A driver gives a name and address, and shows the license. In Massachusetts, a person operating or in charge of a motor vehicle who refuses, when a police officer asks, to give their name and address or the owner's, gives a false name or address, fails to stop when signaled by an officer in uniform or showing a badge, or refuses to produce the license or registration, or to let the officer hold it to examine it, or to sign their name in the officer's presence, faces a fine of one hundred dollars.
An officer in uniform or showing a badge may arrest without a warrant, and hold for up to twenty-four hours unless a weekend or holiday intervenes, a person driving after their license was suspended or revoked, or a person the officer has probable cause to believe is driving under the influence.
Sources for this section (2)
- G.L. c. 90, § 25 — Refusal to submit to police officer
- G.L. c. 90, § 21 — Arrest without warrant for motor vehicle offenses
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Massachusetts attorney.