Can an officer run your drivers license after asking for Identification if he has not pulled you over for a traffic offense and he has not observed you doing anything illegal?

Answer 1

You don't necessarily have to have been operating a vehicle. Your drivers license is a valid form of identification and should reflect your accurate name, DOB and address. He was probably checking for warrants. You say that you weren't obvserved doing anything illegal, but you don't really know what drew the officer's attention to you. There can be any number of reasons he 'contacted' you - similarity of appearance or your clothing to a recent offense - presence in a known high criminal-activity area -etc.

Answer 2

In most cases, an officer cannot run your driver's license without a valid reason such as a traffic offense or reasonable suspicion of illegal activity. However, laws and regulations vary by jurisdiction, so it's best to consult the specific laws in your area.

Answer 3

You don't necessarily have to have been operating a vehicle. Your drivers license is a valid form of identification and should reflect your accurate name, DOB and address. He was probably checking for warrants. You say that you weren't obvserved doing anything illegal, but you don't really know what drew the officer's attention to you. There can be any number of reasons he 'contacted' you - similarity of appearance or your clothing to a recent offense - presence in a known high criminal-activity area -etc.

Answer 4

Pretty much, yes. Technically, they'd have to be able to show reasonable cause in many instances, but that's not a particularly difficult thing to do.

Another view: The laws of many states allow law enforcement to make random checks of motor vehicle documents, including licenses, registrations, and insurance cards, to determine compliance with the state's motor vehicle regulaions.