Is carrying photo ID now mandatory in the UK?
Discussion
Hi all,
Just got pulled over by Police whilst dropping off a friend in Hadlow, Kent.
The initial stop was due to filthy numberplates, both front and rear. Fair enough, the whole car was filthy, and the rear plate was pretty much unreadable. The copper told me unless unless I was able to clean the plates then and there, he would give me a ticket. I had some wet wipes, so used those, and all good.
He then asked me for photo ID, and I told him I had none, but I did have a debit card, which he took into his car and did his checks. All good, but when he handed back my debit card, he told me it was now "a requirement" to carry photo ID at all times whilst I was driving.
Really?? First I'd heard of it!! I told him, sorry I was completely unaware of this, and he repeated a couple more times that it was now compulsory to carry photo ID whilst I was driving.
Can anyone confirm this please? Completely news to me!! I thought the UK was still one of the few countries in the world where we DON'T have to carry any official ID.
Cheers,
Effortless
Just got pulled over by Police whilst dropping off a friend in Hadlow, Kent.
The initial stop was due to filthy numberplates, both front and rear. Fair enough, the whole car was filthy, and the rear plate was pretty much unreadable. The copper told me unless unless I was able to clean the plates then and there, he would give me a ticket. I had some wet wipes, so used those, and all good.
He then asked me for photo ID, and I told him I had none, but I did have a debit card, which he took into his car and did his checks. All good, but when he handed back my debit card, he told me it was now "a requirement" to carry photo ID at all times whilst I was driving.
Really?? First I'd heard of it!! I told him, sorry I was completely unaware of this, and he repeated a couple more times that it was now compulsory to carry photo ID whilst I was driving.
Can anyone confirm this please? Completely news to me!! I thought the UK was still one of the few countries in the world where we DON'T have to carry any official ID.
Cheers,
Effortless
He was making it up as he goes along in ignorance of the actual law. it's pretty common behaviour for lower ranking police to do that. I come across it on a daily basis in the security business, I constantly get police trying to intimidate me into commiting a criminal act and putting their court cases at risk by trying to get me to perform licensed operations without holding a sia cctv operators license.
essayer said:
The law says you must show your driving licence when asked to by a police officer.
s.164 Road Traffic Act 1988
Rather different to what was said to you, but a similar sentiment I guess.
must produce, and if not show in 7 days at a station.s.164 Road Traffic Act 1988
Rather different to what was said to you, but a similar sentiment I guess.
Considering that it is all on computer nowadays, might be slight defunct.
essayer said:
The law says you must show your driving licence when asked to by a police officer.
s.164 Road Traffic Act 1988
There are also in that Act three statutory defences to any proceedings. See S.164(8).s.164 Road Traffic Act 1988
Furthermore the Act says nothing about photo identification. Paper D/Ls are still valid in the UK.
That said, DIRECTIVE 2006/126/EC Article 3 requires that all D/Ls must be in a photocard format by the cut off date of 19th January 2033.
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri...
What effect Brexit will have on that remains to be seen. Not much I suspect as the Secretary of State already has the necessary powers.
He/she can act on them whenever he/she may choose to do so.
Indeed there is no legislation which compels anyone in the UK to carry ID at any time, never mind when driving.
'Papiere bitte' hasn't reached our shores yet, so the copper was talking from where the sun doesn't shine.
Effortless said:
He then asked me for photo ID, and I told him I had none, but I did have a debit card, which he took into his car and did his checks. All good, but when he handed back my debit card, he told me it was now "a requirement" to carry photo ID at all times whilst I was driving.
Sounds like Chinese Whispers.But why would you not keep your photocard licence in your wallet at all times? It's surely the easiest and most sensible place for it, like every other piece of credit-card-format plastic/cardboard in your life...? I can't remember when I last had to produce mine for driving-related reasons (actually, I can - 3yrs ago, when I had a little roadside chat, then at the afternoon of tea and biscuits that followed on...) but I regularly use it for ID. "Required"? No. "Make your life a lot easier"? Hell, yes.
The Spruce goose said:
essayer said:
The law says you must show your driving licence when asked to by a police officer.
s.164 Road Traffic Act 1988
Rather different to what was said to you, but a similar sentiment I guess.
must produce, and if not show in 7 days at a station.s.164 Road Traffic Act 1988
Rather different to what was said to you, but a similar sentiment I guess.
Considering that it is all on computer nowadays, might be slight defunct.
It is a requirement to carry your driving licence whilst driving. The 7 day producer is in effect a punishment for not (as driving to the cop shop is a PITA).
The paranoia on here does occasionally get a bit much.scorcher said:
I'm knackered then as I haven't got any photo ID! Still got an original paper licence and no passport. No other form of work photo ID etc.
So you're one of a very narrow demographic band - one of the 15% of driving licence holders (including those who don't actually drive) who are at least 35 but under 70 and haven't moved for at least 18 years, and one of the 17% of the total population (including children and the elderly, so likely to be much lower in your age group) without a passport. If we assume that there's zero correlation between those two factors, then you're one of only around 2.5m people, 5.5% of driving licence holders - before we think about the possibility of other IDs.Still, that's an entirely voluntary problem that you impose on yourself, and one that's very easily rectified.
https://www.gov.uk/exchange-paper-driving-licence
TooMany2cvs said:
scorcher said:
I'm knackered then as I haven't got any photo ID! Still got an original paper licence and no passport. No other form of work photo ID etc.
So you're one of a very narrow demographic band - one of the 15% of driving licence holders (including those who don't actually drive) who are at least 35 but under 70 and haven't moved for at least 18 years, and one of the 17% of the total population (including children and the elderly, so likely to be much lower in your age group) without a passport. If we assume that there's zero correlation between those two factors, then you're one of only around 2.5m people, 5.5% of driving licence holders - before we think about the possibility of other IDs.Still, that's an entirely voluntary problem that you impose on yourself, and one that's very easily rectified.
https://www.gov.uk/exchange-paper-driving-licence
Forums | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff