What identification must police officers provide to compel someone to follow their orders?
<p>As I understand it, in the USA it is the law that if a police office gives one a lawful order it is a crime to not comply with that order.  What does the police officer need to do to identify them as a police officer for this law to apply?  Is any statement that they are police sufficient, and people are required to believe anyone who says they are police?  Is there a specific form of words they must use, perhap similar to the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/police-powers-of-arrest-your-rights" rel="nofollow noreferrer">UK arrest requirements</a>?  Is it a question of the state of mind of the subject of the order, perhaps similar to the legal standards of preponderance of evidence or beyond reasonable doubt?</p>
<p>The case that made me think of this was the <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-65197857" rel="nofollow noreferrer">case of a child who was shot by a police office who was in the back seat of the car</a>.  In this case it would be impossible for the subject to see the officer, so would have no way of knowing if the speaker was police.  I am also reminded of the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/17/us/politics/federal-agents-portland-arrests.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">federal police in portland</a> who drove around in unmarked cars wearing camouflage pattern clothing that makes me think of the proud boys more than police officers.  There are also many movies in which the undercover police protagonists will wave a gun and a badge around and expect people to do what they say.  In all these cases it would appear to be legitimate doubt as to the identity of the police officer.  What are the requirements of a member of the public in such a situation?  At which point does it become a crime to not comply with orders given by someone who is not obviously a police officer but claims to be?</p>
<p>The United States is the most prominent country with such a law, and the one I am most interested in.  The situation in other countries with similar laws would also be interesting, especially if they contrast with the USA.</p>
<p>This is different from <a href="https://law.stackexchange.com/questions/360/how-can-you-tell-if-you-have-to-follow-a-police-officers-instructions">this question</a> as that is about how do I tell if an order given is a legal order.  This is different from <a href="https://law.stackexchange.com/questions/8130/how-must-undercover-police-officers-identify-themselves">this question</a> as it is about a requirement for undercover officers to identify themselves, not about the threshold for the requirement for the public to follow orders.</p>

<p>Identification is require only in
<a href="https://casetext.com/statute/alaska-statutes/title-28-motor-vehicles/chapter-2835-offenses-and-accidents/article-03-miscellaneous-offenses/section-2835180-disobedience-to-signals-of-officer-regulating-traffic-prohibited" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Alaska</a>, <a href="https://codes.findlaw.com/ca/vehicle-code/veh-sect-2800.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">California</a>, <a href="https://oregon.public.law/statutes/ors_162.247" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Oregon</a> and <a href="https://oregon.public.law/statutes/ors_811.535" rel="nofollow noreferrer">also</a>, and <a href="https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/LI/consCheck.cfm?txtType=HTM&amp;ttl=75&amp;div=0&amp;chpt=31&amp;sctn=2&amp;subsctn=0" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Pennsylvania</a>. In these states, if a person is uniformed (AK,CA,PA) or wearing a badge (AK,OR), or if the defendant &quot;knows&quot; that the person is an officer, they are penalized if they do not obey the order. In other states, you are simply penalized if the person giving the order is a police officer. In those states where there is no statutory limit on police power to give commands, it depends on what the courts have ruled. In North Carolina, following <a href="https://casetext.com/case/glenn-robinson-v-acker" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Glenn Robinson v. Acker</a> there is a burden on off-duty officers to establish their authority, and</p>
<blockquote>
<p>an officer may not assume that others will know he is a police officer
where he simply states as much and flashes &quot;something,&quot; while wearing
civilian clothing, working off-duty, and acting &quot;out of control.&quot;</p>
</blockquote>
<p>But in Alabama, following <a href="https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=18398649418949817342&amp;hl=en&amp;as_sdt=6&amp;as_vis=1&amp;oi=scholarr" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Sly v. State</a>, 387 So. 2d 913 referring to the statutes,</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Neither section makes any reference to whether the peace officer was
on or off duty</p>
</blockquote>
<p>so there is no requirement to <em>prove</em> that you are an officer.</p>
<p>The majority of states give this power to officers with traffic control powers. Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Oregon,
Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas and Utah grant that power with no restriction, and Alaska, California, Florida, Michigan,
Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, North
Carolina and Vermont limit police command power to specific circumstances (traffic or emergencies). <a href="https://www.yalelawjournal.org/pdf/MooneyComment_6w54gon8.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">This article</a> lists various cases in states that bear on the question – there is no clear and uniform law on the matter in the US. Some courts have limited the power to traffic related matters, others (where it is not part of the statutory law) have extended the power to outside of traffic stops. For example, in Ohio which is in the majority &quot;can issue traffic tickets&quot; set of states, <a href="https://casetext.com/case/state-v-thigpen-13" rel="nofollow noreferrer">State v. Thigpen</a>, 62 N.E.3d 1019 ruled that</p>
<blockquote>
<p>nothing in the plain language of R.C. 2921.331(A) limits it solely to
orders or signals of police officers actively engaging in traffic
direction, control, or regulation.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It is more likely that if the statute refers to <em>willfully</em> failing to comply, that creates some obligation for the officer to identify themselves.</p>
<p>To simplify this, here are a few ordered generalizations. In 4 states, there is some requirement to be identifiable as a police officer via a uniform or badge, as noted above. In some states, it is a crime to <em>willfully</em> fail to comply – not complying with an officer whom you have reason to believe to be a LEO (e.g. he is wearing his uniform). Otherwise, if the person is in fact an officer, it is a crime to not comply.</p>

united-states police identification