Note: The DearEsq free 'ask a lawyer' site is offered as a free informational service to the public and is not intended as legal advice. Laws vary from state-to-state, and in addition every situation is unique, and relevant facts may not be known. The answer to the question posed below may not apply to in your state or to your situation. For legal advice in your state and your situation you should consult with an attorney in your state who is familiar with the rules and laws in your state.
“Does a police officer have the right to ask for your social security number when giving you a ticket? I have never heard of such a thing and several family and friends that I have asked what they thought, they have never heard of it either. What recourse do I have?”There are no laws that I’m aware of that require you to provide a police officer with your Social Security Number (SSN). Generally speaking, a U.S. Supreme Court decision in 2004 allowed police to arrest you for failure to tell them your name, even if you have done nothing wrong. But the court stopped short of requiring you to produce identification without probable cause to believe a crime has been committed.
Question: Generally, the US Constitution allows everyone to walk the streets without carrying ID. However, there are reasonable exceptions. For example, every state requires you to produce your driver’s license while operating a motor vehicle. But when it comes to your SSN, there is no law requiring you to either carry your SSN with you or to memorize it. Indeed, there are good reasons for not keeping your SSN in your wallet. For example, if your wallet is lost or stolen, your SSN can potentially be used by an identity thief to access your credit card account information.
Answer:
So your best recourse against both police who ask for it and anybody else who asks for it without a legal basis for doing so is to say, “I’m sorry, I don’t remember.”
