COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio drivers and passengers would be required to give police their name, address and date of birth during traffic stops has been signed into law by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, closing a gap that courts said left officers unable to charge motorists who refuse to identify themselves.
House Bill 492 passed the Ohio Senate on June 10 after clearing the House in November. Refusing to provide the information would be a fourth-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to 30 days in jail and a $250 fine.
Under current law, Ohioans must identify themselves only when an officer reasonably suspects they have committed a criminal offense. Ohio appeals courts have repeatedly held that refusing to give a name during a routine traffic stop does not amount to obstructing official business, the charge officers typically used. In a 2013 case, Toledo v. Dandridge, the Sixth District Court of Appeals ruled a driver’s refusal to provide a name or license was not obstruction because it was not an “affirmative act.”…