Ohio bill would jail drivers who refuse to identify during traffic stops

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A growing wave of drivers emboldened by online “know your rights” videos has prompted Ohio lawmakers to consider jailing people who refuse to identify themselves during traffic stops.

House Bill 492 , up for its third hearing on Tuesday, would both expand an existing interference statute and create a new “refusal to disclose” offense for drivers.

The measure would make it a fourth-degree misdemeanor—punishable by up to 30 days in jail—for a motorist to refuse to provide their name, address, or date of birth during a traffic stop when an officer suspects a traffic or equipment violation. It would also broaden the definition of interference during an arrest under Ohio’s motor vehicle code, raising that penalty from a minor misdemeanor to a second-degree misdemeanor.

“No