If you get pulled over by the police, the first thing the officer will probably do is ask you a question. For instance, maybe they pulled you over for breaking the speed limit, and they might ask you if you know how fast you were driving. Or they could be pulling you over on suspicion of impairment, and they may ask you if you’ve had anything to drink that day.
It is important to provide proper identifying information to the police. If they ask you for your driver’s license, registration and proof of insurance, you should hand that over.
However, if they ask you other questions, there’s no legal requirement for you to answer. The police should not threaten you and they can’t punish you for refusing – such as arresting you because you won’t answer questions and not for some other reason. You do have a fundamental right to remain silent, and you do not have to incriminate yourself.
Can anyone force you to answer questions?
In some cases, a judge may be able to provide a court order compelling you to answer a specific question. But this doesn’t happen during a traffic stop, and a police officer does not have this authority. It is something that will happen in court.
And even in a situation like this, you still have a right to legal representation. You don’t have to go through an interrogation on your own, and you don’t have to answer anything without your lawyer present. This is why it’s so important to understand all of the legal steps you can take, the rights you have and what you can do to protect your future when facing criminal allegations.