I forget mine every once in a while and was curious what kind of trouble I could get in?

Answer: This is was Minnesota State Statute 171.08 states. “Every licensee shall have the license in immediate possession at all times when operating a motor vehicle and shall display it upon demand of a peace officer, an authorized representative of the department, or an officer authorized by law to enforce the laws relating to the operation of motor vehicles on public streets and highways. Unless the person is the holder of a limited license issued under section 171.30, no person charged with violating the possession requirement shall be convicted if the person produces in court or the office of the arresting officer a driver’s license previously issued to that person for the class of vehicle being driven which was valid at the time of arrest or satisfactory proof that at the time of the arrest the person was validly licensed for the class of vehicle being driven. The licensee shall also, upon request of any officer, write the licensee’s name in the presence of the officer to determine the identity of the licensee.”

If you are cited and sent along your way and as long as you are able to meet the requirements and sufficient proof to either the court or the law enforcement agencies office, you “should” be ok (no fine amount). Let’s go back to the road side at the initial event. If the officer comes in contact with you on a traffic stop for example, and is at all suspicious of who you are and you’re unable to provide photo identification positively identifying yourself, you could be held for identification. Here’s the interesting thing… Throughout my years on the patrol, people have given me made up names, a family or friend’s name, or someone else’s driver’s license. Some of the reasons for doing this have included (but not limited to) not having a valid driver’s license, active warrants for their arrest, some just panic at the pressure of a simple citation, and some are involved in further major criminal activity. Now this isn’t my first rodeo and I’m usually onto their shenanigans before the word “go”, so I get some assistance from our good friend “technology”. Technology has come a long ways even since I started just over 13 years ago. More and more squad cars are equipped with digital video cameras, cell phones with digital cameras, and computers. This enables law enforcement to perform their duties more efficiently. The computer is one of the fastest ways to aid in determining if the name the person just provided matches up with the name and PHOTOGRAPH viewable through the website. Now that person that just provided that false information has another issue they created for themselves and the prize could be a pair of matching bracelets (handcuffs). Moral of the story: “Tell the truth.”

If you have any questions concerning traffic related laws or issues in Minnesota send your questions to Trp. Jesse Grabow – Minnesota State Patrol at 1000 Highway 10 West, Detroit Lakes, MN 56501-2205. (Or reach him at, jesse.grabow@state.mn.us)