Police in New York are likely to ask you to identify yourself if you encounter them in most situations. You generally must give the police your correct name when asked.
The information you are legally required to provide to the police varies by state. New York law allows a police officer to ask your name, address and questions about your actions or behavior if they reasonably suspect you committed, or are about to commit, a crime.
This means that police officers cannot ask you for your name without reasonable suspicion. However, the standard for reasonable suspicion is rather low and refusing to provide your name when reasonable suspicion is established could lead to legal consequences.
Additionally, the police are likely to eventually identify you whether you provide your name or not. When the police have legal authority to ask you to identify yourself and you refuse, they are allowed to detain you until your identity is established.
You should never provide a false name to the police
If you provide a false name, you will likely be detained and the officers will figure out your correct name eventually.
Once that happens, you could be charged with the misdemeanor of false personation, in addition to any other charges you are facing. False personation penalties can be strict, including up to 90 days in jail.
When asked for your name by police officers, the best choice is to give your correct name and provide identification if requested. If you believe the police officers did not have reasonable suspicion to ask you to identify yourself, the encounter is not the appropriate place to confront that.
Provide your name and comply with the officer’s instructions. If you are arrested, ask for an attorney and discuss the situation with them. If it is revealed there was no reasonable suspicion for the stop, your criminal charges could potentially be dismissed.