united-states police photography
Any law that requires you to allow police to photograph you in public?
<p>Lets say you are in public, and the Police approach you. You do not wish to speak to them and want to walk away. They detain you for the purpose of taking a photo of you but you have not committed a crime and they won't state whether you are the suspect of a crime.</p>
<ul>
<li>In the U.S. in any state, is there a law that states you must allow them to photograph you?</li>
<li>Can you be charged with obstruction if you actively prevent them from taking the photo by covering your own face?</li>
</ul>

<p>In general in the US, anyone may photograph anyone else if they are all in a public place, although in some states such a photo may not be used commercially without permission, which must often be paid for and may be refused.</p>
<p>It is unusual for police to photograph people on the street, but they might want to document who was present at a particular place and time. They can do so, but I am not at all sure that they can prevent a person from covering his or her face, or turning his or her back, or charge a person who does so with obstruction. I don't think so.</p>
<p>Under some circumstances in the US police may ask a person for identification, and may charge a person who refuses to provide it. This varied from one state to another, and usually depends on the specific circumstances. (If a person is driving an automobile, police may demand to see a driver's license, for example.)</p>
<p>Unless a police officer puts a person under arrest, the officer has no general right to control that person's actions, beyond instructing the person not to interfere with ongoing police work. I do not think an obstruction charge would hold up for covering one's face or turning away in the absence of an arrest.</p>
