There are still certain rules that citizens often have doubts about. For example, is it mandatory to carry your ID on the street? The truth is that there is still some controversy about this situation since the law does not emphasize that it must always be carried with you, but it does make some interpretations on this assumption.
To know the answer, we must go to the Organic Law for the Protection of Citizen Security, better known as the Gag Law, where this assumption is stipulated in article 9.2. The law states that:
«All persons obliged to obtain the National Identity Document are also required to display it and allow the verification of the security measures referred to in section 2 of article 8 when they are required to do so by the authority or its agents, in order to the fulfillment of the purposes set forth in section 1 of article 16. Of their theft or loss, the nearest Police station or post of the Security Forces and Bodies must be reported as soon as possible. “
Which means that it is not mandatory to carry your DNI at all times on the street, but to show it to the agents who require it at any time. If they do not carry it, the agents may make a request to accompany them to police stations in order to verify the appropriate data on the subject.
This accompaniment may be for the necessary time, but it should never exceed 6 hours at the police station to identify the subject.
What if I am a foreigner?
The Organic Law of Protection on Citizen Security does not specify at any time that foreigners must carry their DNI obligatorily, but, like Spanish citizens, they can be identified on the street at any time.
Although there is no regulatory section in this regard, experts recommend that you always carry the documentation so that agents can quickly identify the subject at any time. It is not punishable, they cannot fine a person for not carrying their DNI , but they can take us to the police station if the agents see it necessary.
For this reason, the authorities recommend that we always carry the DNI with us, whether we are Spanish or foreigners, this will in any case facilitate the police work when identifying ourselves, and thus we will avoid unwanted visits to the police station to be identified by the security forces .
