Bill
Bill > A486
NJ A486
NJ A486Establishes penalty for withholding identification to hinder apprehension or prosecution.
summary
Introduced
01/13/2026
01/13/2026
In Committee
01/13/2026
01/13/2026
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
2026-2027 Regular Session
Bill Summary
This bill provides that, in certain circumstances, a person is guilty of hindering apprehension or prosecution by withholding or refusing to give valid identification or identifying information. Under current law, a person hinders the person's own apprehension, investigation, prosecution, conviction, or punishment for a motor vehicle or insurance fraud offense by: (1) suppressing evidence; (2) preventing or obstructing another person from acting in a way to discover, apprehend, or bring charges against the person; (3) preventing or obstructing witnesses or informants from testifying; or (4) giving false information to a law enforcement officer or a civil State investigator assigned to the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor. The bill provides that a person also hinders the person's own apprehension or prosecution if, upon arrest and having been requested to do so by a law enforcement officer, the person withholds or refuses to provide valid identification or the person's true identity in order to purposely hinder the apprehension or prosecution. Under the bill, a person would be subject to the same penalties as a person who gives false information. Current law provides that giving false information to hinder one's own apprehension or prosecution for a motor vehicle or insurance fraud violation is:· a crime of the third degree if the conduct which the actor has been charged or is liable to be charged with constitutes a crime of the first or second degree;· a crime of the fourth degree if the conduct constitutes a crime of the third degree; or· a disorderly persons offense. A third degree crime is punishable by three to five years imprisonment, a fine of up to $15,000, or both. A fourth degree crime is punishable by up to 18 months imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000, or both. A disorderly persons offense is punishable by up to six months imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000, or both.
AI Summary
This bill establishes a new penalty for hindering apprehension or prosecution by withholding identification, specifically when a person, after being arrested and requested by a law enforcement officer, refuses to provide their valid identification or true identity with the intent to obstruct their own apprehension or prosecution for offenses related to motor vehicle or insurance fraud. Currently, hindering apprehension or prosecution involves actions like suppressing evidence, obstructing others from apprehending or charging someone, preventing witnesses from testifying, or giving false information. This bill adds refusing to identify oneself upon arrest to this list, making it subject to the same penalties as giving false information, which range from a disorderly persons offense to a third or fourth-degree crime depending on the severity of the underlying offense being investigated. A third-degree crime carries a penalty of three to five years imprisonment, a fourth-degree crime up to 18 months, and a disorderly persons offense up to six months.
Committee Categories
Military Affairs and Security
Sponsors (1)
Last Action
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Public Safety and Preparedness Committee (on 01/13/2026)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2026/A486 |
| BillText | https://pub.njleg.gov/Bills/2026/A0500/486_I1.HTM |
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