Do I have to carry ID on me?
Not exactly — there is no general duty in Iceland to carry ID on you, but the police may require you to state who you are. Under Article 15(5) of the Police Act no. 90/1996 the police may "require a person to state their name, ID number (kennitala) and address and to show ID to prove it" — and this without any need for suspicion of an offence. The myth many believe is twofold: on one hand that there is a duty to carry an identity card at all times, as in some countries, and on the other that you never have to identify yourself. Both are wrong. You may walk around without ID, but if you refuse to give your name when the police lawfully ask, they may hold you while they establish who you are. A special rule applies to driving: a driver must carry their driving licence and show it under the Traffic Act no. 77/2019. Since 2024 all Icelandic citizens receive a national ID card under Act no. 55/2023, but owning such a card does not mean you must carry it.
📋 The rules
- Article 15(5) of the Police Act no. 90/1996 lets the police require a person to state their name, ID number and address and show ID to prove it — no suspicion of unlawful conduct is needed.
- There is no general duty to carry ID on you in public; the power is about identifying yourself, not about producing a card you do not have with you.
- If you refuse to say who you are, the police may hold you briefly or take you to a station to establish your identity, and refusing a lawful request can carry fines (Art. 6 of Act no. 36/1988, cf. reg. no. 1127/2007).
- Special driving rule: a driver must carry the driving licence and show it on demand under the Traffic Act no. 77/2019; forgetting it is an offence, if a minor one.
- Since 2024 the National Registry issues a national ID card to all citizens under Act no. 55/2023; the card is valid ID and an EEA travel document, but there is no duty to carry it.
🔓 Exceptions
- Driving a vehicle is the exception: there is a real duty to carry the licence, and the police may require it at a traffic stop regardless of any other reason.
- Age-restricted purchases — alcohol, tobacco or nicotine — let the seller demand ID; that is a private requirement of the shop, not police power, and without ID you are simply refused service.
- Various services (banking, flights, collecting registered post) require ID in practice; that flows from the terms of the service itself, not from any criminal duty.
⚠️ Penalties & fines
There is no specific fine for merely being out without ID. The consequences appear when you refuse to give your name: the police may then hold you briefly or take you to a station to establish who you are, and stubbornness towards a lawful request can carry fines under Article 6 of Act no. 36/1988 on police by-laws, cf. regulation no. 1127/2007. For drivers the position is clearer: not carrying the driving licence breaches the Traffic Act no. 77/2019 and carries a fine, though the amount is low and you can often show it afterwards. The hidden cost is delay and hassle — being stopped, photographed or taken to a station eats time nobody compensates. A stale figure also lurks here: older guidance cites an ISK 5,000 fine for not carrying a driving licence, but that amount rested on the Traffic Act no. 50/1987 and regulation no. 930/2006, both now repealed — so it is not stated here as current. Finally, being unable to prove who you are can complicate everyday matters, from collecting a parcel to proving your age.
📎 Official sources
- Althingi · Police Act no. 90/1996 (Art. 15, power to require ID) →
- Vísindavefurinn (Univ. of Iceland) · Must Icelanders show ID when the police ask? →
- Althingi · National Identity Card Act no. 55/2023 →
❓ Frequently asked
Must I carry ID with me in Iceland?
No, there is no general legal duty to carry an identity card on you in public, and you may walk around without ID without committing any offence. However, under Article 15 of the Police Act the police may require you to state your name, ID number and address, so the duty is about identifying yourself rather than producing a card.
What happens if I refuse to give my name?
If you refuse to say who you are when the police lawfully ask, they may hold you briefly or take you to a station to establish your identity. Refusing a lawful request can also carry a fine under the law on police by-laws, so it is wise to give your name, ID number and address even if you are not suspected of anything.
Do I have to carry my driving licence when I drive?
Yes, a driver must carry the driving licence and show it when the police require it under the Traffic Act no. 77/2019. Forgetting the licence at home is an offence that can carry a fine, though the amount is low and you can often show it afterwards, so driving is a genuine exception to the rule that there is no duty to carry ID.
Must I own and carry the new national ID card?
Since 2024 the National Registry issues a national ID card to all Icelandic citizens under Act no. 55/2023, and the card counts as valid ID and an EEA travel document. Owning such a card is not the same as being required to carry it, however, since no general rule requires you to have ID on you at any given time.
Can a shop demand ID from me?
Yes, for age-restricted purchases such as alcohol, tobacco and nicotine products the seller may demand ID to confirm your age, and without it they may simply refuse service. This is a private requirement of the shop rather than police power, so it does not lead to a penalty but only to the sale not going through.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “do i have to carry id iceland”
- “id requirement iceland law”
- “can police demand id iceland”
- “national id card iceland carry”
- “driving licence not carried fine”
- “state your name police iceland”