Road trip US - correct IDs missing

This is (fortunately) a purely hypothetical question.

If I, as Citizen in the European Union, make a road trip in the USA, get in a police traffic control an only have my local IDs with me (not my international passport or the international drivers license), what consequences do I have to fear?

Best Answer

In the US, police are state or local officials, not national officials (with rare exceptions, such as on military bases). Their main concern is enforcing state laws and local ordinances, not enforcing immigration rules. I don't think I've ever read the phrase "police traffic control" before. Police do occasionally set up checkpoints where they stop each car and speak briefly to the driver. During these stops their main concern is to see if the driver appears to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

If an officer requests a driver to show a driver license, in some states the officer will accept a foreign license by itself; in other states the officer may require it be presented together with an international driving permit.