Situation card · Know your rights
Autistic, Deaf, or anxious? How to communicate with police
Lines you can say or show police if a disability or anxiety affects how you communicate, and your right to an interpreter.
The 10-second version: say this
Diga o muestre la frase en inglés. Debajo está lo que significa. Traducción de Hope for Americans.
- I have a disability that affects how I communicate.Tengo una discapacidad que afecta cómo me comunico.
- I am not ignoring you. I need more time to answer.No estoy ignorando sus instrucciones. Necesito más tiempo para responder.
- Please give me one instruction at a time.Por favor, deme una instrucción a la vez.
- I am exercising my right to remain silent. I want a lawyer.Ejerzo mi derecho a guardar silencio. Quiero un abogado.
You can show this screen instead of speaking. Keep your hands where officers can see them.Puede mostrar esta pantalla en lugar de hablar. Mantenga las manos donde los agentes puedan verlas.
Do
- Keep your hands visible and move slowly.
- Say what you are doing before you reach for a phone or card.
- Show this screen or a printed card if speaking is hard.
- Ask for an interpreter if you use sign language.
Don't
- Don't reach into a pocket or bag without saying so first.
- Don't run, even if you feel overwhelmed.
- Don't answer questions you don't understand.
- Don't agree to a search just to make the stop end.
Practice saying it
Saying it out loud a few times makes it easier to remember under stress. Nothing is saved.
I have a disability that affects how I communicate.
I am not ignoring you. I need more time to answer.
Please give me one instruction at a time.
I am exercising my right to remain silent. I want a lawyer.
Why this card exists
- Autism, deafness, ADHD, and anxiety can look different during a stress moment.
- Examples are no eye contact, slow answers, repeating words, covering your ears, or moving to calm yourself.
- Officers may misread these as lying, resisting, or being on drugs.
- This card helps you explain early, in a few words, before a misunderstanding grows.
Telling officers about a disability
- You do not have to tell police about a disability. It is your choice.
- Telling them can help them understand what they see.
- You can say one line from this card, show it with Show on screen, or hand over a printed card.
- Print wallet card makes a small card with these lines. You can keep it with your license.
- Before you reach for a card or phone, say: "My card is in my pocket. May I get it?"
If you are Deaf or hard of hearing
- Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), police must communicate effectively with people who are Deaf or hard of hearing.
- For a short, simple stop, writing notes back and forth may be enough.
- For questioning or an arrest, police generally need a qualified sign language interpreter if you use sign language.
- Police cannot charge you for an interpreter.
- A family member or a child should not be used to interpret.
- You can write: "I am Deaf. I need an interpreter."
Your rights stay the same
- You have the same right to stay silent as anyone else.
- If you are driving, you must show your license, registration, and proof of insurance. You can stay silent about other questions.
- In some states, you must give your name if asked.
- You can say no to a search.
- If you do not understand a question, you can say "I don't understand." You can also stay silent.
- Do not physically resist, even if you think a stop is unfair. You can challenge it later.
- See Being questioned by police for more on what to say.
Laws that add to the Constitution
- The ADA covers state and local governments, including police departments.
- It requires effective communication with people who have disabilities that affect hearing, speech, or vision.
- MOEx, a Hope for Americans site, has more for autistic adults out in public: Out and about.
What happens next
- Step by step, from the lights behind you to the end of the stop: A traffic stop.
Common questions
Should I tell police I am autistic?
It is your choice. You do not have to. Telling officers can help them understand behavior they might misread, like no eye contact or slow answers. You can say one line, show your phone, or hand over a card.
Do police have to provide a sign language interpreter?
Often, yes. Under the ADA, police must communicate effectively with people who are Deaf or hard of hearing. For questioning or an arrest, that generally means a qualified interpreter if you use sign language. For a quick traffic stop, written notes may be enough. You cannot be charged for it.
Can I put autism on my driver's license?
In some states, yes. Some states offer a voluntary note on a license or vehicle registration for autism or a communication disability. Ask your state's DMV. It is always your choice.
What if I can't answer an officer's questions?
You have the right to remain silent. You can say or show: "I am exercising my right to remain silent." Drivers must still show a license, registration, and insurance. Do not run or physically resist.
The law you are citing
Fourth Amendment (1791): The government cannot search you or your things unreasonably.
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated
Fifth Amendment (1791): You cannot be forced to be a witness against yourself.
nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself
Fourteenth Amendment (1868): States must give every person due process and equal protection of the laws.
nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
Get help
- The ADA and your rightsada.gov