Colo. Rev. Stat. » Title 16
Colorado Revised Statutes

Colo. Rev. Stat. § 16-3-103 (2026)

Stopping of suspect

✓ current as of July 2026
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(1) A peace officer may stop any person who he reasonably suspects is committing, has committed, or is about to commit a crime and may require him to give his name and address, identification if available, and an explanation of his actions. A peace officer shall not require any person who is stopped pursuant to this section to produce or divulge such person's social security number. The stopping shall not constitute an arrest. (2) When a peace officer has stopped a person for questioning pursuant to this section and reasonably suspects that his personal safety requires it, he may conduct a pat-down search of that person for weapons.

Source: L. 72: R&RE, p. 198, § 1. C.R.S. 1963: § 39-3-103. L. 83: (1) amended, p. 663, § 2, effective July 1. L. 2001: (1) amended, p. 941, § 9, effective July 1.

Cross references: For the stopping of persons suspected of alcohol- or drug-related traffic offenses, see § 42-4-1302.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 44 cases (3 in the last 5 years), 1975–2025 · leading case: People v. Schreyer, 640 P.2d 1147 (Colo. 1982).
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People v. Schreyer, 640 P.2d 1147 (Colo. 1982). · cites it 12× “Before the defendant was stopped, neither the witnesses nor the police knew that a crime had been committed. Someone was seen walking around cars at an early morning hour, and placing some items in the trunk of a car, before driving off.”
Dempsey v. People, 117 P.3d 800 (Colo. 2005). · cites it 2× “” See § 16-3-103(1), C.R.S. (2004); see also People v.”
People v. Ratcliff, 778 P.2d 1371 (Colo. 1989). · cites it 8× “2d 955 ; see § 16-3-103(1), 8A C.R.S. (1986) (officer may stop person "who he reasonably suspects is committing, has committed, or is about to commit a crime" and question person about his actions).”
Hiibel v. Sixth Jud. Dist. Court of Nev., Humboldt Cty., 542 U.S. 177 (2004). · cites it 2× “§ 5-71-213 (a)(1) (2004); Colo. Rev. Stat. § 16-3-103 (1) (2003); Del.”
People v. in the Interest of D.F., 933 P.2d 9 (Colo. 1997). · cites it 6× “2d at 497 (the three-prong Stone test); see § 16-3-103, 8A C.R.S. (1986). [2] This case concerns the first of the three conditions which must be satisfied to justify a Stone stop, [3] that an "officer must have `an articulable and specific basis in fact' for suspecting that an…”
People v. Casias, 563 P.2d 926 (Colo. 1977). · cites it 6× “See section 16-3-103, C.R.S. 1973. Under the facts of this case, however, the officers did not claim that they “reasonably suspected” that the defendant was engaged in any criminal activity as a basis for their confrontation with him.”
People v. Rister, 803 P.2d 483 (Colo. 1990). · cites it 8× “A construction of the statute which would give to police officers such carte blanche authority would be inconsistent with section 16-3-103, C.R.S.1973, which specifically limits an officer's authority to stop persons for investigation in the absence of probable cause to arrest.”
People v. McPherson, 550 P.2d 311 (Colo. 1976). · cites it 8× “A construction of the statute which would give to police officers such carte blanche authority would be inconsistent with section 16-3-103, C.R.S. 1973, which specifically limits an officer’s authority to stop persons for investigation, in the absence of probable cause to arrest.”
People v. Cerda, 819 P.2d 502 (Colo. 1991). · cites it 14× “This court interpreted this statute as requiring reasonable suspicion as a prerequisite to demanding the license, and thus incorporated the reasonable suspicion requirements of § 16-3-103, 8A C.R.S. (1986), into the statute.”
People v. Mascarenas, 972 P.2d 717 (Colo. Ct. App. 1998). · cites it 2× “1989); see also §16-3-103, C.R.S.1998 (police officer may stop any person who officer reasonably suspects is committing, has committed, or is about to commit a crime, and, if officer reasonably suspects that his or her personal safety requires it, may conduct a pat-down search…”
People v. Reyes-Valenzuela, 2017 CO 31 (Colo. 2017). · cites it 3× “Under section 16-3-103(1), C.R.S. (2016), “[a] peace officer may stop any person who he reasonably suspects is committing, has committed, or is about to commit a crime and may require him to give his name and address, identification if available, and an explanation of his…”
People v. Young, 923 P.2d 145 (Colo. Ct. App. 1995). · cites it 5× “Under § 16-3-103, C.R.S. (1986 Repl.Vol. 8A): A peace officer may stop any person who he reasonably suspects is committing, has committed, or is about to commit a crime and may require him to give his name and address, identification if available, and an explanation of his…”
Show all 44 citing cases →
— Colo. Rev. Stat. § 16-3-103(1) — 20 cases
People v. Schreyer, 640 P.2d 1147 (Colo. 1982). “Before the defendant was stopped, neither the witnesses nor the police knew that a crime had been committed. Someone was seen walking around cars at an early morning hour, and placing some items in the trunk of a car, before driving off.”
Dempsey v. People, 117 P.3d 800 (Colo. 2005). “” See § 16-3-103(1), C.R.S. (2004); see also People v.”
People v. Cerda, 819 P.2d 502 (Colo. 1991). “This court interpreted this statute as requiring reasonable suspicion as a prerequisite to demanding the license, and thus incorporated the reasonable suspicion requirements of § 16-3-103, 8A C.R.S. (1986), into the statute.”
People v. Reyes-Valenzuela, 2017 CO 31 (Colo. 2017). “Under section 16-3-103(1), C.R.S. (2016), “[a] peace officer may stop any person who he reasonably suspects is committing, has committed, or is about to commit a crime and may require him to give his name and address, identification if available, and an explanation of his…”
Mocek v. City of Albuquerque, 813 F.3d 912 (10th Cir. 2015).
— Colo. Rev. Stat. § 16-3-103(2) — 5 cases
People v. Ratcliff, 778 P.2d 1371 (Colo. 1989). “2d 955 ; see § 16-3-103(1), 8A C.R.S. (1986) (officer may stop person "who he reasonably suspects is committing, has committed, or is about to commit a crime" and question person about his actions).”
People v. Young, 923 P.2d 145 (Colo. Ct. App. 1995). “Under § 16-3-103, C.R.S. (1986 Repl.Vol. 8A): A peace officer may stop any person who he reasonably suspects is committing, has committed, or is about to commit a crime and may require him to give his name and address, identification if available, and an explanation of his…”
People v. Weston, 869 P.2d 1293 (Colo. 1994).
People v. Sutherland, 886 P.2d 681 (Colo. 1994).
People v. Rushdoony, 97 P.3d 338 (Colo. Ct. App. 2004).
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