This bill amends N.J.S.2C:29-3 to establish penalties for individuals who hinder their own apprehension or prosecution by withholding or refusing to provide valid identification or true identity when requested by law enforcement officers. The bill specifies that such actions, in addition to existing offenses like suppressing evidence or giving false information, constitute hindering one's own apprehension. The new legal language clarifies that a person is guilty of this offense if they intentionally withhold identification upon arrest, thereby obstructing the legal process.

Under the proposed legislation, the penalties for withholding identification align with those for providing false information. Specifically, if the conduct that the individual is charged with constitutes a crime of the first or second degree, it is classified as a crime of the third degree; if it constitutes a crime of the third degree, it is classified as a crime of the fourth degree; and lesser offenses are treated as disorderly persons offenses. The bill aims to strengthen law enforcement's ability to effectively apprehend individuals by ensuring that withholding identification is treated as a serious offense.