Necessary to carry passport if one has a California real ID driver's license?

French police officers in the countryside, and even in town, do not even know that there are federal or non-federal driving licenses.
There can be any number on it, they don't care at all

If a real identity check must be done (for example, because of an accident or during a police operation) only your passport will be recognized as an identity document.

Real ID driver's license or identification cards are used to board a domestic flight or enter a federal (meaning US) facility. They have no value in Europe or other countries outside the states. My home state (Minnesota) also has an enhanced ID driver's license or ID card that will allow you to use it to enter Canada or Mexico without having to show your passport. But that's it - you cannot use either as a valid form of ID outside the US.

Outside North America, your only official form of ID is your passport.

You should be carrying passports at all times. Your drivers licence won't have proof you're in France legally.

The law is here:

https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F31208?lang=en

I never go out and about with my passport—I just carry a photo copy. There's just too much at stake if the genuine document happens to get lost of stolen. And it has never been a problem. I have been asked to leave my passport as a deposit for audio guides at some sites, which I would never do anyway, but a driver's license has always sufficed in its place. But now there is an official U.S. "Passport Card" that duplicates the info on your passport, without actually being that document. I now carry it instead just in case, but have never had an issue one way or the other.

Note however that the Passport Card cannot be used for international travel.

During an identity check in France, for a lambda policeman, it will have no more value than your golf club membership card

Passport. ALWAYS Passport!

California ID means zilch in Europe.

GO 🐻’s!

Thanks everyone. Periscope: sorry if I misled, I was not asking about a small town in Poland. I had understood from a previous posting, which I could not find at the moment that there was a type of driver's license which had a number on it that was recognized as a federal number.
Thanks, Simon for the link.
PharmerPhil & JoLui: so the passport card cannot be used in lieu of an actual passport when one is walking around the streets of a city in France? If not, what is the purpose of a passport card? I already have a regular passport which of course I would use for entry into France.
I had also considered taking a photo of my passport including the entry stamp for France so I would have it on my phone. I know it's not the same as the original document but I would think it might indicate that I was probably in France legally (to be backed up with the actual passport should I be detained by the police). Any thoughts?

Honestly, put your password in a neck pouch and wear it. You won’t even know it’s there.

I assume the passport card is valid for crossing US land borders. I don't know.

They won't jail you for not showing your valid passport. However, although the passport card or a photocopy of your passport can be a clue, it is not officially recognized as proof of identity.

Except at the airport you will have very little chance of having to show your passport, that being said I would love to see the the faces of police officers in the French countryside when you will show them your passport card !

The U.S. passport card may only be used for international travel by land or sea between the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda. The passport card cannot be used for international travel by air.

The passport or passport card can be used as ID with TSA.

A photocopy of your passport may be accepted by some authorities in France but your actual passport is official.

Your drivers license will only be recognized if you are driving a car.

A REAL ID is only valid in the USA. According to DHS:

The purposes (of the REAL ID) are: accessing certain federal facilities, entering nuclear power plants, and, boarding federally regulated commercial aircraft.

A photocopy of your passport may be accepted by some authorities in France but your actual passport is official.

Do you have any reference for this statement? I know of no French authority that will accept a photocopy of a passport for any purpose, unless you have the original with you. A passport photocopy can be useful when reporting your passport lost or stolen at the US embassy and probably no where else.

Do you have any reference for this statement?

According to the interpretation of te article 72-2 (criminal procedures), this is what is called a gray zone which depends on the mood of the controller and if he is in a hurry to go have a drink with his colleagues....

“People who are afraid to travel with the original of their identity document can, in theory, present a photocopy of their official document. The probative nature of the copy is left to the discretion of the agents who carry out the check."

Just take the passport. Neck wallet. Leg Wallet. Moneybelt.

Bothersome would be landing in jail.

Thanks again to all. Diane & Claudia: I cannot wear a neck pouch as I have neck issues and this would greatly aggravate them. The only possibility I have is a waist money belt, which I do wear at airports and other public transportation hubs/trains/buses when it is either necessary to show my ID and/or when I don't want to risk important documents being stolen but need to have it with me i.e changing locations. And yes, going to jail would be a problem. In any case, thanks for the suggestion.

I very much appreciate the input and help I have received on this forum not just for this post but for many others as well. So once again, many thanks to all.

Kay, I use a neck wallet and I really hate having anything around my neck. This is what I do- I take the straps of the neck wallet and I loop it around my bra strap in the front. Then I tuck the neck wallet into my pants. This is all under my top, of course. Et voila! You will have your passport with you at all times. As you can see, I’m in the carry your passport with you at all times camp.

The answer lies in the law and France and many, many countries require that you have a Nationally issued identity document on you at all times (THE document, not a copy). I suspect that prior to the ID card EU citizens now carry the law just said Passport; so I will assume for the sake of wanting to comply with the intent of the law that for a US Citizen nothing short of a passport will meet the intent of the law.

The RS forum I believe has a rule against recommending breaking the law.

But from a more ethical approach, as a guest in someone else country you have a heightened responsibility to obey their laws.

And from a logical approach, "I got away with not ..... " is not good avice.

From a practical approach, if you were to find yourself in a "situation", especially one where authorities were having to deal with a larger situation, dont you think you would be doing them a favor by not expecting them to figure out a Nevada drivers' license?

Even loss when carrying it as a general rule has its flaw; hotels and airbnb's have a whole collection of junk, and passports, left behind in safes and hidden in the back of drawers and I bet that happens every year to as many passports as loss on the street.

As for where to carry it, that's up to you, but I would suggest it not be a location that requires partial undress and reaching your hand into a forbidden zone to present it to the officer (might not go over well ......... or might as the French do have a reputation).

Thanks Claudette, I think I might be able to use the elastic straps on my money belt to loop that through my bra. In any case I'll give it a try. Thanks for the suggestion
Thanks Mr. E, I've never had a problem retrieving my money belt which has my passport, credit cards, cash, airline/train tickets and a couple of keys at minimum, from where it's been hidden in the gites or VRBO apartments were I've stayed. Maybe the problem is that I have so many important things stuffed into my money belt. Don't know what to do about that. I do, however take your point about having responsibility to obey the French laws. I guess it's bad enough we exposed them to McDonald's without further insulting them.

I used to be “Team Carry a Copy” but for a host of reasons, beginning with my first trip of 2016 to Paris, I became “Team Carry the Passport.” I don’t do anything fancy with it to keep it secure. I wear a cross body bag with a deep inner zipped pocket when in Paris. I put it in that pocket when I leave passport control at the airport and that’s that.

Kay, ashamedly the where to store it thought came from my own experience about 15 years ago when I traveled to Europe to make a rather large cash purchase.

Did fine in the US checkpoint, arrived late into LHR and had to make a mad dash, along with hundreds of others, to get through security and to the next flight.

"Whats that in your pants?"
"Its my wallet"
"Take it out"
"Well i really cant the way its tied on, I would have to pull my .................."
Passengers behind me screaming to move the line or we all miss out flights
"Well, what the hell"
I dropped my pants to my knees and untiend the thing I had hanging is a precarious location, and tossed it on the conveyor belt. Cheers ensued from those behind me who apparently like the Scooby Doo boxers.

In my destination city I had to open a bank account which required a trip to the bank men's room; returning with a large sum of cash. I converted the US to the local currency which turned out to be extremely bulky .... return to men's room for "deposit".
Then on to the attorney's office to make the payment. Ahhh, time to show the cash? May I be excused for a moment?

Occasionally i travel to some iffy places so I have a dog tag with my name, passport number, contact person, medical condition, drugs on it. The passport, when I remember to bring it is most comfortable in the zipped pocket of a nice pair of cargo pants or a few pairs of dress pants I have with zippered pockets within the regular hip pockets.

Don't overthink this.

There are plenty of devices available (store-bought or home-made) that allow one to stash a passport securely on their person, discreetly, safely, even comfortably, which allow you to "whip it out" when needed, without having to parade around in you skivvies or otherwise engage in embarrassing behaviors that could land you in jail or require years of therapy. Google "secret pocket" or just look here for some ideas. Doesn't have to be complicated or fancy.

I never brought my driver’s license with me until I ran into a couple of situations where a rental shop or audio headphone checkout spot wanted my passport as collateral. I definitely wasn’t leaving my passport where I could see others lying in plain view in some instances. So now, I just leave my driver’s license with them.

I wear my passport at all times in my money belt.

@Mister E

You just made me spill my nice cold beer. Easy on the humourous description of your body.

Regards Ron

I carried my passport for 25 years, now I carry my residency card. The residency card is (by reputation) far more difficult to have replaced than a passport.

It lives in what is disparagingly called my manbag, inside the main zipped up and clipped compartment of my backpack. On top of that are various pairs of gloves, a hat, battery pack, a mini tripod, and some bits and bobs. The backpack has many compartments, clips, zippers, straps, and pockets, most of which I don't use, but that would provide an entertaining distraction to any wannabe pickpocket.

I never leave my backpack unattended (the army would explode it because it's black) and I carry it on my back except when on public transport or in crowds, when I carry it in front of me with my arms looped through the straps. When I am in a cafe or restaurant it is looped through the leg of a chair and against my leg, or on the bench seat next to me.

Occasionally I have to leave the backpack at the concierge of a museum, but if that's the case then I carry the manbag with my hand through the wrist strap.

It's never felt an onerous task, an imposition, or a danger. It's just part of being an adult, and looking after my own stuff.

Note to self:
Be sure to wear underwear printed with cartoons when traveling in case of sudden "drop in pressure".

Mr E. : I have coffee all over my desk now...... ;))

Kay, I bought a silk neck wallet at REI about 10 years ago.
(I didn't like my tummy appearing any bigger than it already is.)
I wear it holster style under my arm with the strap safety pinned to my camisole strap.
I can adjust the length that it hangs down for comfort and it's always comfortable and usually forgotten until I return to my lodging at the end of the day.