Can Cops Take Away Your Police Benevolent Association PBA Card?

PBA stands for Police Benevolent Association and it is the given name to police labor unions across the United States. The PBA card is the property of the Police Benevolent Association so, cops can take away your PBA card. If you misuse the card or if you want to get out of citations using the card then the police will take your card back. 

Key Takeaways

• A PBA card can save you from minor speeding tickets or random stops and searches
• You will be surprised to know that more than 1 million police officers are registered in Police Benevolent Association
• A PBA card contains information about the card bearer that includes name, phone number, and signature
• Usually, a PBA card is given to family members of police officers but in some case friends and coworkers related to police officers also get PBA cards

What Is A PBA Card?

The PBA card is like a real-life “get out of jail free” card but not everyone can get it. If you have a PBA card then you can use the card to get out of a jam for minor speeding tickets or random stops and searches. The PBA cards are issued by the police to help get the cardholder out of minor law infractions. There are nearly 1 million police officers registered in Police Benevolent Association. Other forces also have their own union and these unions have a history of handing out PBA cards to close friends and family in order to help them out when they are in trouble with the law. Many PBA cardholders said that they have only received warnings instead of speeding tickets when they showed the PBA card.

Who Has A PBA Card?

Usually, PBA cards are given to family members of police officers but according to many reports, PBA cards are also given to friends and coworkers related to police officers. The PBA card is a type of laminated card and it contains information of the card bearer that includes name, phone number, and signature. This information helps the policeman confirm the cardholder’s relationship with the officer. The PBA card can work the most when the holder has the same surname as the officer who issued the card. On many occasions, PBA cards are issued to community leaders such as politicians and religious leaders, as well as journalists.

What Powers Does The PBA Card Give Police?

The PBA cardholder won’t get any special power from the card but having the card has helped the cardholders avoid traffic tickets, such as red lights and speeding violations. On many occasions, police officers only give warnings but for serious offenses like drunk driving and dangerous speeding they might arrest the PBA cardholder as well as take the PBA card away. In the past, the PBA card has more credibility but now it lost its value as more and more got into the public’s hands.

Do All PBA Cards Are Treated Equally?

There are few types of PBA cards available and not all PBA cards work the same way. For example, If someone receives a general PBA card that does not have an officer’s name or badge number on it, then it won’t get him/her out of a ticket incident for driving. However, if the officer is nice then he/she might ask the driver which officer issued the card, the jurisdiction he/she is from, and how the driver knows him or her. If the driver politely answers all the questions and if the officer becomes satisfied with the answers, then the driver might be able to avoid getting the ticket. So, regardless of whether the PBA card has the officer’s name on it or not, the closer the relationship between the cardholder and the issuing officer the greater the chance one has of avoiding a ticket. So, the best type of PBA card one can have is one that has the police officer’s name and badge number on it and the police officer is well-known and well-respected throughout the state. So, if the duty officer knows that the driver has a connection to a well-regarded officer then the driver can easily avoid receiving a traffic ticket.

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References:

1. https://www.the-sun.com/news/4212777/what-is-a-pba-card/
2. https://www.vice.com/en/article/v7gxa4/pba-card-police-courtesy-cards

Last Updated on November 13, 2022 by Magalie D.