Do you have to answer police questions?

Under the Fifth Amendment you generally cannot be compelled to answer questions that might incriminate you, and the Supreme Court has held that you must invoke the right clearly rather than relying on silence alone, so saying plainly that you are choosing to remain silent and want a lawyer is the operative step. That request should stop questioning until counsel is present. Miranda warnings are required before custodial interrogation, meaning you are both in custody and being questioned, which is why officers can lawfully ask questions during a casual encounter or roadside stop without reading rights.

There are limits worth knowing. In stop-and-identify states, an officer with reasonable suspicion may require you to state your name, and traffic stops require producing license, registration, and insurance. You can ask whether you are free to leave; if yes, you may go, and if no, you are detained and the right to stay silent is your main protection. Consent searches are exactly that, you can decline consent, and declining is not evidence of guilt, though officers may still search if they have independent legal grounds. The practical advice from defense lawyers and civil liberties organizations alike is consistent: stay calm and polite, do not argue or physically resist even if you believe the stop is unlawful, sort it out later through counsel and complaints, and remember that talking your way out is far rarer than talking your way into a charge.