Car Searches by Police

Learn about the rights police have to search your car.

More Legal Topics

Related Ads

Need Professional Help? Talk to a Lawyer
Enter Your Zip Code to Connect with a Lawyer Serving Your Area

Car searches are a special type of "stop & frisk." Learn about car searches, when police can search them, what rights you have to avoid a search of your car and more here.

Car Stops and Searches

The mobility of cars leads to some special rules for stopping and searching them.

Car Searches Following a Valid Stop
A valid car stop can support a limited search.

Searching Passengers and Their Belongings
Evidence seized during a car search may be admissible, depending on the facts of the case.

Using a Traffic Stop as a Pretext to Search for Evidence
If a minor infraction justifies a stop, an officer's additional reasons for making the stop usually won't invalidate it.

Common Questions

These questions often come up in car search cases

Are the rules for car searches different when the search is near a U.S. border?
Border searches involve special rules.

Can police use dogs to sniff for drugs when they don't have a warrant?
There's no Fourth Amendment protection when it comes to the smell of your car.

Can the police attach a GPS device to my car to track my whereabouts?
The police can follow you on public streets without a warrant forever--but they can't attach a GPS to do the same thing unless they obtain a warrant.