Search Warrants

Learn about when the police need a search warrant and when a warrant might not be necessary.

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In most cases, police must obtain a search warrant before conducting a search. Learn about when and how the police obtain a search warrant and when a warrant might not be necessary.

Introduction

Search Warrant Basics
Learn when police officers must obtain a warrant before they search your home or other property.

What It Takes to Get a Warrant

Search Warrants and Probable Cause
A judge will issue a warrant if the police can show that it's reasonably likely that the search will turn up contraband or evidence of a crime.

Police Searches and Improperly Issued Warrants
What happens to evidence that's obtained after a judge issues a warrant in error?

Common Questions

These questions arise frequently.

If the police fail to get a warrant, must the case against me be dismissed?
Absence of a warrant might result in the suppression of the evidence at trial, but not always.

Is an old search warrant still valid?
Search warrants must be carried out "forthwith," or without unreasonable delay. What does that mean?