Car Searches by Police
Learn when police may search cars, what rights you have to avoid a car search, and more.
When a police officer begins to pull you over, what you do and say during a traffic stop can have a huge effect.
A traffic stop normally ends with a citation—the annoyed motorist simply drives away. But an officer will sometime prolong a traffic detention, in the process searching the driver’s vehicle.
If police lawful stop a car, are they allowed to search passengers and their belongings? As with many legal questions, the answer depends.
Police officers can impound your car for a variety of reasons. If your vehicle has been impounded by the police, they probably have the authority to search it.
An officer’s pulling over a driver constitutes a detention—the driver hasn’t been arrested, but nevertheless isn’t free to leave.
The Supreme Court says a K-9 sniff during a roadside detention is okay—unless it unreasonably prolongs the stop.
A person's rights are greatly diminished at and near the border. Learn about the Border Patrol's authority to question, detain, and search you, your car, and more.
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