When Can the Police Search My Car?

You have probably seen situations involving minor traffic stops that quickly escalate, resulting in an arrest and criminal charges. Many times, this happens because the police find something illegal in the person’s vehicle.

When you are pulled over, the police may ask if they can search your vehicle. You might say yes, believing that you have no other choice.

Your constitutional right to refuse a search

However, the police only have the right to search your vehicle in certain situations. The Fourth Amendment to the Constitution protects you from unreasonable searches and seizures.

This means that police officers cannot search a location, such as your home, unless they have probable cause to believe that the location contains evidence of a crime. You have somewhat less protection in your car, but still the police generally must have probable cause to search your car’s trunk and other enclosed areas in your car..

Do not underestimate the importance of this constitutional right. Evidence recovered in violation of your right against unreasonable searches and seizures must be suppressed. Without evidence, prosecutors often have no case and are forced to dismiss the charges.

There are some exceptions to the warrant requirement that allow police to search your vehicle during a traffic stop without probable cause.

Consent

Consent is the easiest way for police officers to legally search your vehicle. As mentioned, police will likely ask for permission to search your vehicle. If you say yes, the police may search every area of your vehicle, including any closed containers, your glove box and your trunk.

Remember your constitutional right to refuse the search request. Your refusal can be simple. Stating that you do not give the officer permission to search your vehicle is a valid refusal.

You can also limit the search. For example, you can tell the officer that you give permission for them to search the front seat area, but nowhere else.

Plain view

Police can seize any item that is in plain view if they believe it is evidence of a crime. This is common in traffic stops that result in drug charges.

An officer may pull you over for speeding. If they walk up to your vehicle and see drug paraphernalia on the passenger seat, they can seize the paraphernalia as evidence of a crime.

To assert the plain view exception to the warrant requirement, the police officer must be in a lawful location when they see the evidence. They cannot lean into your vehicle further than necessary and then claim the plain view exception if they see something buried underneath a seat.

Additionally, the officer cannot move items around and then claim the plain view exception. For the exception to be valid, the officer must be able to see it without doing anything extra.

You can prevent a seizure of evidence under the plain view requirement by not keeping anything suspicious out in the open.

Inventory search

If you are arrested, the police can impound your vehicle and perform an inventory search. This allows them to search your vehicle and any evidence found can be used against you, even if it is unrelated to your initial arrest.

The best way to prevent the seizure of evidence from an impounded vehicle is to request that someone come retrieve your vehicle to prevent the impoundment.

Knowing these exceptions and how to prevent evidence from being seized under them can make a huge difference in the outcome of a traffic stop in Illinois.