If you’re pulled over for an alleged traffic violation and then police officers start shining their flashlight around the interior of your car, open the back doors or trunk and start looking around, you’re likely anxious and maybe a bit angry – even if you’re sure there’s nothing illegal there. You may also wonder if this is legal. Don’t they need a search warrant – or at least your permission?
Unfortunately, what they’re doing is legal if they have “probable cause” that there’s evidence of a crime in your vehicle. That means any evidence they discover may be admissible if you end up facing criminal charges. Our Fourth Amendment protection against unreasonable search and seizure extends to our homes and other premises. However, vehicles – particularly those that have been pulled over on the road – are different.
The Supreme Court has ruled on this issue
The Fourth Amendment didn’t address vehicles because motorized vehicles didn’t exist at the time the U.S. Constitution was written. Therefore, the constitutionality of vehicle searches has come before the U.S. Supreme Court in the ensuing centuries.
The court has ruled that as long as a traffic stop is valid and police have probable cause to search a vehicle for evidence of a crime, no permission or warrant is required. Further, if something illegal, like suspected drugs, is in plain sight of an officer conducting a valid traffic stop, they have the right to seize it.
Why vehicle searches are different than home searches
There are a couple of practical reasons that the Fourth Amendment doesn’t apply to vehicle searches. First, people have less expectation of privacy driving a car down a public road or highway than they would in their homes. Second, the driver could conceivably take off at any moment (although that’s certainly unwise and dangerous), so there’s no time to wait for a warrant.
Every situation is different. For example, if police had no reason to pull you over other than you or your model of vehicle didn’t “fit” in the neighborhood, a search and seizure of items in your car could be problematic.
If you’re facing criminal charges, you can and should question whether the evidence being used against you was obtained lawfully. That’s just one reason why having experienced legal guidance is critical to protecting your rights.