What Are Your Options When a Cop Asks to Search Your Vehicle?
Question by robc9951: What are your options when a cop asks to search your vehicle?
What happens if you say no?
Does the officer need “reasonable cause” in order to search the vehicle without your permission?
What circumstances would allow a cop to search the vehicle without your permission?
Can someone just explain how all this works?
Thanks.
Best answer:
Answer by Joan S
You can say yes or you can say no. If they have grounds to conduct the search…they won’t ask for permission.
Answer by Tomk
If you don’t agree to a search, then they have to get a search warrant. Depending on what you were stopped for, they could put you in the local jail until the warrant is obtained. Searching your vehicle is not the same as looking inside your vehicle.
If you’re stopped for speeding and the cop looks in the window and sees a bag of cocaine on the seat, he’s going to arrest you and seize the drugs. That’s not “searching” your vehicle.
If he just pulls you over for no reason and says “I need to search your vehicle” then he needs a warrant.
You need to give more specific information.
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