Does a police officer need a warrant to go through your car?

Answer 1

Police may not need a warrant to search a vehicle according to the mobile conveyance doctrine. A vehicle must be in a public place, readily mobile, and the Officer must have probable cause to believe contraband or evidence of a crime is contained with in the vehicle. If all of the above is met, the Officer will not need a warrant to search the vehicle.

Answer 2

some times. usually he will will ask your permission. if you say no and he isn't suspicious he will be fine with it. in some county's he can impound your car on suspicion and then get a warrant and search it and you pay the impound fees. if you have nothing to hide let him search it. if you feel its violating your rights tell him or he will think your hiding something.

I spell checked your answer.

A police officer MAY search your vehicle without a warrant if he has "probable cause".

Meaning that if he suspects that you are doing something illegal, carrying something illegal or your passengers are doing something illegal, he can search the car without a warrant. If he rolls up on you and stops you for a tail light being out and when he comes up to the vehicle, he sees smoke and smells marijuana, he has the legal right to search the vehicle because he has probable cause that you or someone in your vehicle is in possession of Marijuana.

Answer 3

As with most things dealing with the law - IT DEPENDS.

No solid answer can be given because enough information is not idsclosed in the question - and whether or not probable cause exists for the officers to obtain a warrant.

If they have reason to believe that the safe is not yours - and you cannot give good account for it, they can confiscate it as "suspected proceeds of crime" and subsequently get a warrant to open it and identify its ownership.

On the other hand, if it IS yours, and they believe that you are transporting sometihng illegal in the safe - they can either confiscate it (as above) or hold your car impounded until such time as they get a warrant to search it.