# Do cops have to tell me why they're searching my car?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cops-have-to-tell-me-why-theyre-searching-my-car/358745>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 30, 2006, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cops-have-to-tell-me-why-theyre-searching-my-car/358745 "2006-05-30T15:49:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2006, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cops-have-to-tell-me-why-theyre-searching-my-car/358745/41 "2006-05-31T00:04:43Z")

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A slight hijack: Has there been a case in which someone successfully made a defense against a claim of probable cause due to the fact that the officer (say, repeatedly) asked for his consent to search?

ie “If he was so sure I had drugs, why did he ask me five times if he could look in the trunk?”

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**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2006, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cops-have-to-tell-me-why-theyre-searching-my-car/358745/42 "2006-05-31T00:47:43Z")

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[QUOTE=Uncommon Sense]  
So, again…if they’re looking for a weapon, can they open up the 35mm film cannister on the floor of the car.

[QUOTE]

Those bullets have to be hidden somewhere.

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**Author:** ![twhitt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@twhitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twhitt)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2006, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cops-have-to-tell-me-why-theyre-searching-my-car/358745/43 "2006-05-31T00:56:35Z")

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[QUOTE=Hal Briston]  
The one time that a friend decided to say “no, you have no reason to search the car”, it was fine with the officer. Three hours and seven tickets later, his point was made.  
[/QUOTE]  
Supposing I’m pulled over at 2 in the morning, just after the closing time of local bars, and I’ve not violated any laws that I’m aware of, which is to say that I have not had alcohol, do not have a firearm or drugs, have obeyed the speed limit, have working seatbelts, lights and turn signals, which were all used. In other words, I’m pulled over for what I would deem to be harassment, in my non-expert opinion…

I refuse to consent to a search, politely but clearly. The cop becomes annoyed, decides to make my life miserable by holding me for three hours and writing seven tickets, as described by **Hal Briston**. Seven tickets? What on earth could I be written up for, especially given that the officer hasn’t searched my vehicle?

In a worst-case scenario, of course.

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