Do the police always need a warrant to conduct a search?
No. In many situations, police may legally conduct a search without first obtaining a warrant. Here are some of the main exceptions (to learn more about these exceptions, see Search Warrants: What They Are and When They’re Necessary):Consent searches. If the police ask your permission to search your home or other property, and you agree, the search is considered consensual, and they don’t need a warrant.Searches made in connection with an arrest. When a person is placed under arrest, the police may search the person and the immediate surroundings for weapons that might be used to harm the officer.Emergency exception. The police don’t need a warrant if they have a reasonable fear that their safety, or that of the public, is in imminent danger.The plain view doctrine. A police officer does not need to obtain a warrant to search and seize contraband that is “in plain view.
