Do the police need a warrant to search a house for drugs?
The police cannot search your home without a warrant. The Fourth Amendment protects you against “unreasonable” searches and seizures by state or federal law enforcement authorities, but it permits searches and seizures that are considered reasonable. A warrant is a piece of paper signed by a judge that describes the place to be searched and the people or things that can be seized. A judge makes a decision to sign a warrant after hearing sufficient reasons why the warrant should be issued from the law enforcement official. The judge must be convinced that there is “probable cause” to believe that the warrant should be issued (they believe they can find evidence and/or that you committed a crime). However, once you leave your home and are on a street or in your car, the rules change somewhat and the police are allowed to do more. The police may conduct a search of your home, car, boat, office, personal or business documents, etc. if the circumstances justify the search without a warrant.
