Under what circumstances may the police contemporaneously search the passenger compartment of a vehicle?

• A. If the vehicle may contain evidence related to the crime or a weapon may be discovered
• B. Only with a warrant
• C. Only with the owner's consent
• D. If the occupant is under 18

Answer: (A)

The rule here is the automobile exception to the Fourth Amendment. Police may search a vehicle without a warrant when they have probable cause to believe the vehicle contains evidence of a crime or a weapon could be found inside. That probable cause justifies a contemporaneous search of the passenger compartment and any containers within it, because a car can be moved and the privacy interests are somewhat limited. If there’s no probable cause, no warrant, and no consent, the search isn’t allowed. The occupant’s age doesn’t create a separate exception or requirement.