Rule 7:5-3 Search and Seizure Without a Warrant

Police can legally search you or your property without a warrant in certain situations. This rule makes clear that not every search requires a warrant to be legal.

Courts have recognized several situations where a warrantless search is allowed. For example, police can search you when they arrest you, when you give them permission, or when they see evidence of a crime in plain view.

This rule simply prevents people from using the other rules in this section to argue that a search was illegal just because no warrant was obtained. If the search was lawful to begin with, these rules do not change that.