Six Warrantless Vehicle Searches

A No-Nonsense Guide for Cops Who Want to Get It Right

If you're a cop working the road, you already know that vehicle searches are a huge part of the job. The problem? There’s a lot of confusion about what you can and can’t do without a warrant. That’s where this class comes in.

In Six Warrantless Vehicle Searches, we cut through the legal jargon and get straight to what you need to know to do your job effectively and constitutionally. We break down six key exceptions to the warrant requirement, giving you real-world applications and case law that back them up.


Key Takeaways:

  • The Motor Vehicle Exception: Why it’s one of the most powerful search tools available and how it allows you to search a car as if you had a warrant (when you have probable cause).

  • Protective Sweeps for Weapons: How Michigan v. Long allows you to search a car for weapons if the occupant is armed and dangerous—even if they’re outside the car.

  • Inventory Searches: When and how you can legally search an impounded vehicle without violating the Fourth Amendment.

  • K9 Sniffs and Probable Cause: What happens when a dog alerts, and how courts view these searches post-Rodriguez v. U.S.

  • Consent Searches: How to ask for consent correctly (and what happens when states impose additional restrictions).

  • Community Caretaking & Exigent Circumstances: When it’s okay to enter a vehicle for safety reasons or in emergencies without needing a crime-related justification.


This isn’t a law school lecture—this is a straight-to-the-point, high-energy class built for working cops who want to stay out of trouble and make solid cases. We’re talking real case law, real tactics, and real scenarios so you can apply these principles on your next traffic stop.

Whether you’re a rookie or a veteran, this class will give you a better grasp of search and seizure laws, helping you make good stops, write better reports, and keep evidence admissible in court.


Formats: Live Online | On-Demand

Length: 1 Hour

Credit: In-services credit available in many states. 

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Course curriculum

  1. 1

    • Welcome to Blue to Gold University

    • Course Introduction

    • Meet your Instructor

    • Questions and Technical Support
  2. 2

    • Six Warrantless Vehicle Searches
  3. 3

    • Assessment - Six Warrantless Vehicle Searches

  4. 4

    • Presentation PDF

    • Search & Seizure Survival Guide eBook

Course Reviews

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

5 star rating

Great Class

Sigurd Sivertson

I believe every officer in the US should take this course. Officers need to know this stuff so we can stop bad case law from being made.

I believe every officer in the US should take this course. Officers need to know this stuff so we can stop bad case law from being made.

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5 star rating

Amazing!!

Steven Sentz

Highly useful information that can be used on every call for service

Highly useful information that can be used on every call for service

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4 star rating

This class was great

Humberto Martinez

i learned a lot. Its about the minor details, especially when it comes to our line of work

i learned a lot. Its about the minor details, especially when it comes to our line of work

Read Less
5 star rating

Solid

Troy Wylie

Helpful information, very well presented, in manageable portions.

Helpful information, very well presented, in manageable portions.

Read Less

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