This has already been dealt with in the courts. If you refuse, they
can't search your vehicle. At the most they can walk around your
vehicle with a dog to sniff for drugs, but otherwise, any evidence
they find after you have refused permission would be thrown out of
any court in the US.

In order to perform a search, police need to either have permission,
or probable cause. Probable cause can be anything they can see
through the windows, or can detect from outside (i.e. drug sniffing
dog.)

Safety inspections can result in a search....if there was probable
cause. i.E. a tail light out. On the other hand, you are still in a
position to refuse them the inspection. But you might not be able to
drive away. The various states have slightly different rules. For
instance, if you refuse to allow a safety inspection, the police
might impound your vehicle. Or not, again, states laws differ. In
Virginia annual safety inspections are performed. You can still drive
a vehicle (for up to 2 weeks) that has failed an inspection. In
Maryland safety inspections are only done at the time the vehicle is
purchased....or anytime a Trooper pulls you over for some other
violation (improperly mounted vehicle tags for instance.)

If you have something to hide, your best bet is to keep your vehicle
and trailers up to legal snuff so they have no excuse to pull you over.

The writer of this note is not advocating breaking of any law.

On May 13, 2006, at 9:12 PM, Edward Maglott wrote:

>  If you don't and they want to search, I think they will find a
> way.