Under Carroll doctrine, warrantless search is permissible when there is probable cause to believe the vehicle contains contraband and the vehicle is readily mobile. Which option represents this condition?

Under Carroll doctrine, warrantless search is permissible when there is probable cause to believe the vehicle contains contraband and the vehicle is readily mobile. Which option represents this condition?

• A. If the car is legally parked and static
• B. If there is probable cause to believe the vehicle contains contraband and the vehicle is readily mobile
• C. Only with a search warrant
• D. Only with consent

Answer: (B)

Under the automobile exception, the reason a warrantless search is allowed is that a vehicle’s ready mobility creates a risk that evidence could be moved or destroyed if officers had to wait for a warrant. If there is probable cause to believe the vehicle contains contraband and the vehicle is readily mobile, officers may search the vehicle without a warrant. This matches the condition described: probable cause plus the vehicle’s mobility. If the car is parked and static, that mobility factor isn’t present, so the urgent justification for bypassing a warrant isn’t triggered. The options about needing a warrant or requiring consent describe other, separate avenues for searches, not the specific auto exception scenario.

Under the automobile exception, the reason a warrantless search is allowed is that a vehicle’s ready mobility creates a risk that evidence could be moved or destroyed if officers had to wait for a warrant. If there is probable cause to believe the vehicle contains contraband and the vehicle is readily mobile, officers may search the vehicle without a warrant. This matches the condition described: probable cause plus the vehicle’s mobility.

If the car is parked and static, that mobility factor isn’t present, so the urgent justification for bypassing a warrant isn’t triggered. The options about needing a warrant or requiring consent describe other, separate avenues for searches, not the specific auto exception scenario.