Three-quarters know they can refuse an officer's request to search their car
Core finding
Presented with a scenario in which a police officer asks to search their car during a traffic stop, 76% of Americans say they have a legal right to refuse, according to an April 2025 Verasight survey.
Another 10% say they do not have that right, and 14% say they don't know.
Topline distribution
Three-quarters know they can refuse an officer's request to search their car.
Do you have a legal right to refuse the officer's request to search your car?
n = 1,000 · Apr 9–15, 2025 · MoE ±3.5%
Methodology
Full methodology →| Mode | Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting |
|---|---|
| Population | US adults age 18+ |
| Field dates | Apr 9–15, 2025 |
| Base (unweighted) | 1,000 |
| Margin of error | ±3.5% |
| Module | elections |
| Sponsor | Verasight |
| Weight variable | weight |
| Weighting targets | age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status |
Sources
- verasight-mpsa-2025.tiiny.co
Do you have a legal right to refuse the officer's request to search your car?
Cite this question
Verasight MPSA Omnibus Survey #2025-026, fielded April 9-15, 2025, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.5%.