Stop and frisk extends to motor vehicle stops?

• A. It does not apply to motor vehicle stops
• B. When lawfully stopping a vehicle and detaining one of its occupants, the officer can search interior portions where a weapon might be located or hidden if the officer has reasonable belief that the detainee is potentially dangerous and might have access to a weapon
• C. It requires a warrant
• D. It allows searching the entire car without suspicion

Answer: (B)

During a lawful motor vehicle stop, officers can act to protect themselves much as they do on the street. If the officer reasonably believes the detained occupant is dangerous and could have immediate access to a weapon, they may perform a protective frisk of the person and also search interior portions of the vehicle where a weapon might be hidden. This is not a full car search and does not require a warrant; the scope is limited to areas where a weapon could be located and to the duration of the ordinary stop. So, the key idea is that stop-and-frisk can extend to a vehicle stop under the right safety-based justification, allowing a limited interior search for weapons when there’s reasonable suspicion of danger.