[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"stats-overview":3,"kb-article-pace-code-b-can-police-search-your-home":10},{"officers":4,"forces":5,"courts":6,"prisons":7,"hearings":8,"legals":9},769,50,224,120,41,11437,{"id":11,"slug":12,"name":13,"content":14,"category_id":15,"source":16,"source_url":17,"source_ref":18,"licence":19,"sort_order":20,"published":21,"created_at":22,"updated_at":22,"category":23,"category_icon":24,"category_slug":25,"excerpt":26,"word_count":27,"reading_time":28,"is_official":21,"related":29,"previous":34,"next":34},"36","pace-code-b-can-police-search-your-home","Can the police search your home?","The police can usually only search your home in one of a few situations: with your genuine consent; with a search warrant issued by a court; or using a specific legal power (for example, to search after an arrest, or in an emergency to protect life or prevent serious damage).\n\nIf they rely on your consent, it must be informed and in writing where practicable, and you can refuse — they should tell you that you do not have to agree and that anything found may be used in evidence. You can also withdraw consent.\n\nIf they have a warrant, it should be shown to you, and you are entitled to a copy. The search must stay within what the warrant allows — they can only look in places where the items they are searching for could reasonably be.\n\nA search must be carried out at a reasonable hour unless that would frustrate its purpose, and with no more force or disturbance than necessary. Afterwards, the occupier is entitled to a record of the search and a list of anything seized.\n\nThis is a plain-English summary. For the exact rules, read the official PACE Code B.","14","PACE Code B (2013)","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gov.uk\u002Fgovernment\u002Fpublications\u002Fpace-code-b-2013","Code B, sections 5–8","OGL v3.0",10,true,"2026-06-22T11:50:16.000Z","PACE Code B – Searching Premises","mdi:home-search","pace-code-b-searching-premises","The police can usually only search your home in one of a few situations: with your genuine consent; with a search warrant issued by a court; or using a…",196,1,[30,43,52,62],{"id":31,"slug":32,"name":33,"source":34,"source_url":34,"sort_order":35,"category":36,"category_icon":37,"category_slug":38,"excerpt":39,"word_count":40,"reading_time":41,"is_official":42},"21","police-raid-procedures","Police raids: your rights when officers search your home",null,0,"Your Home","mdi:home-outline","your-home","Your home has the strongest protection of any place in English law. Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, given effect by the Human Rights…",991,5,false,{"id":44,"slug":45,"name":46,"source":34,"source_url":34,"sort_order":35,"category":47,"category_icon":48,"category_slug":49,"excerpt":50,"word_count":51,"reading_time":20,"is_official":42},"19","stop-and-search-police-powers","Stop and search: what the police can and can't do","Stop and Search","mdi:account-search","stop-and-search","Police in England and Wales can stop and search you in public only if they have a legal power to do so, and in almost every case they need reasonable grounds…",1843,{"id":53,"slug":54,"name":55,"source":34,"source_url":34,"sort_order":35,"category":56,"category_icon":57,"category_slug":58,"excerpt":59,"word_count":60,"reading_time":61,"is_official":42},"17","section-8","Section 8 PACE: how police search warrants work","Sections","mdi:format-section","sections","A \"section 8\" is the standard police search warrant in England and Wales, issued under section 8 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984. If officers…",652,4,{"id":63,"slug":64,"name":65,"source":66,"source_url":67,"sort_order":20,"category":68,"category_icon":48,"category_slug":69,"excerpt":70,"word_count":71,"reading_time":72,"is_official":21},"28","pace-code-a-when-can-police-stop-and-search-you","When can the police stop and search you?","PACE Code A (2023)","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gov.uk\u002Fgovernment\u002Fpublications\u002Fpace-code-a-2023","PACE Code A – Stop & Search","pace-code-a-stop-and-search","Most police powers to stop and search you need \"reasonable grounds for suspicion\". That means the officer must genuinely suspect they will find something…",218,2]