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 to suspect you are carrying something specific. This guide explains when a search is allowed, what the officer must tell you, what you do and do not have to do, and how to get a record or complain afterwards.

When can the police stop and search you?

Most searches are carried out under section 1 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) or section 23 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. For these, the officer must have reasonable grounds to suspect you are carrying:

  • Controlled drugs.
  • An offensive weapon, or a knife or other bladed article.
  • Stolen property.
  • Something that could be used for burglary, theft, fraud or criminal damage, such as a crowbar, a screwdriver or a stolen bank card.
  • Fireworks that you are not allowed to have.

Reasonable grounds means a genuine, objective reason connected to you or the situation, such as a description from a witness, seeing something being passed between people, or intelligence about a particular place at a particular time. The rules in PACE Code A say that grounds cannot be based on your race, religion, age, appearance, clothing, hairstyle or the fact that you have been in trouble before. Being in a high-crime area or being with people who are suspected of something is not, on its own, enough. There is a separate guide on this site, What counts as reasonable suspicion?, that goes into the detail.

Searches without reasonable suspicion

There are a few situations where the police can search you even though they have no reason to suspect you personally:

  • Section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994. A senior officer can authorise searches for weapons in a defined area for up to 24 hours, which can be extended to 48, where serious violence is expected or has happened. Officers do not need grounds for each person, but the authorisation itself must exist. You can ask which power is being used and, afterwards, check that an authorisation was in force.
  • Section 60AA of the same Act lets an officer require you to remove a face covering in an area where this has been authorised, if they believe you are wearing it to hide your identity.
  • Section 47A of the Terrorism Act 2000. A very senior officer can authorise searches in an area for a limited period where an act of terrorism is suspected. These authorisations are rare.
  • Entering some places. Searches at airports, at certain sports grounds and when you enter a court building or a prison are carried out under separate rules, usually as a condition of entry.

A traffic stop is different again. Under section 163 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 a uniformed officer can require any vehicle to stop, and can ask for your licence and details, but that does not by itself give them a power to search you or the car. A search of the car needs one of the powers above.

What the officer must tell you before searching

Before a search starts, the officer must take reasonable steps to tell you:

  • Their name, or their number if the search is connected with terrorism, and the police station they work from.
  • What they are looking for.
  • The grounds for the search, in other words what makes them suspect you.
  • The legal power they are using.
  • That you are entitled to a record of the search, and how you will get it.

If the officer is not in uniform they must show you their warrant card. Officers are trained to remember these steps with the acronym GOWISELY: Grounds, Object, Warrant card, Identity, Station, Entitlement to a record, Legal power, and You are being detained for the purpose of a search. If any of these were missed, say so in your complaint; a search that does not follow Code A may be unlawful.

What you have to do, and what you do not

  • You do not have to answer questions, give your name or address, or explain where you are going. Refusing to answer is not a ground for a search and cannot be used as one.
  • You do have to stay while the search is carried out. You are being detained for the search, and walking away or struggling can lead to arrest for obstruction. The detention must last only as long as the search reasonably needs.
  • Officers can use reasonable force to carry out a lawful search if you refuse to cooperate. Staying calm, keeping your hands visible and saying clearly that you do not consent but will not resist protects you and makes any later complaint stronger.
  • The officer will ask you to describe your own ethnicity for the record. You can decline, and the officer will record what they observe instead.
  • You can ask for the officer's body-worn camera to be switched on. Most forces require it to be on for every search.

What the search can involve

  • In public, the officer can only ask you to remove an outer coat, a jacket and gloves. They can look inside your pockets and bags, and feel the outside of your clothing.
  • Under section 60AA or an authorised terrorism search you can also be required to remove anything you are wearing to conceal your identity, such as a mask or scarf.
  • Anything beyond that, such as removing a jumper, shoes or headwear, must be done out of public view, for example in a police van or at a station, by an officer of the same sex as you and with no one of the opposite sex present unless you ask for them to be there.
  • A search that exposes intimate parts of the body (a strip search) is not part of a stop and search in the street. It can only happen at a police station or a similar private place, must be justified, and if you are under 18 an appropriate adult must normally be present. PACE Code C sets out the safeguards. There is a separate guide on this site, Removing clothing during a stop and search, covering this in detail.
  • The officer can look at items they find, but the power is to search for the object they told you about. Reading through your phone is not part of a street search; a phone can only be examined or seized under a separate power, usually after an arrest.
  • An unattended vehicle can be searched if the grounds exist. The officer must leave a notice inside saying it was searched, which station to contact and that you can claim compensation for any damage.

Children and vulnerable people

A person of any age can be stopped and searched in public. There is no requirement for a parent or appropriate adult to be present for a street search, but officers must take extra care with children and anyone who appears vulnerable, must explain what is happening in a way they understand, and must not carry out any search involving more than outer clothing without an appropriate adult if the person is under 18 or vulnerable. If your child has been searched, you can ask the force for the record and the body-worn footage on their behalf.

Your rights afterwards

  • You are entitled to a record of the search. Most forces record it electronically and give you a receipt or a reference number at the time. If you were not given a record, you can ask the force for a copy at any time within three months.
  • The record must show the officer's details, the date, time and place, what they were looking for, the grounds, the power used and whether anything was found. Check that the grounds written down match what you were told.
  • Nothing being found does not mean the search was unlawful, but it does mean the grounds should be looked at closely if you think they were weak.
  • Body-worn video is usually kept for a limited time, often around a month, unless a complaint or a case is opened. Ask for it quickly if you want it preserved.

If you think the search was wrong

  1. Get the record. Ask for it at the time, or write to the force quoting the date, time and place.
  2. Complain to the force. Every force has a professional standards department that must record your complaint. Say what was missed or wrong: no grounds given, grounds that were based on appearance, clothing removed in public, force used without need, or no record offered. Quote the search record and ask for the body-worn footage to be preserved.
  3. Escalate if needed. If you are unhappy with the force's handling, you can ask for a review by the Independent Office for Police Conduct or the local policing body, depending on the type of complaint. The force must tell you which applies.
  4. Community scrutiny. Most forces have a stop and search scrutiny panel of local residents who review records and footage. You can ask for your search to be considered.
  5. Legal action. A search without a lawful power or grounds is an assault and false imprisonment in law. A solicitor can advise on a civil claim for damages. Advice at a police station is free for everyone, and many criminal solicitors offer a first discussion without charge.

Quick answers

Do I have to give my name? No. A stop and search does not require you to identify yourself.

Can they search me because I smell of cannabis? Forces differ. Smell alone is widely regarded as weak grounds and the College of Policing guidance says it should not usually be the only factor. Ask what else the grounds are, and check the record.

Can they search my car? Yes, under the same powers, if the grounds exist. A traffic stop on its own is not a search power.

Can they search my home? Not under stop and search powers. Entering and searching your home needs a warrant, your consent, or a separate power such as a search after arrest. See the guide on this site about searches of your home.

Can I film the search? Yes. You can film in a public place as long as you do not obstruct the officer.

What if I was stopped but not searched? That is a stop and account, which is covered in its own guide. You do not have to answer, and there is no record unless you ask for one in forces that still provide them.

This is general information for England and Wales, not legal advice, based on PACE Code A and Code C as in force in 2026. If you have been arrested or charged, speak to a solicitor as soon as possible.