During a Terry stop, under what condition may you search a vehicle's unlocked containers?

• A. Only unlocked containers/containers that can fit a weapon
• B. Full vehicle search
• C. You must have a warrant
• D. You cannot search vehicles

Answer: (A)

During a Terry stop, the main idea is officer safety through a limited, protective search for weapons. When a vehicle is involved, this safety-focused search can extend to parts of the car that could conceal a weapon, but it stays narrow: you may reach into unlocked containers or spaces within the vehicle that could reasonably hold a weapon. You’re not allowed a full sweep of the car or opening every compartment, especially locked ones, and you don’t need a warrant for this kind of limited, weapon-focused search as long as the stop is justified by reasonable suspicion of danger. So, the best answer is that you may search only those unlocked containers or containers that could fit a weapon.