Field Resource · Case Law
Home Entry & Arrest Warrants
Quick reference—verify current law and follow agency policy. Summaries do not independently establish search or arrest authority.
Florida tags identify Florida state-court decisions. Nationwide decisions apply in Florida too; DCA decisions may have district-specific limits.
Brigham City v. Stuart
Emergency aid entry · 547 U.S. 398 (2006)
Officers may enter a home without a warrant when objective facts support an immediate need to help someone seriously injured or threatened with serious injury.
Caniglia v. Strom
Community caretaking at homes · 593 U.S. 194 (2021)
Vehicle community-caretaking authority does not create a standalone exception for warrantless entry or seizure inside a home.
Lange v. California
Misdemeanor pursuit into a home · 594 U.S. 295 (2021)
Pursuit of a fleeing misdemeanor suspect does not automatically authorize warrantless home entry; assess whether the actual circumstances create an exigency.
Maryland v. Buie
Protective home sweep · 494 U.S. 325 (1990)
During a lawful in-home arrest, officers may check immediately adjoining spaces where an attack could originate. A wider sweep requires articulable facts suggesting a dangerous person is present.
Payton v. New York
Arrest at the suspect's home · 445 U.S. 573 (1980)
An arrest warrant may authorize entry into the suspect's own residence when there is reason to believe the suspect is inside. Routine nonconsensual home arrest requires a warrant unless an exception applies.
Steagald v. United States
Arrest at a third party's home · 451 U.S. 204 (1981)
An arrest warrant for a suspect does not by itself authorize searching a third party's home for that suspect. Generally obtain a search warrant unless valid consent or exigent circumstances apply.