Field Resource · Case Law
Traffic Stops
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.
Brendlin v. California
Passengers are seized too · 551 U.S. 249 (2007)
A traffic stop seizes passengers as well as the driver. A passenger may challenge the legality of the stop.
Hilton v. State
Cracked windshield stops · 961 So. 2d 284 (Fla. 2007)
A windshield crack alone does not justify an equipment stop; reasonably suspect that its condition makes the vehicle unsafe.
Maryland v. Wilson
Passenger exit orders · 519 U.S. 408 (1997)
During a lawful traffic stop, an officer may order passengers out of the vehicle pending completion of the stop.
Pennsylvania v. Mimms
Driver exit orders · 434 U.S. 106 (1977)
During a lawful traffic stop, an officer may order the driver out of the vehicle.
Rodriguez v. United States
Extending a stop · 575 U.S. 348 (2015)
Do not add time to a traffic stop for an unrelated investigation without independent reasonable suspicion.
State v. Teamer
Vehicle color mismatch · 151 So. 3d 421 (Fla. 2014)
A vehicle's color differing from its registration record, by itself, did not justify an investigative stop.
Whren v. United States
Objective traffic justification · 517 U.S. 806 (1996)
Probable cause of a traffic violation can justify a stop under the Fourth Amendment even when the officer also has another investigative motive.