Know Your Rights: What To Do And Say When Pulled Over

Learn the rules when interacting with an officer.

Put your car in park. - This step lets the officer know that you are not going to try to flee.   (Photo: RelaXimages/Corbis)
Stay in plain sight. - If it’s dark, turning on your overhead light lets the officer see where your hands are. Do not reach for your documents before he approaches the car — he could assume that you’re looking for a weapon or attempting to hide something.   (Photo: Image Source/Corbis)
Let down your window and put your hands on the steering wheel. - Don’t let the window down all the way, though — officers have been known to put their heads in the car to look for things “in plain sight” or to say they caught a whiff of alcohol or marijuana. A quarter of the way gives you plenty of room to communicate and hand out your documents. Leave your hands on the steering wheel until he asks you to retrieve your license and registration.  (Photo: DreamPictures/Blend Images/Corbis)
Don’t tell on yourself. - Even if you know you were speeding or that your rear light is out, if the officer asks the typical opening question — “Do you know why I pulled you over?” — say, “No.” You will have trouble fighting a ticket if you admit guilt. Plus, the Fifth Amendment protects you from incriminating yourself.   (Photo: Jose Luis Pelaez, Inc./Blend Images/Corbis)Know that you can be ordered out of your car. - The Supreme Court ruled in 1977 that an officer’s safety outweighs the inconvenience of making you exit the vehicle, and so they can tell you and your passengers to get out of your car without placing you under arrest. Rolling up your windows and locking your doors can help protect you from a subsequent search.   (Photo: Zave Smith/Corbis)

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Stay in plain sight. - If it’s dark, turning on your overhead light lets the officer see where your hands are. Do not reach for your documents before he approaches the car — he could assume that you’re looking for a weapon or attempting to hide something. (Photo: Image Source/Corbis)

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