Connecticut General Statutes 54-33o – Search of vehicle stopped solely for a motor vehicle violation
(a)(1) No law enforcement official may ask an operator of a motor vehicle to conduct a search of a motor vehicle or the contents of the motor vehicle that is stopped by a law enforcement official solely for a motor vehicle violation.
Terms Used In Connecticut General Statutes 54-33o
- Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
(2) Any search by a law enforcement official of a motor vehicle or the contents of the motor vehicle that is stopped by a law enforcement official solely for a motor vehicle violation shall be (A) based on probable cause, or (B) after having received the unsolicited consent to such search from the operator of the motor vehicle in written form or recorded by body-worn recording equipment or a dashboard camera, each as defined in section 29-6d.
(b) No law enforcement official may ask an operator of a motor vehicle to provide any documentation or identification other than an operator’s license, motor vehicle registration, insurance identity card or other documentation or identification directly related to the stop, when the motor vehicle has been stopped solely for a motor vehicle violation, unless there exists probable cause to believe that a felony or misdemeanor offense has been committed or the operator has failed to produce a valid operator’s license.