The powers library01 of 59 Stop and search

Stop and search for stolen or prohibited articles

s.1Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984

A constable may stop, detain and search a person or vehicle in a public place if they have reasonable grounds to suspect they will find stolen or prohibited articles, bladed articles, corrosive substances or prohibited fireworks.

Stop and search for stolen or prohibited articles · Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, s.1Card 01 / 59

When you can use it

s.1(1)The officer is in a place the public can access (paid or free, by right or permission), or another place people can readily access that is not a dwelling
s.1(3)Reasonable grounds for suspecting they will find a stolen or prohibited article, an article linked to an offence under s.139 or s.139AA CJA 1988, i.e. having a bladed or pointed article in public or threatening with a blade or weapon (s.1(8A)), a corrosive substance (s.1(8AA)) or a prohibited firework (s.1(8B))
Code A 2.2The suspicion is genuinely held and objectively reasonable, based on facts, information, intelligence or the person's behaviour
s.1(4)–(5)In a garden or yard of a dwelling, reasonable grounds to believe the person (or person in charge of the vehicle) does not live there and is not there with a resident's permission
s.2(2)–(3)Before searching, reasonable steps taken to give the required information, and warrant card shown if not in uniform

What it allows

Search any person or vehicle, and anything in or on a vehicle, for the articles in s.1(2).
Detain the person or vehicle for as long as reasonably needed to search at or near the place first stopped (s.2(8)).
Seize anything found that the officer has reasonable grounds to suspect is one of those articles (s.1(6)).
In public, no power to make a person remove anything other than an outer coat, jacket or gloves (s.2(9)(a)).

Key definitions

Prohibited article – s.1(7): an offensive weapon, or an article made, adapted or intended for use in burglary, theft, TWOC, fraud, criminal damage, or the disruption offences in s.1(8)(f)–(l) (such as highway obstruction causing serious disruption, public nuisance and locking on).
Offensive weapon – s.1(9): made or adapted for causing injury to persons, or intended by the person carrying it for that use.
Vehicle – includes vessels, aircraft and hovercraft (s.2(10)).
Personal factors – Code A 2.2B: appearance, protected characteristics, previous convictions or stereotypes can never be the basis for suspicion, unless they match a description.

Safeguards

GO WISELY – s.2(3) and Code A 3.8: tell the person they are detained for a search, your name and station, the power, the object, the grounds, and that they can get a copy of the record within 3 months.
Missing the s.2 information can make the search unlawful (Osman v DPP 1999).
Record on the spot, or as soon as practicable, unless wholly impracticable (s.3, Code A 4.1). Offer a copy or receipt.
A more thorough search must be out of public view. Removing more than an outer coat, jacket, gloves, headgear, footwear or item concealing identity needs an officer of the same sex (Code A 3.6).
After searching an unattended vehicle, leave a notice in it (s.2(6)).

Good to know

There is no power to stop someone to find grounds, and consent never replaces a power (Code A 1.5, 2.11).
Innocent possession is enough. Children under 10 can be searched (Code A 2.2A).
An officer not in uniform cannot stop a vehicle under this power (s.2(9)(b)).
The Public Order Act 2023 added the disruption offences in s.1(8)(f)–(l) from 20 December 2023.

Legislation: Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, s.1 (opens legislation.gov.uk in a new tab)
Who can use it: A constable
Last checked: 3 November 2026, against the current law on legislation.gov.uk

Stop and search for stolen or prohibited articles: questions people ask

When can the police use stop and search for stolen or prohibited articles?

1. The officer is in a place the public can access (paid or free, by right or permission), or another place people can readily access that is not a dwelling 2. Reasonable grounds for suspecting they will find a stolen or prohibited article, an article linked to an offence under s.139 or s.139AA CJA 1988, i.e. having a bladed or pointed article in public or threatening with a blade or weapon (s.1(8A)), a corrosive substance (s.1(8AA)) or a prohibited firework (s.1(8B)) 3. The suspicion is genuinely held and objectively reasonable, based on facts, information, intelligence or the person's behaviour 4. In a garden or yard of a dwelling, reasonable grounds to believe the person (or person in charge of the vehicle) does not live there and is not there with a resident's permission 5. Before searching, reasonable steps taken to give the required information, and warrant card shown if not in uniform

Who can use stop and search for stolen or prohibited articles?

A constable.

What law gives the power for stop and search for stolen or prohibited articles?

Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, s.1.

More stop and search powers

All stop and search powers