What is required for police to stop a motor vehicle?

In order for police to stop a motor vehicle, reasonable suspicion is the required standard. This legal standard allows officers to briefly detain a vehicle and its occupants if they have specific, articulable facts that would lead a reasonable officer to suspect that a crime is being, has been, or will be committed. This means that the officer does not need to have definitive proof or evidence of a crime occurring, just a basis to justify the action taken.

Reasonable suspicion is a lower threshold than probable cause, which is necessary for more intrusive actions such as making an arrest or obtaining a warrant. In the context of vehicle stops, officers may observe behaviors such as erratic driving, a traffic violation, or other suspicious actions that contribute to their belief that something may be amiss.