What will the police do if I do not consent to a search?

Generally speaking if the police are asking for permission to search they’re asking you to agree to it and if they’re asking you to agree to it’s because they do not have a search warrant. If the police have a search warrant they are not going to ask permission, they are going to knock on the door or knock the door down, literally, and come in and start tearing the house apart.

You have an expectation of privacy that is enhanced in a dwelling. For example, if you’re in your house, which also could be an apartment, it could be a duplex, it could be a condo, it could be anything that someone lives in also it includes hotel rooms. If you’re staying in a hotel room that’s really the equivalent of your house in terms of your expectation of privacy.

Vehicles, you have a greatly diminished expectation of privacy and the police have much more leeway to search. At the same time, if they’re asking for your permission they’re asking for you to validate that and if you give a lawful consent then you can’t come back later and complain about it.

With some exceptions regarding about how long you’ve been detained pursuant to them asking those questions, but if the police are asking you for consent to do something then generally if they’re asking then you have the right to refuse if you think it’s appropriate and you don’t want them to take that action; you do not want them to conduct that search you have the right to refuse.