Traffic Stops
Ala. Code § 15-5-30 — a stop on reasonable suspicion, a name and an address on demand, and the license shown
A sheriff or deputy, a constable, a city marshal or police officer, or a state trooper may stop any person in a public place whom the officer reasonably suspects is committing, has committed or is about to commit a felony or other public offense, and may demand the person's name, address and an explanation of the person's actions.
Who handles this in Alabama: Alabama State Bar Lawyer Referral Service; and legal aid programs and the state offices, listed in the Alabama directory.
- A driver has the license in immediate possession at all times when driving, and shows it on the demand of a judge, a peace officer or a state trooper.
- No one charged with not having the license is convicted if they produce, in court or at the arresting officer's office, a license issued to them before the arrest and valid at the time of it.
Every driver carries evidence of insurance in the vehicle. It may be shown on a cellular phone or other electronic device, and showing it that way is not consent for an officer to look at anything else on the device.
Failing to show insurance. Failing or refusing to present satisfactory evidence of insurance on an officer's demand is a traffic violation, unless the officer verifies the coverage through the online insurance verification system.
The Fourth Amendment sets limits on every stop, and the Supreme Court of the United States has drawn several of them. It has held that a stop is reasonable where the officer has probable cause to believe a traffic violation occurred, whatever the officer's actual motive; that an officer making a lawful stop may order the driver, and the passengers, out of the vehicle; that a passenger is seized by the stop and may challenge it; and that a stop may last no longer than its purpose requires, so it may not be extended for a dog sniff without separate reasonable suspicion. It has also held that consent to a search has to be voluntary, judged on all the circumstances, and that the prosecution does not have to prove the person knew they could refuse. Those holdings are a floor: a state's own constitution and statutes can give more protection than they do, never less.
Sources for this section (10)
- Ala. Code § 15-5-30 — Authority of Peace Officer to Stop and Question
- Ala. Code § 32-6-9 — Possession and Display of License
- Ala. Code § 32-7A-6 — Evidence of Insurance; Insurance Card
- Ala. Code § 32-7A-16 — Additional Violations
- Whren v. United States, 517 U.S. 806 (1996) — A traffic stop is reasonable when there is probable cause of a traffic violation
- Pennsylvania v. Mimms, 434 U.S. 106 (1977) — An officer may order the driver out of a lawfully stopped car
- Maryland v. Wilson, 519 U.S. 408 (1997) — An officer may order passengers out of a lawfully stopped car
- Brendlin v. California, 551 U.S. 249 (2007) — A passenger is seized by a traffic stop and may challenge it
- Rodriguez v. United States, 575 U.S. 348 (2015) — A stop may not be extended beyond its purpose to run a dog sniff
- Schneckloth v. Bustamonte, 412 U.S. 218 (1973) — Consent to a search must be voluntary
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Alabama attorney.