State | Unmarked Police Car Laws |
|---|---|
| Alabama | Police officers can patrol and pull motorists over in unmarked cars. |
| Alaska | Offices in unmarked vehicles can patrol, but best practice is radioing marked vehicles to complete traffic stops. In emergency circumstances, an officer in an unmarked vehicle can pull a driver over. |
| Arizona | Police officers can patrol and pull motorists over in unmarked cars. |
| Arkansas | Police officers can patrol and pull motorists over in unmarked cars. |
| California | Police may not use an unmarked vehicle for either routine or official traffic control. |
| Colorado | Police officers can pull motorists over in both marked and unmarked cars. |
| Connecticut | Police in unmarked vehicles can watch traffic, but should radio marked vehicles to complete traffic stops. Generally, an officer can make an exception when public safety is threatened. |
| Delaware | Police officers can pull motorists over in both marked and unmarked cars. That said, most unmarked cars in Delaware are driven by detectives and not used for traffic stops. |
| District of Columbia | In Washington D.C., police in unmarked cars cannot make stops for petty traffic offenses. This is rarely a hindrance, as only officers on undercover investigations or otherwise confidential duties are permitted to drive unmarked cars. |
| Florida | Police officers can pull motorists over in unmarked cars. |
| Georgia | Officers can do traffic stops in unmarked cars, but unmarked cars cannot be used solely for traffic duty and patrol. Therefore, most unmarked cars belong to non-traffic units. |
| Hawaii | Police officers can pull motorists over in both marked and unmarked cars. Officers can also enforce traffic laws in their prersonal vehicles if vehicles are equipped with blue lights. |
| Idaho | Police may not use an unmarked vehicle for either routine or official traffic control. Idaho State Police are currently proposing a less strict policy. |
| Illinois | Unmarked vehicles (including motorcycles) and "semi-marked" vehicles can patrol and make arrests. Officers in such vehicles must defer to officers in marked vehicles during a pursuit. Whenever possible, an unmarked vehicle should not be the “primary unit” during a high-speed pursuit. |
| Indiana | A police officer in an official uniform may use an unmarked vehicle for traffic enforcement and stops. A plain-clothes police officer must use a fully marked vehicle for traffic stops. |
| Iowa | The Iowa State Patrol technically allows unmarked patrol vehicles, but most of its police vehicles are currently marked. |
| Kansas | State police officers can make traffic stops while driving unmarked cars. "Unmarked” patrol cars still have state police door shield decals. Only special (non-traffic) units can do away with these door decals. |
| Kentucky | Police officers may make traffic stops while driving unmarked cars, but must use sirens/air horns and keep their emergency lights on for the entire traffic stop. |
| Louisiana | A police officer in an official uniform may use an unmarked vehicle for traffic enforcement and stops. |
| Maine | Officers in unmarked cars can patrol and make traffic stops but may not engage in continuous pursuit. |
| Maryland | Police officers can make traffic stops while driving unmarked cars but must use both lights and sirens. |
| Massachusetts | Police officers can make traffic stops while driving unmarked cars. |
| Michigan | Officers in unmarked patrol cars patrolling for distracted drivers are relatively common, as part of "Operation Ghostrider." However, officers in unmarked vehicles cannot initiate a traffic stop and must radio a trooper in a marked vehicle to do so. |
| Minnesota | State police officers can make traffic stops in unmarked cars if authorized by the Commissioner of Public Safety. "Unmarked" patrol cars still have "Michigan State Police" door decals. Only special (non-traffic) units can do away with these door decals. |
| Mississippi | Police officers can patrol and make traffic stops while driving unmarked cars. |
| Missouri | Police officers make traffic stops while driving unmarked cars, but must always use both a red flashing light and siren for a traffic stop. |
| Montana | Officers in unmarked cars cannot pull you over for petty traffic offenses; only police on undercover investigations or otherwise confidential duties can drive unmarked cars. |
| Nebraska | Officers in unmarked vehicles can patrol, but the best practice is to radio a marked vehicle to complete traffic stops. In emergency circumstances, an officer in an unmarked vehicle may make a traffic stop. |
| Nevada | Though unmarked cars are rare in Nevada, officers wearing an official uniform are permitted to patrol and enforce traffic laws while driving unmarked cars. |
| New Hampshire | Police officers are permitted to enforce traffic laws while driving unmarked patrol cars. In fact, it is becoming the norm. |
| New Jersey | Police in unmarked vehicles can patrol and watch traffic but should radio marked vehicles to complete traffic stops. An officer driving an unmarked vehicle can make an exception when public safety is threatened. |
| New Mexico | Officers in unmarked cars cannot make traffic stops for petty traffic offenses. Only officers on officially licensed undercover investigations may drive unmarked cars. |
| New York | Police in unmarked vehicles can patrol and observe traffic but should radio marked vehicles to complete traffic stops. Exceptions are permitted when public safety is threatened. |
| North Carolina | In certain circumstances, officers can use unmarked vehicles for a pursuit. But 83% of highway patrol vehicles must be fully marked. |
| North Dakota | Police officers in unmarked cars can patrol and make traffic stops, but must use sirens/air horns and keep their emergency lights on throughout the traffic stop. These lights must be red and white and visible for five hundred feet. |
| Ohio | Officers primarily on traffic patrol and enforcement must use marked cars. Investigation/undercover officers in unmarked cars can pull over drivers for violations–if they encounter them. |
| Oklahoma | Police may not use an unmarked vehicle for either routine or official traffic control. |
| Oregon | Police squads must request special permission to operate unmarked vehicles on traffic patrols or other undercover investigations. If granted, they can operate in unmarked cars with standard-issue license plates. |
| Pennsylvania | Uniformed police in unmarked vehicles can watch traffic but should radio marked vehicles to complete most traffic stops. An exception is permitted when a crime threatens public safety, in which case the officer must use visual/audio signs (lights/sirens) and display identification upon request. |
| Rhode Island | A police officer in an official uniform may use an unmarked vehicle for traffic enforcement and stops. |
| South Carolina | Police may not use an unmarked vehicle for either routine or official traffic control. |
| South Dakota | Police officers in unmarked cars can complete traffic stops. |
| Tennessee | No limitations on how police use unmarked cars. |
| Texas | A police officer in an official uniform–or displaying a badge–may use an unmarked vehicle for traffic enforcement and stops when they witness or suspect a traffic violation. If the driver flees, a marked vehicle must be called to initiate the pursuit. |
| Utah | Police officers can patrol and make traffic stops while driving unmarked cars. |
| Vermont | Police officers can patrol and make traffic stops while driving unmarked cars. |
| Virginia | A police officer in an official uniform may use an unmarked vehicle for traffic enforcement and stops. |
| Washington | The state police do use unmarked vehicles; local police must use marked cars for traffic patrol, according to the Spokane Police. |
| West Virginia | Police may not use an unmarked vehicle for either routine or official traffic control. |
| Wisconsin | Police may use an unmarked vehicle for traffic patrol and stops if it is equipped with both red and blue flashing lights. |
| Wyoming | Police may patrol in an unmarked car but may only conduct traffic stops in an emergency situation. Even an unmarked car must have both red and blue flashing lights. |