List two common exceptions to the warrant requirement that allow searches without a warrant.

• A. Consent and exigent circumstances.
• B. Probable cause and exigent circumstances.
• C. Plain view and incident to arrest
• D. Arrest warrant and vehicle search

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is when police can search without a warrant by relying on accepted exceptions. Two of the most commonly relied-upon ones are consent and exigent circumstances.

Consent means someone with proper authority freely agrees to the search. If that person genuinely allows access, officers don’t need a warrant to search the area or items described in the consent. The key is that the permission is voluntary, knowing, and within the scope of what’s being searched.

Exigent circumstances cover urgent situations where waiting to obtain a warrant could put people at risk or lead to the destruction of evidence, or allow a suspect to escape. In those moments, police may act immediately and conduct a search or seize property without first getting a warrant.

Other options don’t fit as the two common exceptions as neatly. Probable cause is the standard judges look for to issue warrants; alone it doesn’t justify a warrantless search without an exception. Plain view and incident to arrest are valid specific exceptions, but they describe particular scenarios rather than the broad, frequently cited two that commonly appear in practice tests. An arrest warrant is itself a warrant, and a vehicle search involves separate established exceptions, not a general warrantless-search rule.