Which Amendment prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures?

• A. 1st Amendment
• B. 3rd Amendment
• C. 9th Amendment
• D. 4th Amendment

Answer: (D)

The protection against unreasonable searches and seizures comes from the Fourth Amendment. It guards people and their possessions from government intrusion and typically requires a warrant based on probable cause before a search is conducted. The warrant must describe the place to be searched and the items sought, and there are recognized exceptions (such as consent, searches incident to a lawful arrest, plain view, exigent circumstances, or certain vehicle searches) where a warrant isn’t always required. The other amendments address different rights: the First Amendment covers freedoms like speech and religion, the Third prevents quartering soldiers in homes, and the Ninth protects rights retained by the people that aren’t listed in the Constitution. So the amendment that prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures is the Fourth Amendment.