Code of Criminal Procedure · U.S. Supreme Court, 2015

Rodriguez v. United States

Rodriguez v. United States is a 2015 U.S. Supreme Court decision. This page summarizes key points and works through practice questions for Texas peace officer exam preparation.

Key points

  • Stop limited to mission of addressing traffic infraction
  • Ordinary incidents permitted (license/registration/warrant checks)
  • Even a de minimis extension to conduct unrelated investigation requires independent reasonable suspicion

Learn more about this topic

Time yourself, score your run, review missed questions with statute references — Free Practice Pass cadets get limited access.

Start Free Practice

Worked examples

Worked example 1

When officers extend the duration of a routine traffic stop solely to conduct a dog sniff (with no independent reasonable suspicion), the extension is:

  1. Always lawful
  2. Unlawful — Rodriguez v. United States holds that absent independent reasonable suspicion, even a de minimis extension of the stop to conduct an unrelated investigation violates the Fourth Amendment Correct
  3. Lawful for up to 30 minutes
  4. Lawful only if the dog is certified
Why: A traffic stop's duration is limited to addressing the traffic infraction and ordinary incidents (license, registration, warrant check). Any extension to conduct an unrelated investigation requires independent reasonable suspicion.
Statute: Rodriguez v. United States, 575 U.S. 348 (2015)