Queensland Consolidated Acts

POLICE POWERS AND RESPONSIBILITIES ACT 2000 - SECT 627

627 General provision about searches of vehicles

(1) This section deals with the searching of vehicles under this Act.

(2) Before deciding to take a vehicle to a place with appropriate facilities for searching it, a police officer must consider whether searching the vehicle somewhere else would be more effective because of the nature and size of a thing sought that may be concealed in the vehicle.

(3) If a police officer decides to take a vehicle to a place with appropriate facilities for searching it, the police officer must, if the person apparently in possession of the vehicle is known and present—

(a) tell the person where the vehicle is to be taken; and

(b) ask the person if the person wants to be present during the search.

(4) If a police officer searches an unattended vehicle or anything in it, the police officer must leave a notice in a conspicuous place in or on the vehicle stating—

(a) that the vehicle or a stated thing in or on it has been searched; and

(b) the police officer’s name, rank and station; and

(c) that a record of the search may be obtained from any police station.

(5) After searching an unattended vehicle or anything in it, the police officer must ensure, as far as reasonably practicable, the vehicle is left secured at least to the same extent as it was before the search.