What is "probable cause"?

What is "probable cause"?

Probable cause is what police officers are supposed to have in order to be able to arrest you, or to be able to get a search warrant signed against you. Probable cause is a fluid legal term which is subject to a test that they call, "the totality of the circumstances", which means if an officer can articulate or spell out why they believe enough factors exist for them to either arrest you or detain you, then probable cause exists. There are things like suspicious movements, or if they smell drugs. Probable cause would exist if they see a car without license plates on it. These are things that would cause a reasonable person to be suspicious.