Can the police search my house without a warrant?

Generally, the police do need a search warrant to search a home—it’s different than a car. In order to search your home, the only time that the police can search your home without a warrant is under two circumstances. One, you give consent.The police officer knocks on your door, you open it, he says, “can I search your house”, and you say “well, do you have a warrant?”, and he says, “no I just want to”, if you say, “sure, OK, come on in”. You know, that’s a valid search if you agreed to it. The only other way, besides consent that a police officer can search your home without a warrant, is what in the law is called exigent circumstances. That basically means a life-or-death emergency or the destruction of evidence is about to happen. For example, say a neighbor calls and says, “I’ve heard a woman screaming bloody murder, I’m being killed in the house”. The police can come in, bang down the door, and search to see if they can find a person in distress. That would be an exigent circumstance. So, to recap, police need a warrant to search your home unless you give them consent or unless there’s an emergency taking place that justify immediate intrusion into that house.