Being pulled over is not a fun experience! Sitting on the side of the highway while waiting for the police officer to come knocking on your window, wondering if you can talk your way out of the situation. Luckily, there are some ways drivers can attempt to identify unmarked police cars to avoid getting pulled over.
An unmarked police cruiser is simply a police car without any of the badging, labels, and colors. It can look almost like a civilian car, blending in with everyday traffic. While it’s probably not recommended to try to point out unmarked cars instead of, you know, just driving safely and within the law, there are some things to keep in mind.
Methodology
We developed this guide by analyzing multiple online sources, including reputable publications such as LifeHacker and Car Throttle, and community-driven discussions on platforms like Reddit.
These sources offer expert insights and firsthand experiences from drivers encountering unmarked police vehicles. The information was carefully selected to align with commonly reported indicators of unmarked police cars.
Spotting the Signs
I’m no expert at evading the law — the most I’ve gotten are a few disputed tickets. So to find the most useful signs for spotting unmarked police cars, I checked out publications like LifeHack as well as the r/driving subreddit and other forums where drivers clearly are scared of getting pulled over for whatever reason.
From here, I looked up how valid these telltale signs really were and then chose the ones that seemed the most obvious for drivers to identify themselves. Just don’t use this guide for evil — and if you do, don’t mention me.
Look For Certain Car Models
The easiest way to spot an unmarked police car is to keep an eye out for specific car models. American brands often have a specific model that was created with the police department in mind, meeting performance and feature requirements. This includes cars like the Ford Police Interceptor Utility with a manual pursuit mode and the Dodge Charger Pursuit with its HEMI V8 engine.
We’re not saying all Fords and Dodges are police cars, but maybe don’t challenge them at a stoplight just in case. LifeHacker states you should look for the following models:
- 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe PPV (RWD and 4WD)
- 2021 Dodge Charger Pursuit (AWD and RWD)
- 2021 Dodge Durango Pursuit
- 2020 Ford Police Interceptor Utility (based on the 2020 Ford Explorer)
- 2021 Ford F-150 Police Responder
Take a Closer Look at the License Plate
According to Quora, while some unmarked police cars have license plates that look no different from yours or mine, there may be a few giveaways that could give you a better indicator.
Some unmarked police cars may sport municipal or exempt tags, and others don’t have registration stickers. Basically, cops are above the law. Who knew?
Check For a Cage
Unmarked police cars are still police cars, so they’ll often have a lot of the same features. One dead giveaway is the cage that’s used to separate cops from whoever is sitting in the back seat. Also called a “prisoner partition,” a cage is used to keep cops and their equipment safe.
According to Detective Sgt. Gordon Eatley on Quora, not all undercover police vehicles will have this feature, depending on what they’re used for. However, if you see a car or truck driving around with this, it’s safe to assume it’s a cop vehicle, and you should slow down before you end up in the backseat yourself.
Police Equipment on the Outside
You may not even have to squint into the car’s backseat to notice some questionable police-related memorabilia. Unmarked police cars will often have the same gear that’s found on regular police cars, like dark-tinted windows and a bullbar over the front grille.
According to Car Throttle, a super common equipment that even unmarked cop cars can’t resist is spotlights. There will often be at least one, which can be found on the driver’s side door near the mirror. If you see one of those behind you, it’s a bad day to have expired plates.
A Squeaky Clean Exterior
Patrol cars and other police vehicles are kept very clean, according to Officer.com, a site dedicated to police news and equipment. Why? Most cars are shared between officers, and it’s just common courtesy to keep the vehicle tidy and safe.
If the car behind you looks extra shiny and free of blemishes, it could be a cop car. That’s not always the case, of course — there’s plenty of anal people out there that are scrubbing their cars down if even a speck of dirt is noticeable. But it’s better to be safe than sorry, pulled over on the side of the road by a disinfected cop car.
Certain Behaviors
It’s not only the car’s appearance that may give away its true identity — it could be how the vehicle is driven. However, according to Blu-Eye, a company developing automotive technology, that’s not a fool-proof way to identify an unmarked car, as depending on the situation, they may drive cautiously or more aggressively.
If a car seems to be tailgating you, that’s also sketchy behavior. If you feel as if the car is watching you or following you, it could be a nosy cop, so it’s best to make sure you’re obeying all traffic laws just to be on the safe side.
A Lack of Chrome
While police cars are decked out with extra safety features like the aforementioned cage and bullbar, police departments aren’t going to splurge on frivolous add-ons.
Deputy Sheriff Paul Harding writes on Quora that most police cars are base models, meaning they didn’t pay extra for a higher trim. For this reason, you’ll often see black trim instead of chrome, including on the wheels.
Police Spotting
In case you’re planning your next Fast & Furious-style bank heist, keep these tips in mind for spotting unmarked police cars. While unmarked cars can sometimes blend into daily traffic, there are some dead giveaways, like police gadgets on the outside and missing registration on the license plate.
And remember, check your state’s individual rules regarding unmarked police cars — some states don’t allow unmarked cops to pull you over for speeding and other offenses.
