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Is it legal for police to read or search through your mail?

Your mail is one thing you'd probably prefer the cops not to peek at, but in many cases they can. Still, the Fourth Amendment protects our papers and effects from unlawful search and seizure. That potentially includes some of your most intimate letters and private correspondence, depending on the circumstances.

So when is it OK for law-enforcement officers to read or sift through your mail?

With a Warrant

The Fourth Amendment is not a complete shield from law enforcement peering into our lives. They can still do so with a proper warrant. Officers can search your mail with a search warrant which is supported by probable cause and granted by a judge or magistrate.

But even without a warrant, there are a few situations in which police can still read your mail.

In Your Trash

The U.S. Supreme Court determined more than 25 years ago that trash left out on your curb for collection is not within your reasonable expectation of privacy. That means cops are free to rummage through it without a warrant.

If you're worried about sensitive mail being thrown away, you may want to consider a paper shredder -- though investigators have been known to pain-stakingly piece together shreeded documents.

In Your Mailbox

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Can Police Read or Search Through Your Mail?