What is the legal standard to perform a pat-down?

• A. Probable cause
• B. Reasonable suspicion that someone is armed and dangerous
• C. Beyond a reasonable doubt
• D. Preponderance of evidence

Answer: (B)

The key idea is that a pat-down (protective search) is allowed when there is reasonable suspicion that the person is armed and dangerous. This comes from the Terry v. Ohio principle that officers may stop a person and perform a quick frisk for weapons if they have articulable facts suggesting a safety risk. Reasonable suspicion is more than a guess but less than probable cause; it requires specific observations or inferences—things like a suspect’s behavior, location, known history, or observable bulges that suggest a weapon.

The frisk is limited in scope to outer clothing and is solely to check for weapons to protect the officer’s safety. It is not a full-blown search for evidence, which would require probable cause and usually a warrant (or an exception). If something feel-revealing is discovered during a frisk and its nature is immediately apparent as contraband, it may be seized under the plain-feel doctrine; otherwise, further search would require different justification.

Other standards don’t apply here because probable cause is needed for a full search or arrest, beyond a reasonable doubt is the standard for conviction, and preponderance of evidence is a civil standard.