How to Spot Undercover Cops and Unmarked Police Cars (2023)

Officers and agents will hide who they are for all kinds of reasons, from catching speeders to infiltrating extremist political groups to prevent the kidnappings of state governors. It’s often hard to recognize undercover cops, but there are some tells, so here’s a rough guide to recognizing cops dressed as civilians and cop cars dressed as regular cars.

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Your local police department probably doesn’t advertise which kinds of cars and disguises they use for undercover or unmarked police work. I reached out to the LAPD to discuss with them, but of course they responded, “We do not disclose any tactics information and those questions fall under that category,” so any information about how to spot incognito cops isn’t going to be “official,” obviously.

The difference between “plainclothes” and “undercover” cops, and “unmarked” and “undercover” cars

Plainclothes law enforcement agents and undercover law enforcement agents are two different things. Plainclothes cops are any that don’t wear a traditional uniform—detectives, other kinds of investigators, and officers working in administrative roles. This covers basically any officer who is not out in public, answering calls. They aren’t necessarily hiding their status as police, even if they aren’t exactly advertising it.

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Undercover cops, though, are actively hiding their police affiliation. They are often part of larger investigations that could involve infiltrating criminal organizations or blending into the crowd at a protest.

A similar distinction applies to “unmarked” police vehicles and “undercover” police vehicles. The first is any law enforcement vehicle that isn’t outwardly marked with its department. It could include everything from cars designed to enforce traffic laws with stealth, to cars that detectives drive while investigating crimes or picking up doughnuts. These cars often have indications that they are law enforcement vehicles, even if they are subtle. An undercover vehicle will have no indication of it being a police car—even if you looked in the glovebox, you’d find regular car insurance and registration information.

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How to Spot Undercover Cops and Unmarked Police Cars (1)

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(Video) Spot an UNDERCOVER POLICE CAR?!

How to spot an unmarked police car

There are roughly 18,000 police agencies in the United States, and they use all kinds of vehicles for all kinds of purposes, from Dodge Chargers meant to catch speeders to police semi-trucks in Florida, to public relations vehicles like this hot-pink breast cancer awareness Explorer my local 5-0 have been driving lately. So spotting an unmarked police vehicle is a crapshoot, but there are some characteristics that might tip you off to an unmarked police cruiser.

(Video) Joey Diaz Talks About Spotting Undercover Cops

The license plates

Unmarked police cars might sport municipal or exempt tags, but they don’t necessarily have to outwardly indicate their status on their plates. They might also be missing the registration stickers that some states require. This varies depending on the department. It’s not going to matter much when they’re pulling you over anyway.

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The make and model

It used to be easier to spot an unmarked police car—just look for the black Crown Victoria—but these days, police officers could be driving anything from pick-up trucks to federal government subsidized mini-tanks. Still, the most popular police vehicles overall in the United States and Canada are:

  • 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

It’s fair to assume that these five kinds of cars are the ones police are most likely to be driving around unmarked.

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Certain police equipment

Unmarked police car often sport the same kind of extra gear that regular police cars have. That can mean lights on the grill or side-mirrors, dark tints on the windows, and a cage-like “push bumper” over the front bumper. Older cop cars might have a ton of antennae as well, although technology has generally made these kind of arrays unnecessary.

Nowadays, it’s pretty hard to spot an uncover police car

Barring a terrible undercover officer, law-abiding citizens probably aren’t going to spot an undercover police car. These vehicles are chosen specifically to fit in with whatever operation is being run. They could be literally anything, from high-priced super-cars to barely running beaters.

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How to spot an undercover cop

According to this paper published by the Stanford Law Review, police generally engage in undercover operations when they are investigating crimes that involve “secretive, complex, and consensual activities.” Crimes like the manufacturer of meth, bribery, and dogfighting. Cops infiltrate political demonstrations and organizations too—maybe to provide unobtrusive protection in a situation where a uniform would cause anger or maybe to act as agent provocateurs—it depends on who you ask.

(Video) How to Identify Unmarked/Undercover Police Cop Car: 4 Easy Tips!

Infiltrators of political events or organizations might be experienced and talented super-cops in deep cover, or they might be these fake Hasidic Jews who weren’t fooling anyone. There are many tales of activists reporting obvious cops attending protests. Here are some tips for how you might spot them.

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  • Odd-couples: There’s a reason so many buddy-cop movies are based on partners who are opposites—it actually happens. So if you see a couple of people who don’t look like they should be together, say with a big age or cultural difference between them, it could indicate narcs in the ranks.
  • Awkward and out-of-place: It’s definitely not foolproof, but an out-of-context looking person—say a crew-cut 40 year old standing around at a heavy metal show—could be a law enforcement officer. (Or they could be an old guy who likes loud music.)
  • Inappropriate questions: Keep your guard up when talking to strangers in a situation that might draw undercover cops. If the new guy at the political meeting starts asking when the bomb-throwing starts, he might be a cop. Or he might be discouraging bomb-throwing. It’s pretty murky.

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You can also pay attention to how they look. None of these outward signs are surefire cop-indicators, but they should cause you to put your guard up a bit:

  • Haircuts: Cops often have more exacting grooming standards than regular people, so a careful, short haircut could be a sign of undercover police.
  • Sports hoodies: Some activists report that cops like wearing sports-oriented hoodies to protests where hardcore protesters generally don’t advertise their love of the Yankees through their clothing.
  • Cargo pants: Cops need to carry a bunch of equipment, and so often sport cargo style shorts with lots of pockets for night-sticks and tasers.
  • Shoes: Look out for hiking boots or military-style shoes, especially if paired with the aforementioned sports-themed jersey, a look only a cop would love.

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The problem with trying to spot undercover cops

This post is for informational purposes only. Cop-spotting is an inexact science and the stakes are high—even if you see a dude pull up to your protest in a 2021 Challenger rocking a new haircut and a pair of cargo pants, he might be a normal suburban guy interested in radical politics, or an off-duty cop hired by rally organizers to provide security. Conversely, because cops aren’t (necessarily) idiots, they might have none of the above traits and look more like they belong than you do.

If you’re engaged in anything organized and illegal or politically controversial, there’s a good chance someone around you is monitoring it, and the depressing fact is there’s not much you can do about it. Undercover cops have a ridiculous amount of leeway in what they can do, up to and including committing crimes themselves, so beyond maybe warning other people to look out for someone sketchy, the best you can do is keep your nose clean.

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FAQs

How to Spot Undercover Cops and Unmarked Police Cars? ›

If you give it a good look, you'll spot police lights on the side mirrors or the grille. Also, you might see a cage-like push bumper over the front bumper. Older police cars might come with an antenna on top, but technology has made them redundant. Still, some unmarked cars on undercover duty may have no equipment.

How do you tell if a car is an unmarked police car? ›

If you give it a good look, you'll spot police lights on the side mirrors or the grille. Also, you might see a cage-like push bumper over the front bumper. Older police cars might come with an antenna on top, but technology has made them redundant. Still, some unmarked cars on undercover duty may have no equipment.

What is the difference between an undercover cop car and an unmarked police car? ›

The difference is an unmarked police car have emergency lights and computer on the inside of the car. But light on top and markings. The windows may have legal tint on them to make it hard to see the emergency lights. They may be used on highways or anything the detective use to work under cover..

How do you tell if undercover cops are following you? ›

5 Signs an Undercover Cop is Watching You
  1. Strange Phone Interference. Wiretaps are commonly used as a means of listening in on a target's phone conversations. ...
  2. Subtle Changes Around Your Home. ...
  3. Unexplained Service Workers Near Your Home. ...
  4. Receiving Strange Gifts. ...
  5. You Feel Like You're Being Followed.
Sep 23, 2021

Do unmarked police cars have red lights? ›

If you're driving and an unmarked police car flashes its blue and red lights in your rear view mirror: you are getting pulled over.

What color can unmarked police cars be? ›

Even unmarked, these vehicles stand out from their civilian counterparts. Firstly, they do not come in flashy colors. Most police departments order white, black, or silver vehicles, then add badges and lettering. Their unmarked cars will be the same color–sans the badges.

How do you know if an undercover cop is a cop? ›

How can you tell if someone is a cop? Undercover cops do not have to identify themselves, so you'll have to use other clues to figure out if someone is a cop. You could check their vehicle to see if it has nondescript plates or dark window tinting that looks like a cop car.

How long can undercover police follow you? ›

There should be no undercover investigation of any one person by any one agency for more than 24 hours without a court-approved warrant. Further, while undercover operations may involve business as well as cordial social relationships, they should not include intimate personal relationships.

Are you not allowed to pull over for an unmarked cop car? ›

unmarked police cars in california can not do traffic stops. on the other hand firetrucks can if the city is combined fire/police as public safety officers. Unmarked police vehicles doing traffic stops is entrapment.

What makes a police car unmarked? ›

An unmarked car is a police car that lacks markings and often easily-visible or roof-mounted emergency lights. They are generally used for varying purposes, ranging from standard patrol and traffic enforcement to sting operations and detective work.

What do police officers wear in unmarked cars? ›

Some states specify that any officers operating unmarked vehicles must be wearing an official police uniform. A few states add that any plainclothes officers can only complete traffic stops if driving a fully marked police vehicle. Below are the specific unmarked police car laws for every state.

What does unmarked vehicle mean? ›

Noun. unmarked car (plural unmarked cars) A police car that has no markings to distinguish it from a civilian car.

What is a ghost car? ›

ghost car (plural ghost cars) (Canada) An unmarked police car or an unmarked vehicle used as a decoy by police.

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