United States v. Cortez

449 U.S. 411 · Decided January 21, 1981 · Supreme Court of the United States

At a glance

United States v. Cortez was decided on January 21, 1981 unanimously (9–0). The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Chief Justice Warren E. Burger wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Search and seizure, vehicles” in the Criminal Procedure area.

Read the opinion

• CourtListener (Free Law Project) — opinion text
• Library of Congress — official U.S. Reports scan

Case details

How the Justices voted

Full case caption

United States v. Cortez et al.

SCDB identifiers: case 1980-027, docket 1980-027-01.

Related decisions

Other cases on “Search and seizure, vehicles”

• Colorado v. Bannister
  449 U.S. 1Decided October 20, 19809–0Per curiam
• Robbins v. California
  453 U.S. 420Decided July 1, 19816–3Potter Stewart
• New York v. Belton
  453 U.S. 454Decided July 1, 19816–3Potter Stewart
• United States v. RossAltered precedent
  456 U.S. 798Decided June 1, 19826–3John Paul Stevens
• Michigan v. Thomas
  458 U.S. 259Decided June 28, 19827–2Per curiam
• Arkansas v. Sanders
  442 U.S. 753Decided June 20, 19797–2Lewis F. Powell Jr.

See all

Cases on the same legal provision: Fourth Amendment

• Steagald v. United States
  451 U.S. 204Decided April 21, 19817–2Thurgood Marshall
• Michigan v. Summers
  452 U.S. 692Decided June 22, 19816–3John Paul Stevens
• Reid v. Georgia
  448 U.S. 438Decided June 30, 19808–1Per curiam
• United States v. SalvucciAltered precedent
  448 U.S. 83Decided June 25, 19807–2William H. Rehnquist
• Rawlings v. Kentucky
  448 U.S. 98Decided June 25, 19807–2William H. Rehnquist
• United States v. Payner
  447 U.S. 727Decided June 23, 19806–3Lewis F. Powell Jr.

Same Term, same area (Criminal Procedure)

• Colorado v. Bannister
  449 U.S. 1Decided October 20, 19809–0Per curiam
• United States v. Difrancesco
  449 U.S. 117Decided December 9, 19805–4Harry A. Blackmun
• Watkins v. Sowders
  449 U.S. 341Decided January 13, 19817–2Potter Stewart
• United States v. Morrison
  449 U.S. 361Decided January 13, 19819–0Byron R. White
• Mariscal v. United States
  449 U.S. 405Decided January 19, 19817–2Per curiam
• Rubin v. United States
  449 U.S. 424Decided January 21, 19819–0Warren E. Burger

See all

Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error