Under knock-and-talk, police may enter the curtilage if there is an implicit invitation and may talk with anyone on the curtilage until they are asked to leave.

Under knock-and-talk, police may enter the curtilage if there is an implicit invitation and may talk with anyone on the curtilage until they are asked to leave.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Not sure
• D. Only if there is a no trespassing sign

Answer: (A)

Knock-and-talk allows officers to speak with residents at the doorway or on the immediate area around a dwelling when the homeowner signals permission to engage. A homeowner’s implicit invitation can come from actions like answering the door, stepping onto the porch, or otherwise inviting the officers to come closer. If that invitation exists, officers may enter the curtilage to talk and may speak with anyone present there. They must stay within the invited area and may not search or seize or intrude into the home; and if the occupants tell them to leave, they must depart. This is why the statement is correct: an implicit invitation can permit presence on the curtilage for conversation, provided the officers respect the limit of that invitation.

Knock-and-talk allows officers to speak with residents at the doorway or on the immediate area around a dwelling when the homeowner signals permission to engage. A homeowner’s implicit invitation can come from actions like answering the door, stepping onto the porch, or otherwise inviting the officers to come closer. If that invitation exists, officers may enter the curtilage to talk and may speak with anyone present there. They must stay within the invited area and may not search or seize or intrude into the home; and if the occupants tell them to leave, they must depart. This is why the statement is correct: an implicit invitation can permit presence on the curtilage for conversation, provided the officers respect the limit of that invitation.