A warrantless protective sweep of a residence by the police who are making a lawful arrest in the residence is considered to be legal if the police have a reasonable suspicion that the residence may contain an individual who poses a danger to the officers or to others.

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The U.S. Supreme Court in Maryland v. Buie (1990) established that a warrantless protective sweep is permissible if officers have a reasonable belief that the area to be swept harbors an individual posing a danger to those on the arrest scene. This is considered a limited search to ensure officer safety.

A Warrantless Protective Sweep of a Residence by the Police