What is the standard required for police to obtain a search warrant?

The standard required for police to obtain a search warrant is probable cause. This means that law enforcement must have enough facts and circumstances to warrant a reasonable belief that evidence of a crime will be found at the location specified in the warrant. Probable cause balances the need for law enforcement to conduct a search against the individual's right to privacy.

This standard is established to ensure that the government does not infringe on personal freedoms without justification. It requires more than mere suspicion but does not demand the same level of certainty as "beyond a reasonable doubt," which is the standard used in criminal trials to convict a defendant. Additionally, while a preponderance of evidence is often used in civil cases to determine the outcome based on which side has more convincing evidence, and hearsay does not meet the reliability needed for probable cause, these standards do not apply to the issuance of search warrants.

Therefore, probable cause serves as the correct and legally defined threshold that officers must meet to secure a warrant.