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This statement will not be surprising: Unmarked cars are difficult to spot. That is, uh, the exact point. However, in general, cops drive American-branded vehicles. And that will make it easier to identify unmarked cars.
The reasoning for the domestic-brand bias comes down to, naturally, money. Some states and municipal agencies may at least partially fund their purchase of police cars through federal grants. A federal statute dating to 1933 says that if federal dough is involved, the thing being purchased should be made here. And, historically at least, foreign brands were made abroad. Never mind that these days the bulk of models that become police cars didn't make our 2025 list of the most American-made cars.
Then there's custom. Beginning in 1975, the U.S. Department of Justice's National Institute of Justice and the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center have co-sponsored the Michigan State Police Vehicle Test program, which evaluates police versions of civilian models to ensure they pass muster. Here, you only find Stellantis, Ford, and GM producing the many features that make police cars different from everyday vehicles. In turn, states look at those tests as yardsticks of worthiness, and you can see that in the bidding guidance issued by states like Ohio, Virginia, and Delaware.
Simply put, your best defense is to filter for late-model versions of the Chevrolet Tahoe; Chevrolet Silverado; Blazer EV; Dodge Durango; Ford Explorer; and Ford F-150. Note that Michigan hasalso recently tested both Dodge Chargers and the Ford Mustang Mach-E, so keep a watchful eye for those as unmarked cars.
Spot the spotlight
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Beyond the models cops are likely to drive, there are also common specifications. The specs for a Ford Explorer Police Interceptor ordered for the Breezy Point, Minnesota, police department include mention of a "super low-profile warning LED light bar fully integrated into the top of the windshield near the headliner." However, cop cars tend to have spotlights, too, and an exterior spotlight might be the easiest tell that an unmarked vehicle is a police car. If you're being followed from the rear, look for a spotlight mounted on the driver's side of the patrol car.
If you have a keen eye, you can also eyeball interior lights. An order by Washington State for 20 Dodge Durango Police Pursuit vehicles specified "slick top" models (police vernacular for a cop car without a rooftop light bar) with Whelen interior light bars at the front and rear. Whelen is an aftermarket supplier of emergency lighting systems.
Those Dodges were also ordered with LED grille lights. Ditto, a Ford Explorer purchased by Chatham Township, New Jersey, with both the eyebrow Whelen flashing LEDs and grille lights. Agencies also tend to order police cruisers with plain or black steel wheels, though eyeballing wheels is tougher if the car is in front of you or behind you in traffic.
There might still be stealth marking or badges
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Your best bet for spotting unmarked patrol cars is spying subtle paint schemes or other identifying markings required by law. Ohio, for instance, bans unmarked cars for traffic duties. If a cop pulls you over in the Buckeye State without some identifiable marking on their cruiser, the law says that officer "...is incompetent to testify as a witness in any prosecution against such arrested." Michigan, likewise, requires police to drive a vehicle that's identifiable as a police car – Minnesota Highway Patrol has to drive cruisers that are predominantly maroon.
The Southeast Texas Region of DPS is proud to introduce our newest patrol vehicles hitting the streets of East Texas — slick-top ghost-letter units! 🚔✨
These rides are built to blend in, giving our Troopers the edge in spotting dangerous drivers and keeping our roads safe. pic.twitter.com/hAVlRABA5l
— TxDPS – Southeast Texas Region (@TxDPSSoutheast) August 15, 2025
Other states, like Texas, say that even an unmarked car must have some discernible details. Yet Texas is deploying so-called ghost vehicles with barely visible insignia. This isn't a red-or-blue-state thing. California says highway patrol cars must be distinctively marked, but the state also used ghost decals with barely visible lettering. You can see this in Maryland, too, despite laws that require distinctive markings.
City ordinances may better protect citizens' rights. Orlando, Florida, stipulates that police driving unmarked cars shouldn't be allowed to make regular traffic stops. Tulsa, Oklahoma, also doesn't allow cops in unmarked cars to make regular traffic stops, either. Similar laws exist in Plano, Texas.
Not that that helps you identify unmarked cars. But if your worry is about cops acting as the police equivalent of Flock cameras and violating your Fourth Amendment rights, at least some jurisdictions draw a clear line in the sand, protecting citizens' rights.