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Four pages of posts have failed to address a very, very important point - when you give consent, you have effectively waived any defense you may have had against prosecution, meaning you have freely given full permission to use anything they may find and anything you subsequently say against you. That's the real consent you are actually giving. All you would have for a plea is "no contest" or "guilty" - that's it. Worst case scenario is something is found during a search serious enough (or expensive enough) to give cover for a civil forfeiture of your vehicle & contents. The lawmen the OP encountered, though zealous were principled, but you cannot blindly rely on that always being the case everywhere you go. Strangers you don't know should never be given open permission to paw through your stuff. If the circumstances are just right there may be too much temptation for a corrupt official to use their authority for personal gain.