No one likes being pulled over by the police. But if you see a highway patrol police officer on the road, you know they are likely enforcing traffic violations and may pull you over for a traffic stop. No surprise there. But you may not know that other law enforcement officials can also complete traffic stops. Here are a few examples.

Commercial Vehicle Enforcement

Professional truckers know commercial vehicle enforcement officers may pull them over for a random inspection, any time. These officers will belong to the local state’s commercial law enforcement branch. In some places they are legally state police officers, even if their cruisers aren’t labeled as such. But they specialize in commercial motor vehicles. With their deep knowledge of CMV guidelines, they may be looking for overweight trucks, improperly secured loads, or even be inspecting truck drivers’ log books. They mostly focus on big rigs and buses, but could conceivably stop other work trucks.

Game wardens

Conservation officers–also called game wardens–have a big job. They enforce off-highway vehicle laws, hunting laws, and fishing laws. There’s can be a huge territory. But in addition, some states legally classify their conservation officers as police officers. That means a game warden who sees you speeding can complete a traffic stop and give you a speeding ticket.

Constables

Here in the United States a constable is usually an elected official voted into office in a town too small for its own sheriff department. So a town that votes on various offices may have a “peace officer” who serves as its constable. In some places, this is a part time job without many duties beyond overseeing elections. But in other places–depending on the town’s size and budget–it can be a role on-par with a full-time sheriff or other police officer. In some places, they may pull you over using their personal car or a car that simply says “constable.”