New York's highest Court has ruled, with regard to a traffic stop, that "a police officer who asks if a private citizen if he or she is in possession of a weapon must have founded suspicion that criminality is afoot."

In short, the Court upheld the suppression of two airsoft rifles found in a vehicle pulled over for a broken taillight. The fact that the four occupants "appeared nervous" was insufficient to give rise to suspicion.

The Court found that being in a vehicle does not detract from a citizen's constitutional rights. Notably, New York does permit officers to ask occupants to leave the vehicle for officer safety. Also questions such as name, address and destination are permitted without evidence of criminality. Last, the Court sent the case back for a determination of whether the officers would have inevitably found the "weapons" had they not violated the Defendant's rights.

People v. Miguel Garcia, December 18, 2012.

Therefore, in New York, at least, it is generally impermissible for an officer to ask if you have weapons in the vehicle.