Owning a scanner

[N1XDS]

Guys and Ladies,

I have a question for someone maybe a question for a officer or anyone who can really answer this for me...I have my Amateur/Ham Radio license and I take my Uniden BCD996XT digital scanner with me all the time either going to town or traveling state to state. Question is this yesterday a officer pulled up (passenger side) looked in and saw my scanner and looked at me then looked at the scanner again really hard he never said anything he just looked in while awaiting for the light to change never asked me about it he drove off. Was everything okay? I think he was just looking at the scanner to see what it was.

This is only a question for someone not anything else meant by it.

 

[MississippiPI]

Florida law is pretty funky about scanners and the like---I think there are certain stipulations allowing you to have it..I'm a firefighter also so there really isn't alot they can do to me, I also am a freelance photographer....

Be Safe

 

[cacherjoe]

I'm not sure about there, but here many police officers don't know the law surrounding Scanners. As a HAM I am not premitted to have police etc frequencies programmed in my HAM radio, however can have a scanner. Where scanning causes you problems here is if you are considered obstructing a police officer's duties. For example showing up at calls all the time.

That said there are some areas in the US, like the previous poster says, where the laws are different. I would suggest that since they didn't stop you, then it may have been curiosity. Had you been doing something wrong, I would think they would have at least had a conversation with you.

J

 

[DaveNF2G]

I'm not sure about there, but here many police officers don't know the law surrounding Scanners. As a HAM I am not premitted to have police etc frequencies programmed in my HAM radio, however can have a scanner.
J

Under Federal law, that is backwards. Ham equipment that can tune police frequencies is legal anywhere (if operated by a ham). Some states restrict mobile scanners, but they cannot restrict mobile ham gear.

Florida law says that a scanner cannot be operated in a place of business.

 

[cacherjoe]

David,

I think you may have misunderstood me. Here in Canada, under Industry Canada Guidelines a HAM operator may NOT have Police, etc frequencies programmed in his HAM radio, in fact I have heard from HAMs that have had radios confiscated by IC for having these frequencies programmed in their radios. My original post doesn't speak to the equipment, but to the programming. The same person CAN have a scanner in the same location scanning police etc frequencies.

I have had police officers tell me that I cannot have a scanner, which is incorrect here in Canada, most of them friends or associates through work. When I show it to them in writing, it turns out they assumed you couldn't but wouldn't have taken any action either way. Again here the issue is obstruction, stay out of their way and you are ok.

Joe

 

[jhooten]

Just mount the thing somewhere that is less visible to the outside and avoid the problem.

 

[tampabaynews]

Guys and Ladies,

I have a question for someone maybe a question for a officer or anyone who can really answer this for me...I have my Amateur/Ham Radio license and I take my Uniden BCD996XT digital scanner with me all the time either going to town or traveling state to state. Question is this yesterday a officer pulled up (passenger side) looked in and saw my scanner and looked at me then looked at the scanner again really hard he never said anything he just looked in while awaiting for the light to change never asked me about it he drove off. Was everything okay? I think he was just looking at the scanner to see what it was.

This is only a question for someone not anything else meant by it.

Assuming this was in FL and because you're a HAM, I wouldn't worry about it.... especially because he didn't care enough to say anything about it.

 

[DaveNF2G]

David,

I think you may have misunderstood me. Here in Canada, under Industry Canada Guidelines a HAM operator may NOT have Police, etc frequencies programmed in his HAM radio, in fact I have heard from HAMs that have had radios confiscated by IC for having these frequencies programmed in their radios. My original post doesn't speak to the equipment, but to the programming. The same person CAN have a scanner in the same location scanning police etc frequencies.
Joe

Yes, I did misunderstand. You should add location information to your profile. We don't have any way of knowing that you are in Canada when you post.

 

[cacherjoe]

No worried David, forget sometimes that these are worldwide forums. Thanks for the tip, I'll add some info to my profile.

73 de Joe

 

[Nap]

U.S.:
Laws vary from state to state. You have to observe the laws of the state you are within. E.g. some states allow you to have a scanner, but not in your car. If you are traveling interstate and want just to transport the scanner with you, best idea is to have it in the trunk with the antenna and batteries removed.

Canada:
The law is a federal one and uniform in all provinces. (there's one exception for radio equipment in Yukon but it's irrelevant to this discussion).
An analog scanner is an unlicensed (i.e. you don't need a license to own or operate) radio device. You can operate it as you see fit. You're not allowed to "mod" it though. Or create radio interference (if it goes defective and creates interference you have to stop using it until repaired).
A digital scanner is a licensed radio device. You need a license in order to own and operate one. You can operate it according to the license terms.
A ham radio is a licensed radio device. You need a license in order to own and operate one. You can operate one within the limits of the amateur radio license you have.

You do not need a ham radio license in order to operate an analog scanner. But if you have such license, you may be held to higher standards than regular people when it comes to the operation of the radio equipment you own, including the scanner.

 

[Nap]

Also if you don't want your equipment to be instantly recognized and classified as a scanner, you can try one of these:

IC-R2500 Communications Receiver - Features - Icom America

permanently and professionally installed *instead* of you standard car AM/FM/CD player.

When properly done, it blends in beautifully.

 

[Bellingham_Scanner]

I understand you are an Canada but I thought I would add this for others who see this thread.

In the US mobile scanners are legal in all states except:

Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Washington D.C.

Note that New York, Oklahoma, Vermont, West Virginia mobile scanners may be restricted under local ordnance and require permits.

This info is from a quick Google and could be outdated.:wink:

 

[OCO]

Legal in MI unless used in the commission of a crime.....

 

[scannerboy01]

Guys and Ladies,

I have a question for someone maybe a question for a officer or anyone who can really answer this for me...I have my Amateur/Ham Radio license and I take my Uniden BCD996XT digital scanner with me all the time either going to town or traveling state to state. Question is this yesterday a officer pulled up (passenger side) looked in and saw my scanner and looked at me then looked at the scanner again really hard he never said anything he just looked in while awaiting for the light to change never asked me about it he drove off. Was everything okay? I think he was just looking at the scanner to see what it was.

This is only a question for someone not anything else meant by it.

Maybe the police officer was just curious about your scanner.

 

[redhawk9]

Interesting discussions here. In 2007, I purchased a brand-new truck and I was over at our local CHP (California Highway Patrol, for those out of the area) showing it to a couple of buddies on the patrol. One of them asked me if I was planning to put my scanner in the truck; I had advised him that, to the best of my knowlege, putting a scanner in a car was a no-no. He shook his head and advised that they were completely legal, I just can't "jump calls" with it. I feigned an "offended look" and said "MOI???" I advised him I ALMOST never respond on accidents, unless they are real knarly (fires are a different story). ;-)

 

[RadioDaze]

For fun, you could have said that not only do you never respond to accidents, but when you're involved in one, you leave the scene as quickly as possible.

 

[BeerNutz]

Many years ago in Michigan an officer put a young man's scanner in front of his front tire and told the driver to pull forward. The driver was not involved in a crime, he was simply in a traffic jam near Mich Int Speedway when the radio was spotted.

 

[Tmonty]

In those states that a mobile scanner is not legal, would not any cell phone
with a RR app be illegal?
I can hear it now when you get pulled over " Your papers and phone please"

 

[lindsay34654]

I understand the need to make a comment when you think you are right but please have your facts correct. If you hold an FCC license which most of the people on here, have you have the right to have a scanner in your car in the states that you listed as not being allowed. I believe that there is only 2 states, ( I might be wrong) that even with a license you are not allowed a scanner.So your comment was only half right

 

[efry849]

I have been led to believe that a licensed amateur radio operator (ham) is allowed to possess an FCC type approved ham radio with scan capabilities (usual referred to as extended receive) programmed to police, etc; but that does NOT allow the types of scanner only receivers usually referred to in this context. Am I wrong?