Anyone been pulled over with there scanner in the car?

[quicksilva89]

Anyone been pulled over with there scanner in the car? Is it legal to have your police scanner in your car in montgomery county? What do you guys think an officer would say if there was a scanner in the car? I think it is illegal in D.C. correct? Anyone know the laws?

 

[dc2wheel]

I posted this a few months back:
____________________________________________________________
So I gave a friend who's a DC MPD officer a ride yesterday in my
car which has a mobile analog scanner installed in the dash. He asked
if it could pick up MPD and I told him no, but I have a handheld
[Pro 96] that can. He said that most officers think their new digital
radios are 'encrypted' and that 'no one can hear them with scanners
anymore'. Being on a narcotics squad he said they used to occasionally
find scanners with MPD frequencies on some of the more coordinated
drug gangs, but not anymore. He then mentioned in passing that he was
'pretty sure they're illegal here anyway', but that he'd look through DC
Code for me to check. Checking through DC Code online myself all I
could find pertaining to police communications was this:
_
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA OFFICIAL CODE 2001 EDITION
DIVISION I. GOVERNMENT OF DISTRICT.
TITLE 5. POLICE, FIREFIGHTERS, AND CHIEF MEDICAL EXAMINER.
CHAPTER 13. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS.
SUBCHAPTER I. GENERAL PROVISIONS.
§ 5-1307. Protection of emergency 2-way radio communications--Unlawful acts.

It shall be unlawful for any person to do the following:

TEXT (1) (1) Knowingly, intentionally, recklessly, or with culpable negligence interrupt, disrupt, impede, or otherwise interfere with the transmission of a 2-way radio communication, the purpose of which is to inform or to inquire about an emergency; or

TEXT (2) (2) Knowingly, intentionally, recklessly, or with culpable negligence transmit false information about an emergency on any 2-way radio frequency.
_

Does anyone know of any other sections of code/law that could pertain to the legalities of scanning in DC? My friend fully admitted the standard ‘cops aren’t lawyers’ refrain, and said that most officers wouldn't care unless you’re doing something else illegal.
_____________________________________________________________

I got no responses other than someone explaining what I already gathered from the text, and a link to a site on scanner laws:

http://www.afn.org/~afn09444/scanlaws/

Since I posted that I was pulled over/boarded by Secret Service for accidentally driving an RV down 17th street on which trucks and large vans are prohibited due to proximity to the White House. Anyway, conversation went like this:

ss: what's that [pointing to scanner on dash]
me: it's a scanner Sir.
ss: ok.

No ticket, no confiscation, etc. so I guess it's OK by them. My friend with MPD also said he couldn't find anything, other than the above text, in his most recent copy of DC code, so I think it's very likely scanners are legal in DC.
-dc2wheel

 

[z_moonchild]

I listen to 2 scanners on my way into work everyday, my PRO-23 and my BC296D. I was pulled over on the Rock Creek Parkway under the Kennedy center because the officer couldn’t read my license plate (which was really dirty, I live on a dirt road and the rear of my car gets really dirty every couple of months from all the dirt that gets kicked up).
He came up to my window and asked for my license and registration, the scanners were on, but I don’t think he could hear them. He got back into his car and I turned one of the scanners to Park Police Channel 2 and I listened to him do a check on me. He came back and gave me a warning, basically telling me to get a towel and clean the rear plate when I got to work. At that point he heard my scanners and I saw him peer into my car, but he didn’t say or do anything about it. Nothing happened.

 

[Dewey]

I've been home, mobile, bicycle, and portable scanning in DC for over 30 years. The only DC law concerning mobile scanning is that scanners are prohibited in tow trucks.

 

[FPO703]

I've been home, mobile, bicycle, and portable scanning in DC for over 30 years. The only DC law concerning mobile scanning is that scanners are prohibited in tow trucks.

I wonder how many tow truck dispatchers have scanners right beside their radio to advise of a tow that is/may be needed.

 

[dc2wheel]

I wonder how many tow truck dispatchers have scanners right beside their radio to advise of a tow that is/may be needed.

Wouldn't matter here in DC anyway. MPD goes off a rotating "list" or use their own tow trucks.
-dc2wheel

 

[FPO703]

If it's a large enough incident, and they require additional tow trucks, at least they'd have a heads'up. Or, if they're going to another request and one happens to be in their way, they'd have the traffic jam heads-up.

 

[rcvmo]

wonder how many tow truck dispatchers have scanners right beside their radio to advise of a tow that is/may be needed.


here in Michigan, many two truck owners/operators are on the same dispatch channel with the associating police dept. they have a contract with, including the new MPSCS system.
Jimmy

 

[bnglbill]

Anyone been pulled over with there scanner in the car? Is it legal to have your police scanner in your car in montgomery county? What do you guys think an officer would say if there was a scanner in the car? I think it is illegal in D.C. correct? Anyone know the laws?

Check this link out for local state laws:

http://www.afn.org/~afn09444/scanlaws/scanner5.html