muhockey86
Member
I'll be taking a trip to Fort Walton Beach soon and am planning on taking my scanner...any scanner laws to keep in mind?
Florida scanner laws
- Thread starter muhockey86
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you wont have any problems trust me. unless you are riding around in a unmarked type police cars with lights and such.
n4voxgill
Silent Key
pinellasfirefighter said:
I'm sure if something happens and you are fined, and/or your scanner is confiscated that pinellas fire will pay the fine and buy you a new scanner.
no they wont. i dont need a scanner for work. however i talked to many law enfrocement officers here and they said its about like the seat belt law. they will never charge you with it unless you are giving them a hassle or using it for a crime.
if you are that worried about get a ham license and you can carry it with out worries.
pinellasfirefighter said:
Not the case here in South Florida. I know of officers that will act on it if you don't have a ham license. It all depends on where you are (and if they have calls holding).
well if a cops being a prick then he will find something to stick you with period. i dont monitor law enforcement channels.. where in south florida? i was a firefighter for broward county which was ran by broward sheriffs office and also was a firefighter for merto dade and never heard of this taking place. like i said it depends who you are and what you are doing. if your running around chasing police cars or fire trucks i`m sure they will have a problem with it. if you have a criminal record and you have all law enforcement channels i`m sure this comes into play also. i know for a fact they pull you over and find a scanner they will run a check on your ass before they take the scanner away and i`m sure if you have a ****load of felonies they would be prone to hassle you and take it. if you had a clean record i bet that would change things. i`ve talked to my father about this subject which he is the "sheriff" of a metro area in florida and said that rarely gets inforced unless soembody is chasing emergency units , using it to commit crimes or impersonating a police officer. hey but what the hell do i know guys!!!!
dic
Member
I tend to agree with pinellas.
I got my ham license in 1993 specifically because I got a job in South Florida.
So, I have never worried about having a scanner in my car.
I have always had a scanner antenna on my car (presently an Austin Spectra) and the rare times I have been pulled over (I drove a VW for six years so it was almost always for burnt out headlights or tailights), not ONE officer has ever mentioned my OBVIOUS antenna or my scanner. I had hoped they would, so I could pull out my ham license. I never have.
I have had the opportunity to speak to many law enforcement officers over the years, privately, on ride alongs and some in rest areas and parking lots.
I would say a third of them are not even aware (or simply are not interested) in the scanner law.
Others have said they are aware of the law, but asked "how many people actually drive around with a scanner?"
Others have said that a radar detector bothers them more than a scanner.
Not one officer I have ever spoken with in Florida has expressed any interest in scanners, seizing them or issuing a citation for them.
(However, I have--to my pleasure--seen more than one officer issue a citation for "improper disposal of a lighted cigarette."YEAH!
I have never heard (in 13 years of living in Florida) any conversation on the scanner of an officer mentioning ANYTHING about "possession of a scanner".
Now, this is all from having lived in Palm Beach County and Indian River County.
I cannot speak from experience what occurs in any other area of the State.
It's just my opinion.
Dic
N1XBA
I got my ham license in 1993 specifically because I got a job in South Florida.
So, I have never worried about having a scanner in my car.
I have always had a scanner antenna on my car (presently an Austin Spectra) and the rare times I have been pulled over (I drove a VW for six years so it was almost always for burnt out headlights or tailights), not ONE officer has ever mentioned my OBVIOUS antenna or my scanner. I had hoped they would, so I could pull out my ham license. I never have.
I have had the opportunity to speak to many law enforcement officers over the years, privately, on ride alongs and some in rest areas and parking lots.
I would say a third of them are not even aware (or simply are not interested) in the scanner law.
Others have said they are aware of the law, but asked "how many people actually drive around with a scanner?"
Others have said that a radar detector bothers them more than a scanner.
Not one officer I have ever spoken with in Florida has expressed any interest in scanners, seizing them or issuing a citation for them.
(However, I have--to my pleasure--seen more than one officer issue a citation for "improper disposal of a lighted cigarette."YEAH!
I have never heard (in 13 years of living in Florida) any conversation on the scanner of an officer mentioning ANYTHING about "possession of a scanner".
Now, this is all from having lived in Palm Beach County and Indian River County.
I cannot speak from experience what occurs in any other area of the State.
It's just my opinion.
Dic
N1XBA
the only time Dic i have heard of was this creep driving around in a look alike police car trying to pick up little kids and they hit him with that charge amoung with a variety of others. thats what i`m saying its a law but they just arent going to screw with you about unless you are causing other trouble first. then its a tool from them to hit you with max charges.
I was listening to city pd one night last yr and someone had pulled a gun on someone for bad drugs and he took off and I called my buddy up and told him should I go with my camera stuff he said go for it and I didn't think what that person had on I went to town and stayed away till they had him in cuffs. I got pulled over with guns to me and I turn off my scanner before they did that and they ask me about it and 2 cops know I work for a newspaper and they didn't say anything about after that. I told them you had to do your job and I wasn't pissed about we did hand shakes and moved on and I called my buddy and he said what did you had on I told him and he said that is why they did that. I heard he another store in the area before the cops came to me.... I went home after that didn't any pictures they ask me what I had I told them was a camera and scanner....
Pinellasfirefighter, I'm not questioning what you may know from personal experience, friends and family. I agree that most of the time cops will not bother you about a scanner. However, I'm also talking about what I know from first-hand knowledge here in Miami (and no, I did not have any run-ins with the police, get cited, etc). Saying "they will never charge you with it unless you are giving them a hassle or using it for a crime" is just stretching it a bit.
hmmm.. well sorry you ran into a cop having a bad day.
pinellasfirefighter said:
LOL...you're reading too much into it. I never ran into any cop.
well thats a good thing...
sbkeith
Member
- Joined
- May 29, 2005
- Messages
- 41
The bottom line is: The Florida Statutes clearly state that possession of scanners/radios in vehicles is a violation of law without an amateur HAM license.
Does it boil down to "a cop having a bad day?" Absolutetly not. If it's a violation of law and they feel like enforcing it, you are up ****'s creek without a paddle.
There are a multitude of reason(s): good day, bad day, DUI checkpoints, you being in the area of a crime scene with a scanner (this will amaze you, I know - but bad guys do have lookouts!), special enforcement units that TARGET this offense*, a well-informed cop, ETC... blah blah
Look - I am just as pissed as the next guy that scanner enthusiasts are getting squeezed and shut out slowly but surely, but this is the law. The FL Legislature allowed an out for us and that's to get an amateur license and whammo! There are no more worries for you.
So if you prefer to play russian roulette with sporting your scanners around LEOs, go ahead. Don't get all pissy when you get your stuff confiscated and you get charged. If you don't get popped - well... good for you - this time.
I for one, and fellas - this is no insult to anyone who has previously posted, will not rely on a couple posts about "my buddy the cop," or "a couple of people I know are cops," or my dad/brother.. blah blah.."
Those 10 or 15 people only account for a small percentage of the hard working men and women poh-poh here in the Sunshine State. Do it smart and safely - get the license. What else is there to talk about?
Just to emphasize to seriousness of this: During Hurricane Katrina Operations in Missippissi, the Orange County Sheriff's Office received a $5000 fine from the FCC for operating a mutual aid channel from their mobile command vehicle without their permission. And that's a PS organization getting spanked. Do you think as joe-bob scanner guy you will fair better?
I will finish with a: Good Luck
* The FDLE and FHP both have investigatory elements charged with prosecution of TRS security violations (not that you could monitor them anyway.. yet...)
Does it boil down to "a cop having a bad day?" Absolutetly not. If it's a violation of law and they feel like enforcing it, you are up ****'s creek without a paddle.
There are a multitude of reason(s): good day, bad day, DUI checkpoints, you being in the area of a crime scene with a scanner (this will amaze you, I know - but bad guys do have lookouts!), special enforcement units that TARGET this offense*, a well-informed cop, ETC... blah blah
Look - I am just as pissed as the next guy that scanner enthusiasts are getting squeezed and shut out slowly but surely, but this is the law. The FL Legislature allowed an out for us and that's to get an amateur license and whammo! There are no more worries for you.
So if you prefer to play russian roulette with sporting your scanners around LEOs, go ahead. Don't get all pissy when you get your stuff confiscated and you get charged. If you don't get popped - well... good for you - this time.
I for one, and fellas - this is no insult to anyone who has previously posted, will not rely on a couple posts about "my buddy the cop," or "a couple of people I know are cops," or my dad/brother.. blah blah.."
Those 10 or 15 people only account for a small percentage of the hard working men and women poh-poh here in the Sunshine State. Do it smart and safely - get the license. What else is there to talk about?
Just to emphasize to seriousness of this: During Hurricane Katrina Operations in Missippissi, the Orange County Sheriff's Office received a $5000 fine from the FCC for operating a mutual aid channel from their mobile command vehicle without their permission. And that's a PS organization getting spanked. Do you think as joe-bob scanner guy you will fair better?
I will finish with a: Good Luck
* The FDLE and FHP both have investigatory elements charged with prosecution of TRS security violations (not that you could monitor them anyway.. yet...)
it will never be enforced unless you are doing point blank.
red8
Member
back in april 2005 i went to west palm beach to vist my aunt and uncle and i had my pro 96 with me and on the day i left to come home i saw my uncle speaking with a neighbor who by the way
employed by palm beach co so who inturn saw me and my scanner
in hand getting into my wife's trailblazer and he didn't say anything
i guess my uncle told him i was on the job from louisiana but he did
say anything
red8
employed by palm beach co so who inturn saw me and my scanner
in hand getting into my wife's trailblazer and he didn't say anything
i guess my uncle told him i was on the job from louisiana but he did
say anything
red8
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