Is radio scanning legal or illegal in your country?

[dempa]

I'm wondering which country makes radio scanning legal or illegal. Can you share legal information for radio scanning in your countries? (e.g. links to laws or regulations)

I'd like to know which country I can bring scanners with me when I travel.

 

[KevinC]

I would inquire with the proper authorities for whichever country you are visiting. Laws can change quickly and I’d hate for advice on a hobbyist site to land you in trouble in some obscure country that you may not return from because you have an illegal device.

 

[KK4JUG]

I would inquire with the proper authorities for whichever country you are visiting. Laws can change quickly and I’d hate for advice on a hobbyist site to land you in trouble in some obscure country that you may not return from because you have an illegal device.

Good advice because laws change plus it's amazing how many people who think they're informed, aren't.

 

[mmckenna]

This is the best piece of advice you'll get, because it is 100% correct:

I would inquire with the proper authorities for whichever country you are visiting. Laws can change quickly and I’d hate for advice on a hobbyist site to land you in trouble in some obscure country that you may not return from because you have an illegal device.

The —only— correct answer is going to come from the authorities in whichever location you are going to visit. Asking for what amounts to legal advice on a hobby website is going to get you more bad information than good.

Good advice because laws change plus it's amazing how many people who think they're informed, aren't.

Exactly. Looking at some of the posts on this site over many years has shown me that there's usually more bad/incorrect advice than good advice. Too many people want to sound important, and will share absolute B.S. information.

When it comes to legal advice, I would not trust most advice on this site.

 

[n0xvz]

Wow, you guys gave better advice than I was going to give. I was going to recommend this website: www.google.com

 

[Scan125]

Well for factual and the UK then see: Radio interception

I like the question

Isn't this all a bit heavy?
No. No-one likes their private or business conversations to be listened to. Parliament has passed these laws to protect the privacy of radio users.

 

[KD3Y]

Currently legal in NC. I've had co-workers just out of the academy who thought it was illegal, but in NC it's legal to receive PD transmissions, just not legal to transmit on them. One kid pulled over a Ham on a traffic stop and heard himself on the Hams mobile radio when he called in the 10-27. He had to call the shift supervisor and ask if it was legal. LOL

The only issue I have with it is in NC they still do many of the 10-27's by radio. Smaller towns can't afford the MDT's in the cars. So people's name, address, criminal record if any, and tag # can be easily overheard by anyone with a cheap Radio Shack scanner.

 

[KevinC]

Currently legal in NC. I've had co-workers just out of the academy who thought it was illegal, but in NC it's legal to receive PD transmissions, just not legal to transmit on them. One kid pulled over a Ham on a traffic stop and heard himself on the Hams mobile radio when he called in the 10-27. He had to call the shift supervisor and ask if it was legal. LOL

The only issue I have with it is in NC they still do many of the 10-27's by radio. Smaller towns can't afford the MDT's in the cars. So people's name, address, criminal record if any, and tag # can be easily overheard by anyone with a cheap Radio Shack scanner.

Unfortunately NC isn’t a country.

 

[RaleighGuy]

Unfortunately NC isn’t a country.

Sometimes it feels like a country of it's own making

 

[PrivatelyJeff]

The only issue I have with it is in NC they still do many of the 10-27's by radio. Smaller towns can't afford the MDT's in the cars. So people's name, address, criminal record if any, and tag # can be easily overheard by anyone with a cheap Radio Shack scanner.

I’m actually surprised Apple hasn’t jumped on this bandwagon with some sort of commercial grade iPad with bigger battery for services like that.

 

[G7RUX]

I'm wondering which country makes radio scanning legal or illegal. Can you share legal information for radio scanning in your countries? (e.g. links to laws or regulations)

I'd like to know which country I can bring scanners with me when I travel.

In the UK the position is rather clear; if it's not a service intended for you then no, it is not legal to receive. It is a more serious offence to pass on information about the contents of the messages intercepted.
However, just for a bit more confusion the regulator has no particular issue with "hobby" reception of eg: airband or marine radio, provided one is not daft about it. This does not mean it is legal to receive (it isn't) however they are not interested in trying to prosecute someone listening to airband at their local airport, for example.

For even more confusion, the owning of any type of (scanning) receiver is legal in the UK so taking one there with you won't be an issue. Be discreet with your listening and everything should be fine.

 

[KF6NFW]

Contact each countries offical office that deals with radio matters.
I am aware that there are "loopholes" in many countries, however those typically are about having an amateur radio license. In which case, most don't take a scanner, but rather will program in some freqs. to their radio and listen without admission of such.
I know this to be true for UK, and AUS from experience.