Where can I find local laws on the lawful use of a scanner for my area. Do I need to hire an attorney for a clearer interpretation just to be safe. I have looked and didn't find much. Is it legal to have in your car in orange , riverside, san bernardino and san diego counties ? Just slapped down some serious green backs to find alot of encryption and still trying to decipher if I can have it in my car?
Back when I was kid we had them in the house an car all the time along with the cb radio. Small community with lots of volunteer public safety workers.
Scanner first idea, quick gate way in getting my son interested in Ham radio possibly sparking an interest in electrical engineering, physics an some critical thinking.
Second reason, being better informed of situations as they happen in my area.
If you perform a search in the forums portion of this website you will find at least 2 threads that cover this topic quite extensively. Markb's answer covers it, however, those other threads explain it more detail.
There are threads on this topic for other states that you should be aware of (search for those using the words "mobile scanner laws") as two states, New York and Florida, have some interesting views and take unusual actions on people with scanners and ham radios in their vehicles. They ignore FCC rulings when they take these actions. If you don't plan to travel to those states then you don't need the additional information.
I work as a volunteer (Community Emergency Response Team - CERT) for our police and fire departments and worked with them when I was a Forest Service Forest Protection Officer and firefighter. Most of the police officers and firefighters know me from those days also and know I'm a radio nut. I have no qualms about having a scanner on when I see them. If I'm outside of town or dealing with a different department I'm far more discrete. Like 99% of scanner listeners I am discrete about my scanner use in public. It invites too many questions and stares to have it out in the open with volume sufficient for others to hear.
It is different for ham radio. As long as I'm not obnoxious about my listening to and talking on my ham radios I have no problem using them in public. The questions are fun to answer and many people are interested in what I'm doing. Most people don't know what you are doing and don't care.
I would not consult an attorney about this. The law and practices of law enforcement in California regarding scanner use are very simple. Most attorney's do not have any knowledge of the federal laws and FCC regulations that govern radio use.
