The California Scanner Law

Original source: California Penal Code (2012)
Section 1 - Penal Code of California
Part 1 - Crimes and Punishments
Title 15 - Miscellaneous Crimes
Chapter 1.5 - Invasion of Privacy
Section 636.5 - Wrongful Interception and Divulgence of Police Radio Communication.

§ 636.5. Police Radio Communication; Prohibited Interceptions; Penalty

Any person, not authorized by the sender, who intercepts any Public Safety Radio Service communication, by use of a scanner or other means, for the purpose of using that communication to assist in the commission of a criminal offense or to avoid or escape arrest, trial, conviction, or punishment or who divulges to any person he or she knows to be a suspect in the commission of any criminal offense, the existence, contents, substance, purport, effect or meaning of that communication concerning the offense with the intent that the suspect may avoid or escape from arrest, trial, conviction, or punishment is guilty of a misdemeanor.

Nothing in this section shall preclude prosecution of any person under Section 31 or 32.

As used in this Section, "Public Safety Radio Service communication" means a communication authorized by the Federal Communications Commission to be transmitted by a station in the Public Safety Radio Service.

I'm being advised by numerous people that Los Angeles County seems to have it's own county ordinance which restricts the mobile use of scanners:

13.10.020 - Installing or using shortwave radios in vehicles prohibited without permit

Except as provided in Section 13.20.050 of this chapter, every person who, without obtaining a permit from the sheriff or from the forester and fire warden authorizing him to do so, equips any vehicle with, or operates any vehicle equipped with, a shortwave radio receiver, is guilty of an infraction.

Ord. 83-0066 §90, 1983: Ord. 5462 §2, 1950: Ord. 4322 §2, 1944.

Retranscribed by: Todd L. Sherman/KB4MHH
Last updated: January 1, 2012.

Mobile Scanner & RADAR-Detector Laws In The U.S.
Todd L. Sherman/KB4MHH, Owner/Webmaster
Gainesville, Alachua Co., Fla.
E-mail: afn09444@afn.org
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