News

Distant police vehicles with blurred flashing lights on a wet Memphis street at night, seen from far away

Memphis THP Pursuit: Scanner Audio Broke the St...

FOX13 Memphis rebuilt a fatal Tennessee Highway Patrol pursuit from Broadcastify scanner audio after THP went silent. See why scanner traffic still matters.

Memphis THP Pursuit: Scanner Audio Broke the St...

FOX13 Memphis rebuilt a fatal Tennessee Highway Patrol pursuit from Broadcastify scanner audio after THP went silent. See why scanner traffic still matters.

Suburban New Jersey township municipal and police building at dusk seen across an empty parking lot

Bridgewater NJ Police Radios: $2.95M Motorola D...

Bridgewater NJ approved $2.95M in Motorola radios for a Jan. 1, 2027 county system cutover. See what changes for local scanner listeners. Be ready to listen.

Bridgewater NJ Police Radios: $2.95M Motorola D...

Bridgewater NJ approved $2.95M in Motorola radios for a Jan. 1, 2027 county system cutover. See what changes for local scanner listeners. Be ready to listen.

Distant AM broadcast antenna tower array in a rural field at dusk behind a perimeter fence

AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act Passes House: 20...

The AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act passed the House in Sept. 2026. See what H.R. 979 means for in-car radio reception and scanner listeners. Check your ride.

AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act Passes House: 20...

The AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act passed the House in Sept. 2026. See what H.R. 979 means for in-car radio reception and scanner listeners. Check your ride.

Pacific Northwest county emergency communications building at blue hour under wet evergreen trees

Snohomish County Police Radio Encrypted on Sno9...

All Snohomish County police talkgroups on Sno911 are encrypted, but fire and EMS stay open. Here is what Washington scanners can still hear in 2026. Check it.

Snohomish County Police Radio Encrypted on Sno9...

All Snohomish County police talkgroups on Sno911 are encrypted, but fire and EMS stay open. Here is what Washington scanners can still hear in 2026. Check it.

Rural Pennsylvania county government building at dusk with a distant radio tower on the ridge

Juniata County PA Police Radio Encrypted: 2026 ...

Juniata County PA police radio is encrypted, confirmed in a Sept. 22, 2026 state police deal. See what scanner listeners can still hear tonight. Check yours.

Juniata County PA Police Radio Encrypted: 2026 ...

Juniata County PA police radio is encrypted, confirmed in a Sept. 22, 2026 state police deal. See what scanner listeners can still hear tonight. Check yours.

Lattice radio communications tower on a ridge above flat central Illinois farmland at dusk

McLean County IL Weighs $19.25M Motorola Radio ...

McLean County IL weighs a $9.65M to $19.25M Motorola simulcast radio rebuild for police and fire, with a spring 2027 decision. What scanner listeners face.

McLean County IL Weighs $19.25M Motorola Radio ...

McLean County IL weighs a $9.65M to $19.25M Motorola simulcast radio rebuild for police and fire, with a spring 2027 decision. What scanner listeners face.

Amateur radio antenna mast above a suburban rooftop at dusk, seen from the street

LakeShark v2.2.0 Puts P25 Police Radio on a $10...

LakeShark v2.2.0 decodes P25 Phase 1 police radio trunking on a roughly $100 ESP32 handheld with no phone. See what it hears, and where it stops. Shop scanners.

LakeShark v2.2.0 Puts P25 Police Radio on a $10...

LakeShark v2.2.0 decodes P25 Phase 1 police radio trunking on a roughly $100 ESP32 handheld with no phone. See what it hears, and where it stops. Shop scanners.

Person at a kitchen table in morning light holding a phone with an out-of-focus screen beside a small unmarked shipping box

FCC ID at Checkout: Marketplace Radio Rule Star...

Online marketplaces must show a certified radio's FCC ID at the point of sale by March 1 and June 1, 2027. Here is how scanner buyers can use that check.

FCC ID at Checkout: Marketplace Radio Rule Star...

Online marketplaces must show a certified radio's FCC ID at the point of sale by March 1 and June 1, 2027. Here is how scanner buyers can use that check.

Distant view of a seaport container terminal at dawn, where imported radio hardware enters the United States

FCC Covered List FNPRM: Radio Component Ban Pro...

The FCC proposed barring radios that contain any Covered List component and wants parts disclosure. Comments closed Sept. 8, 2026. See what it means for buyers.

FCC Covered List FNPRM: Radio Component Ban Pro...

The FCC proposed barring radios that contain any Covered List component and wants parts disclosure. Comments closed Sept. 8, 2026. See what it means for buyers.

Rural South Texas county courthouse exterior at dusk seen from an empty street, where commissioners weighed police radio encryption

Atascosa County TX: $3.2M Motorola Radios, Encr...

Atascosa County, Texas approved $3.2M of Motorola radios and is weighing encryption on most channels. What scanners can still hear in 2026, and what comes next.

Atascosa County TX: $3.2M Motorola Radios, Encr...

Atascosa County, Texas approved $3.2M of Motorola radios and is weighing encryption on most channels. What scanners can still hear in 2026, and what comes next.

Stone facade of a city government building at dusk seen from across a busy street

NYC Bill Sets a 15-Minute Cap on NYPD Encrypted...

NYC Council Intro 1025-2026 would cap the NYPD's press radio delay at 15 minutes and require scannable encrypted feeds. See what the bill says and its status.

NYC Bill Sets a 15-Minute Cap on NYPD Encrypted...

NYC Council Intro 1025-2026 would cap the NYPD's press radio delay at 15 minutes and require scannable encrypted feeds. See what the bill says and its status.

Empty closed lanes of a suburban freeway interchange at night with distant blurred emergency lights

Sacramento Dispatch Audio: The Highway 50 Shoot...

Sacramento dispatch audio from the Sept. 7 Highway 50 shooting held two details the press release left out. See the timeline and how to hear local radio.

Sacramento Dispatch Audio: The Highway 50 Shoot...

Sacramento dispatch audio from the Sept. 7 Highway 50 shooting held two details the press release left out. See the timeline and how to hear local radio.

Phone propped on a shelf in a dim home radio room at night, screen glow the only light

SOS Lite Beta: Stream Your Own Scanner to Andro...

SOS Lite beta streams your own Uniden BCD536HP or SDS200 radio to Android with no feed delay. See how ScannerBridge and Tailscale remote listening work.

SOS Lite Beta: Stream Your Own Scanner to Andro...

SOS Lite beta streams your own Uniden BCD536HP or SDS200 radio to Android with no feed delay. See how ScannerBridge and Tailscale remote listening work.

Federal communications building at dusk with a radio antenna tower rising above the roofline

FCC Covered List Rule Hits Police Radio Gear Oc...

The FCC's Covered List rule takes effect October 13, 2026, hitting Hytera public-safety radio hardware. See what changes and what scanners still hear.

FCC Covered List Rule Hits Police Radio Gear Oc...

The FCC's Covered List rule takes effect October 13, 2026, hitting Hytera public-safety radio hardware. See what changes and what scanners still hear.

City police headquarters building at dusk with a distant cruiser and an officer walking toward the entrance

Montgomery Police Radio Encryption: Alabama Sca...

Montgomery police radio encryption closed Alabama's capital dispatch feed in Sept. 2026. See which metro agencies still scan clear and how to keep listening.

Montgomery Police Radio Encryption: Alabama Sca...

Montgomery police radio encryption closed Alabama's capital dispatch feed in Sept. 2026. See which metro agencies still scan clear and how to keep listening.

Rural two-lane Missouri highway at night with distant blurred red and blue emergency lights

Howell County Shooting: Scanner Audio Beat the ...

A Missouri weekly rebuilt an officer-involved shooting from scanner traffic. See what the radio captured before the official press releases did in 2026.

Howell County Shooting: Scanner Audio Beat the ...

A Missouri weekly rebuilt an officer-involved shooting from scanner traffic. See what the radio captured before the official press releases did in 2026.

Municipal public safety building in South Florida at dusk with palm trees and a rooftop radio antenna mast

Fort Lauderdale's $23.1M Motorola P25 Radio Ref...

Fort Lauderdale approved a $23.1M Motorola P25 radio refresh in August 2026. See what the contract says about encryption, new towers, and scanner access.

Fort Lauderdale's $23.1M Motorola P25 Radio Ref...

Fort Lauderdale approved a $23.1M Motorola P25 radio refresh in August 2026. See what the contract says about encryption, new towers, and scanner access.

Pickup truck parked on a rural Florida highway shoulder at golden hour with pine scrub and a distant antenna mast

Florida In-Car Scanner Law (2026): A Ham Licens...

Florida makes an in-car police scanner a first-degree misdemeanor under F.S. 843.16. See the exemption list, the ham license shield, and the 843.167 penalty.

Florida In-Car Scanner Law (2026): A Ham Licens...

Florida makes an in-car police scanner a first-degree misdemeanor under F.S. 843.16. See the exemption list, the ham license shield, and the 843.167 penalty.

County government building at dusk with a distant radio antenna tower rising behind the roofline

FCC Scanner Cellular-Block Rule Repealed: What ...

The FCC deleted 47 CFR 15.121 in March 2026. See what the scanner cellular-block repeal changes, what wiretap law still forbids, and what you can hear now.

FCC Scanner Cellular-Block Rule Repealed: What ...

The FCC deleted 47 CFR 15.121 in March 2026. See what the scanner cellular-block repeal changes, what wiretap law still forbids, and what you can hear now.

Muskegon County courthouse at dusk seen from a distance with a lone radio tower on the horizon

Muskegon County Police Dispatch Goes Dark Under...

Muskegon County MI police dispatch is migrating to encrypted MPSCS with no public listening path announced. Why West Michigan scanners are going dark.

Muskegon County Police Dispatch Goes Dark Under...

Muskegon County MI police dispatch is migrating to encrypted MPSCS with no public listening path announced. Why West Michigan scanners are going dark.

Illinois police station exterior in the St. Louis Metro East at dusk with a radio tower silhouetted behind it

Madison County IL Dispatch Flips to Encryption ...

Madison County IL police dispatch is flipping to encryption on StarCom21 this week, hitting Alton, Granite City and more. See what Metro East scanners lose.

Madison County IL Dispatch Flips to Encryption ...

Madison County IL police dispatch is flipping to encryption on StarCom21 this week, hitting Alton, Granite City and more. See what Metro East scanners lose.

Distant Huntsville police cruiser with flashing lights on a suburban street at dusk during a chase

Huntsville Scanner Audio Showed Chase Speeds Be...

Huntsville police scanner audio captured chase speeds before a fatal Sept 2026 crash. Why open dispatch still matters — and how to hear your county.

Huntsville Scanner Audio Showed Chase Speeds Be...

Huntsville police scanner audio captured chase speeds before a fatal Sept 2026 crash. Why open dispatch still matters — and how to hear your county.

Radio transmission tower on a flat midwestern landscape at dusk with antennas against an amber sky

Hendricks County Fire/EMS Encrypts Dispatch: Sc...

Hendricks County, Indiana, will encrypt fire/EMS dispatch this September, pushing public scanner feeds to a 30-minute delay. What Indianapolis-area listeners need to know.

Hendricks County Fire/EMS Encrypts Dispatch: Sc...

Hendricks County, Indiana, will encrypt fire/EMS dispatch this September, pushing public scanner feeds to a 30-minute delay. What Indianapolis-area listeners need to know.

Silhouetted journalists working in an open newsroom at dusk as monitors glow in the background

PSST Tool Brings AI Transcription to Police Sca...

PSST, a free AI tool from RJI and Open Vallejo, transcribes police scanner traffic and alerts newsrooms in real time. What it means for scanner listeners in 2026.

PSST Tool Brings AI Transcription to Police Sca...

PSST, a free AI tool from RJI and Open Vallejo, transcribes police scanner traffic and alerts newsrooms in real time. What it means for scanner listeners in 2026.

Shop Pre-Programmed Police Scanners

Short answer: every scanner here ships programmed to your zip code. We load the local police, fire, EMS and weather frequencies by hand before it leaves us, so there is no cable, no software and nothing to set up, and listening needs no FCC license.

Programmed by hand

Your zip code specifically — not a generic regional preset.

Free US shipping

Included on every order, anywhere in the United States.

No license needed

Listening requires no FCC license and no radio experience.

We check first

Check your zip code free and see what's actually receivable there.

Which one is right for you?

Buying your first scanner? The UV-5R. Proven, affordable, and does everything most people need.
Want it pocket-sized? The UV-5R Mini. Same core capability, USB-C charging.
Want the widest coverage? The K5 Plus. Adds airband and 1.25M reception, bigger battery.

Before you order, let us check your area

Most US counties still run analog on at least some public safety channels. A growing number have moved to encrypted or digital P25 systems that no analog scanner can receive — at any price.

Check your zip code and we'll tell you honestly what's receivable where you live. We'd rather turn down a sale than ship you a radio that can't hear your county.

New to this? Read What Can You Hear on a Police Scanner? or the Ultimate Scanner Guide.

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