Published July 2026 · Compiled by PoliceRadio.org from public records · Journalists and researchers are welcome to cite these figures with a link to this page.
As of 2026, 818 of America's 3,144 counties — 26% — have at least one law-enforcement agency known to encrypt its routine radio dispatch. Because encryption clusters in populous places, those counties are home to roughly 68% of Americans. Yet the map is far from dark: about 70% of US counties appear on neither the encryption record nor the P25 trunked-systems list, and in most of them, police, fire, EMS, and weather traffic is still receivable on an ordinary scanner. This page is our data summary of where American scanner listening stands — and where it's heading.
The numbers at a glance
26%of US counties (818 of 3,144) have at least one agency known to encrypt routine police dispatch
67.8%of Americans (about 225 million people) live in one of those counties
42 of 50of the most populous US counties have at least one encrypting agency
70.6%of counties (2,221) appear on neither the encryption record nor the P25 trunking list
82 millionAmericans live in those neither-list counties, where local listening generally survives
7×an encrypting county averages ~275,000 residents; a neither-list county averages ~37,000
Encryption follows population, not geography
The single clearest pattern in the data: police radio encryption is a big-city phenomenon. The average county with an encrypting agency has about 275,000 residents. The average county on neither list has about 37,000. Measured by land, most of America is still open airwaves; measured by people, most Americans now live near at least one agency that has gone dark. Both things are true at once, and both matter — the first for listeners, the second for the public-transparency debate.
The states where encryption is most widespread are dense and urban. In Maryland, 22 of 24 counties (92%) have at least one encrypting agency; Delaware is at 3 of 3, Rhode Island 4 of 5, Massachusetts 11 of 14, and New Jersey 16 of 21. At the other end of the scale, large rural states remain mostly open: South Dakota has a known encrypting agency in just 1 of its 66 counties.
What "encrypted county" does and doesn't mean
A county appears in the encryption figure when at least one law-enforcement agency there is recorded as encrypting routine dispatch. It does not mean everything in that county is silent — in a large share of these counties, fire, EMS, weather, highway, and neighboring-agency traffic remains fully receivable. Conversely, a county absent from both lists is not a guarantee that every channel is open; records lag reality in both directions. Treat these as the best available public map, not gospel.
The digital middle ground
Separate from encryption, 271 counties (8.6%) are named in a public-safety entry of the P25 Trunking Systems list — digital networks that require digital-capable equipment but are not necessarily encrypted. Combining both lists, 923 counties (29.4%) appear on at least one; 2,221 (70.6%) appear on neither. The two lists overlap in 166 counties.
Methodology & sources
-
County universe and population: US Census county list (3,144 counties and county-equivalents) and Census 2023 county population estimates (331.3 million total).
-
Encryption: the RadioReference community record of agencies that encrypt routine dispatch — the most complete public tally in existence, maintained by the scanner-listening community. Counted at the county level: a county is included if at least one law-enforcement agency there encrypts routine dispatch. Tactical-only encryption is excluded.
-
Digital trunked systems: the Project 25 Technology Interest Group "P25 Trunking Systems" list, January 2026 edition, public-safety entries only.
-
Limitations: both lists are living documents; agencies migrate in both directions and records lag. Percentages are of counties or of counted population as noted. This page is updated as the underlying records change.
Frequently asked questions
How many US police departments encrypt their radios?
As of 2026, 818 of America's 3,144 counties — about 26% — have at least one law-enforcement agency known to encrypt its routine dispatch, based on the community-maintained RadioReference encrypted-agencies record. Because encryption is concentrated in populous counties, roughly 68% of Americans live in one of those counties.
What percentage of Americans can still listen to a police scanner?
About 70% of US counties, home to roughly 82 million people, appear on neither the encrypted-agencies record nor the P25 trunked-systems list — and in most of those places local police, fire, EMS, or weather traffic remains receivable on a scanner. Even in counties with some encryption, fire, EMS, and weather channels frequently remain open.
Is police radio encryption more common in big cities or small towns?
Big cities, overwhelmingly. Counties with an encrypting agency average about 275,000 residents, while counties on neither list average about 37,000 — a more than 7-to-1 difference. Of the 50 most populous US counties, 42 have at least one encrypting agency.
Can any scanner receive encrypted police radio?
No. Once a channel is encrypted, no scanner at any price can receive it — the audio is mathematically locked. Be cautious of any product that claims otherwise. Unencrypted digital channels can be received with digital-capable equipment, and analog channels with any scanner.
Where does this data come from?
Three public sources: the US Census county list and 2023 population estimates, the Project 25 Technology Interest Group's January 2026 P25 Trunking Systems list, and the RadioReference community record of agencies that encrypt routine dispatch. Methodology and limitations are described on this page.
Want the answer for your county? Our free checker covers every US ZIP code and tells you what's receivable where you live.
Check your ZIP here.
