in plain english nys scanner laws

[Guest]

ive searched they all seem confusing.can someone explain to me, if im walking while listening to pd/fd frequency's is that considered illegal/legal. i have not have any issues with it yet because i try and keep my scanner discrete.

[helicopper 1,050]

Unless you're planning on committing a crime while walking around with the scanner, I don't know of any laws prohibiting your listening to police frequencies. The vehicle and traffic law prohibits use of a scanner in a vehicle on police frequencies but that's about it.

[esu78 0]

New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law....

§ 397. Equipping motor vehicles with radio receiving sets capable of

receiving signals on the frequencies allocated for police use. A

person, not a police officer or peace officer, acting pursuant to his

special duties, who equips a motor vehicle with a radio receiving set

capable of receiving signals on the frequencies allocated for police use

or knowingly uses a motor vehicle so equipped or who in any way

knowingly interferes with the transmission of radio messages by the

police without having first secured a permit so to do from the person

authorized to issue such a permit by the local governing body or board

of the city, town or village in which such person resides, or where such

person resides outside of a city or village in a county having a county

police department by the board of supervisors of such county, is guilty

of a misdemeanor

I thought this was a topic of discussion on here before.

Hope this helps

[xfirefighter484x 234]

New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law....

§ 397. Equipping motor vehicles with radio receiving sets capable of

receiving signals on the frequencies allocated for police use. A

person, not a police officer or peace officer, acting pursuant to his

special duties, who equips a motor vehicle with a radio receiving set

capable of receiving signals on the frequencies allocated for police use

or knowingly uses a motor vehicle so equipped or who in any way

knowingly interferes with the transmission of radio messages by the

police without having first secured a permit so to do from the person

authorized to issue such a permit by the local governing body or board

of the city, town or village in which such person resides, or where such

person resides outside of a city or village in a county having a county

police department by the board of supervisors of such county, is guilty

of a misdemeanor

I thought this was a topic of discussion on here before.

Hope this helps

Simply put, if you possess a scanner that is CAPABLE of receiving, or interfering with any channel used by a PD, you are guilty of a misdemeanor.

I have never known and PO to issue a FF/EMT for possession of a scanner, so long as it is for a legitimate use, for example, a firefighter or EMT who uses a device to listen to fire frequencies. The wording of the law states CAPABLE. This means that EVEN IF you don't actually have any PD frequencies in it, so long as it COULD POSSIBLY hear them, it is illegal. Again, I hav never known a PO to issue a FF or EMT for such a violation, so long as their intentions are honorable.

[RWC130 594]

esu78 covered it!

this topic has been addressed over and over

and posted over and over.

read the law!

NYS VTL 397