So is he violating the law? After all, a ham license grants one thing, and one thing only - the right to transmit on frequencies allocated to the amateur radio service. Nothing else. It doesn't grant a right to listen on non-ham frequencies, but here in America, that right is presumed for everyone, not just hams! (With the exception of cellular) So this non-ham with the amateur transceiver under his dash, a rig that receives police frequencies.. Where does he stand? And if HE has no right to listen to police, then a ham license doesn't grant that right, since it authorizes only transmission in ham bands, but does not address reception. If that fella has the right to listen to police frequencies, then the scanner law is invalid for everyone, not just hams, and should not be on the books anywhere.



The federal ECPA law which states it shall not be unlawful to monitor
police transmissions.

Federal law supercedes any local or state law.

Federal pre-emption.