A police scanner code consists of numbers that indicate an incident, a crime or instructions for policemen. The most popular of these is 10-4, which means acknowledgement or “ok”. However there are many other codes, and if you want to listen to police scanners you need to understand what they stand for.
The Ten Code List
The Ten Code list consists of a series of numbers from 10-0 to 10-99, and among the most widely used are the following:
- 10-0 Caution
- 10-2 Signal good
- 10-3 Stop transmitting
- 10-4 Acknowledgement (OK)
- 10-5 Relay
- 10-7 Out of service
- 10-9 Repeat
- 10-10 Fight in progress
- 10-12 Stand by (stop)
- 10-14 Prowler report
- 10-16 Domestic disturbance
- 10-17 Meet complainant
- 10-19 Return to …
- 10-24 Assignment completed
- 10-26 Detaining subject
- 10-27 Drivers license information
- 10-28 Vehicle registration information
- 10-31 Crime in progress
- 10-33 Emergency
- 10-34 Riot
- 10-35 Major crime alert
- 10-39 Urgent — use light, siren
- 10-42 Ending tour of duty
- 10-50 Accident (property damage fatal, personal injury)
Other codes for police scanner feeds that you might hear are the following:
- 10-52 Ambulance needed
- 10-55 Suspected DUI
- 10-57 Hit and run (property damage, personal injury, fatal)
- 10-70 Fire
- 10-77 ETA (estimated time of arrival)
- 10-80 Chase in progress
- 10-89 Bomb threat
- 10-95 Prisoner/subject in custody
- 10-98 Prison/jail break
The Hundred Code
Besides the police scanner 10 codes, there’s also the Hundred Code, which consists of three digits. The following are some of the most widely used in the Hundred Code, although slight variations may exist among states.
- 187 Homicide
- 207 Kidnapping
- 207A Kidnapping attempt
- 211 Robbery
- 213 Use of illegal explosives
- 215 Carjacking
- 217 Assault with intent to murder
- 240 Assault
- 245 Assault with a deadly weapon
- 246 Shooting at inhabited dwelling
- 261 Rape
- 417 Person with a gun
- 502 Drunk Driving
- 505A Reckless driving
Police Scanner 1-37 Codes
Aside from those codes, policemen may also use other codes such as the following:
- Code 2 Urgent – no light or siren
- Code 3 Use lights and siren
- Code 4 No further assistance needed
- Code 5 Stakeout
- Code 6 Stay out of area
- Code 7 Meal break
- Code 8 Restroom break
- Code 9 Summer uniform
- Code 10 SWAT pre-call up
- Code 11 SWAT Call up
- Code 37 Subject/Property wanted
Other Codes
The following police scanner codes are also used by law enforcement officers throughout the United States.
- Code Blue Bus/Cab in trouble
- Code Red Alarm activated
- Code Purple Gang Activity
Fire Status / Medical Status Codes
- Code 10 Critical Trauma case
- Code 20 Acute Trauma case
- Code 30 Trauma case
- Code 40 Serious case (IV started)
- Code 50 Basic transport (not serious)
- Code N Newsworthy event
While the aforementioned police dispatch codes are very common, some are relatively new like, 20001 for felony hit and run, 23151 for felony drunk driving and 23103 for reckless driving.