Police Radio In A Vehicle
Veh. & Traf. Law § 397 — a police band receiver in a vehicle without a local permit is a misdemeanor
In New York, Vehicle and Traffic Law section 397 makes it a misdemeanor for a person who is not a police officer or peace officer acting under special duties to equip a motor vehicle with a radio receiving set capable of receiving signals on the frequencies allocated for police use, or to knowingly use a motor vehicle so equipped, without first securing a permit from the person the local governing body authorizes to issue one where the person resides.
The section is about a radio in a vehicle, and interference. The section also covers knowingly interfering with the transmission of police radio messages. A violation is punishable by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars, imprisonment not exceeding six months, or both.
The section does not apply to a person who holds a valid amateur radio operator's license issued by the federal communications commission and operates a duly licensed portable mobile transmitter, with a receiver on frequencies allocated exclusively to licensed radio amateurs.
This is the section, not an assessment. Whether a particular radio, vehicle or situation is one the section reaches, and whether some other law, a local rule or federal law also applies, are questions it does not answer. A licensed New York attorney is who answers them.
Sources for this section (1)
- Veh. & Traf. Law § 397 — Equipping motor vehicles with radio receiving sets capable of receiving signals on the frequencies allocated for police use
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed New York attorney.