Orange County, CA police scanner: police are encrypted. Here's what you can still hear.
Last checked: 27 Oct 2026
Orange County Sheriff's Department: A 2023 report on California's SB 719 names the Orange County Sheriff's Department among large agencies that fully encrypted after the 2020 DOJ directive. (Scope: all (per report).)
We haven't found an official or news source on fire radio encryption here yet. The FCC licenses below show whether the county's channels are analog or digital, not whether they are encrypted.
We haven't found an official or news source on EMS radio encryption here yet. The FCC licenses below show whether the county's channels are analog or digital, not whether they are encrypted.
What you can still hear
- Orange County Sheriff's Department on an old analog scanner: No, needs a digital P25 scanner (FCC licenses).
- Orange County Sheriff's Department (all (per report)): encrypted, so no scanner hears it.
- Old analog scanner, county-wide: Mostly no: most main channels are digital (FCC licenses).
Agency by agency
Orange County Sheriff's Department
Reported encryptedWhat: all (per report)
Old analog scanner: No, needs a digital P25 scanner (FCC licenses)
Analog or digital?
Works on an old analog scanner? Mostly no: most main channels are digital. About 8 in 10 of the main licensees' channels with a clear mode are digital-only.
- Digital only: 70%
- Analog only: 19%
- Licensed for both: 11%
438 voice channels of the main licensees; 44 licensees with voice channels in the county. Licenses show analog or digital, never encryption. FCC ULS license file of 18 Oct 2026
Recommended scanner
Mostly digital (P25) Works on an old analog scanner? Mostly no: most main channels are digital. About 8 in 10 of the main licensees' channels with a clear mode are digital-only. From FCC licenses, which don't show encryption.
Top pick
Uniden SDS100 (handheld)
The county's main licensed channels are mostly digital. A digital P25 Phase II scanner hears analog and P25, wherever traffic isn't encrypted. It also handles simulcast sites, which licenses don't show.
- $689.99 Amazon
- $699.99 ScannerMaster
Prices as of 19 Oct 2026
We earn a commission if you buy through these links. It doesn't change your price.
Cheaper P25 option
Whistler WS1065 (desk)
Hears P25 Phase I and II, but can struggle near simulcast sites. A good choice if you've confirmed the local system isn't simulcast.
- $351.49 Amazon
Price as of 19 Oct 2026
We earn a commission if you buy through these links. It doesn't change your price.
What NOT to buy
- An analog-only scanner. The county's main channels are digital, so it would hear only a few.
- Anything sold as an “encryption decoder.” It won't play encrypted traffic.
Questions
Can I still listen to Orange County, CA police on a scanner?
Encrypted: Orange County Sheriff's Department (all (per report)). Police agencies not named here haven't been checked yet.
Do I need a digital scanner in Orange County, CA?
Mostly no: most main channels are digital. About 8 in 10 of the main licensees' channels with a clear mode are digital-only. Licenses show whether a channel is analog or digital, not whether it's encrypted.
Which scanner should I buy for Orange County, CA?
Uniden SDS100 ($689.99 at Amazon, price as of 19 Oct 2026). The county's main licensed channels are mostly digital. A digital P25 Phase II scanner hears analog and P25, wherever traffic isn't encrypted. It also handles simulcast sites, which licenses don't show.
Are fire and EMS radios encrypted in Orange County, CA?
Fire: Not checked yet. EMS: Not checked yet. "Not checked yet" means we haven't found an official or news source so far.
Where does this information come from?
The analog or digital answer comes from the FCC's public license file of 18 Oct 2026: the voice channels licensed to public safety agencies with transmitter sites in the county. Encryption comes from official statements and news reports, each listed under Sources with its date.
Cities in this county
Huntington Beach · Orange · Anaheim · Newport Beach · Irvine · Costa Mesa · Fullerton · Garden Grove · Tustin · Santa Ana · Lake Forest · Buena Park · Seal Beach · Laguna Beach · Yorba Linda · San Clemente · La Habra · Brea · San Juan Capistrano · Dana Point · Laguna Woods