About PoliceScannerFinder
PoliceScannerFinder is a free, nationwide directory of live public safety radio feeds. We make it simple for anyone to find real-time audio from police, fire, EMS, and emergency services in their community, with no account required and no cost to access.
Our Mission
We built PoliceScannerFinder because finding a live scanner feed for your area should not require technical knowledge or hours of searching. Our goal is to give every person in the United States a fast, reliable way to locate public safety audio for their city, county, or ZIP code.
Scanner listening has a long tradition in American communities. Journalists use it to report breaking news. Storm chasers use it to coordinate during severe weather. Neighbors use it to understand what is happening on their street. Firefighters and EMS volunteers use it to stay situationally aware outside of active calls. The people who rely on scanner audio are as varied as the communities they live in.
We believe access to public safety information is a form of civic engagement. When residents can follow real-time emergency communications, they make better decisions, stay safer during crises, and stay connected to the services that exist to protect them. That is the value we aim to deliver with every page on this site.
What Makes Us Different
Nationwide Coverage
We index feeds from all 50 states, covering thousands of counties and cities. Whether you are in a major metro or a small rural county, we aim to surface what is available near you.
Live Audio Streams
Every feed we link to is a live audio stream from a trusted provider. You hear what is happening now, not recorded clips or summaries from hours earlier.
ZIP Code Search
Our ZIP code search tool gets you to nearby feeds instantly without navigating through states and counties manually. Enter your ZIP and go.
Helpful Guides
We publish plain-language articles on how scanning works, what different feed types mean, and how to get started even if you have never listened to a scanner before.
Responsible Listening
We encourage all users to listen responsibly and in compliance with local, state, and federal law. Our resources explain what is and is not permitted in various jurisdictions.
Community Focused
No sign-up, no paywalls, no ads blocking the content. PoliceScannerFinder is built for everyday people who simply want to know what is happening in their neighborhood.
How It Works
Scanner feeds are live audio streams broadcast by volunteers who connect radio receivers to the internet. These volunteers tune a radio to a public safety frequency in their area and stream the audio through services like Broadcastify. PoliceScannerFinder organizes those streams by geography so you can find the ones relevant to where you are.
Because the feeds depend on volunteers, coverage is not uniform across the country. Populated counties with active scanner communities tend to have multiple feeds covering police, fire, EMS, and sheriff traffic separately. Less populated areas may have only one feed, or none at all. We display what is available rather than artificially filling gaps with inactive links.
Some agencies have also adopted encrypted radio systems, which means their transmissions cannot be received or streamed by volunteers regardless of technical skill. Fire and EMS channels are encrypted far less often than law enforcement, so those feeds tend to remain available even in counties where police channels have gone dark. We note feed types on each listing so you always know what you are listening to.
Legal Considerations
Listening to unencrypted public safety radio is legal under federal law in the United States. The Radio Communications Act and related statutes permit passive monitoring of frequencies that are not scrambled or otherwise protected. However, laws vary by state and locality, and using scanner information to facilitate illegal activity is a criminal offense.
Users are solely responsible for understanding and following the laws that apply to them. PoliceScannerFinder provides access to public information only. We do not encourage or condone any unlawful use of scanner audio.
If you are unsure about the rules in your area, our FAQ page covers common legal questions in plain language, and our Scanner Resources section links to additional reading on state-by-state regulations.
Who Uses PoliceScannerFinder
Our users come from a wide range of backgrounds and listen for a wide range of reasons. Here is a snapshot of who we typically see using the site.
- Local residents who want to understand what is happening in their neighborhood after seeing emergency vehicles or hearing sirens.
- Journalists and reporters who monitor scanner audio for breaking news and use feeds to get ahead of developing stories.
- Storm chasers and weather spotters who follow severe weather response in real time and coordinate with emergency management agencies.
- Emergency preparedness enthusiasts who want situational awareness during disasters, power outages, or large-scale incidents.
- Radio hobbyists who enjoy the technical and social aspects of monitoring public safety frequencies and learning how communications systems work.
- Curious locals who heard about scanner listening and want to understand what their public safety agencies actually do on a daily basis.
Get in Touch
Have a question, a feed suggestion, or feedback about the site? We read every message and do our best to respond promptly.