Police codes and their meanings

Heard a number on a scanner or found one in a police log? Search the full code below, then check the agency behind the meaning. 10-20, Code 20 and a Dallas signal 20 are three different labels, even though the number looks familiar.

Start with the Police Codes Guide if you are unsure which system you have. Our accuracy policy explains how source documents and local variations are handled.

What Are Police Codes?

Police radio codes shorten a message, identify a call or describe a response. A legal section number can also be borrowed as dispatch shorthand. A short definition is useful only when it retains the department or jurisdiction that uses it.

For example, NYPD documents a 10-11 alarm condition in a school-facility procedure; Phoenix lists 10-11 as on duty; San Antonio uses it for requesting cover. The 10-11 comparison shows the sources side by side.

A Quick Guide to Common Police Codes

On smaller screens: each row keeps its code, meaning and source together.

These are sourced examples with a named scope, not a single list every department follows. Select a code for its agency comparison and a practical explanation.

Find a Code by What It Means

• Location: 10-20, requests for position and status differences.
• Officer needs help: CHP 11-99, Phoenix 999 and San Antonio 10-15.
• Emergency response: Code 3 versus separate dispatch priorities.
• No further assistance: Code 4, scene control and availability.
• Robbery: California 211, Texas 29.02 and Dallas signals.
• Disturbing the peace: 415 and the difference between calls and findings.
• Burglary: 459, entry and intent, and alarm-call distinctions.

Radio Codes and Legal Sections

A response code can say that units are responding to an emergency, while a call signal describes the reported problem. A Penal Code section describes a subject in law. Those labels can occur together without being interchangeable.

The California reference separates Penal Code sections from Welfare and Institutions Code 5150 and Vehicle Code entries. The Texas reference separates city-specific signals and priorities from Texas statutes. Scanner codes versus penal codes explains the distinction.

New Agency Comparisons

Code 11 ranges from a normal traffic stop in Yuba City to an explosion in Cotati and a substation in Tucson. Code 20 can concern assistance, the press or a facility. Code 33 concerns emergency radio traffic in the cited CHP and California city sources.

For regional context, use the California scanner guide or Texas scanner guide. Preserve the agency name and any letters or prefixes when you copy a number.

FAQ

How do I look up a police code?

Search the complete code or its suspected meaning, then read the agency and jurisdiction beside the result.

Why do code lists disagree?

Departments publish different local meanings, and legal sections use their own numbering. An older recording can also require an older codebook.

Does a scanner code confirm what happened?

No. A call or status label can describe incomplete reported information. It does not establish the investigation's final outcome.

Where are the sources?

The source lists on the reference pages name the agency documents and statutes behind the examples.

Sources

1. Phoenix Police Department – Radio Codes – Numerical Order, Phoenix Police Department. Updated 3/17/26. Official Checked October 2026
2. NYPD Patrol Guide (public edition), part 2, New York City Police Department. Official Checked October 2026
3. CHP 254 – Aural Brevity Card (01-2021 v2), California Highway Patrol. Official Checked November 2026
4. General Order 301.00: Emergency Vehicle Operation, Dallas Police Department. Updated 07/20/2021. Official Checked October 2026
5. Communications Division Training Manual (radio codes, pp. 20-21), Yuba City Police Department. Updated November 2023. Official Checked October 2026
6. California Penal Code § 187, California Legislative Counsel. Official Checked October 2026
7. California Penal Code § 211, California Legislative Counsel. Official Checked October 2026
8. California Penal Code § 415, California Legislative Counsel. Official Checked October 2026
9. California Penal Code § 459, California Legislative Counsel. Official Checked October 2026
10. California Welfare and Institutions Code § 5150, California Legislative Counsel. Official Checked October 2026
11. General Manual 403: Communications, San Antonio Police Department. Updated December 1, 2024. Official Checked November 2026
12. Communications and Records Training Manual, Cotati Police Department. Official Checked October 2026
13. Tucson Police Department Radio Codes, Tucson Police Department. Official Checked October 2026