Police codes can describe a unit's status, a response, a call type or a legal section. Start with the full number and the agency. This guide groups those systems so a familiar-looking code is not mistaken for a nationwide definition.
Search Police Codes
Search common police codes by number, meaning, or keyword.
Message received or OK
Message received or OK in APCO’s lists and most agency lists.
Location
Location in every official list we checked.
Out of service
Out of service in nearly every official list we checked.
In service
In service in nearly every official list we checked.
Emergency traffic or help needed
An emergency code in most lists; the exact meaning varies by agency.
Emergency response
Emergency response with lights and siren in most lists.
No further assistance needed
No further help needed in most lists.
Officer needs help
CHP’s code for an officer who needs emergency help.
Murder
California Penal Code section 187 defines murder.
Robbery
California Penal Code section 211 defines robbery.
Disturbance
A disturbance call; Penal Code 415 covers disturbing the peace.
Burglary
California Penal Code section 459 defines burglary.
Mental health hold
California law allowing a mental health hold of up to 72 hours.
Prisoner in custody
Prisoner in custody in most lists; APCO’s 1974 list says message delivered.
Suicide or intoxicated pedestrian
Suicide in some California lists, intoxicated pedestrian in others.
Fatality or coroner’s case
Fatality in CHP’s list; a coroner’s case in other California lists.
Not in official code lists
No official code list we checked defines 11-45.
Bomb threat or traffic stop
Bomb threat in CHP’s list; traffic stop in some city lists.
Not in official code lists
No official code list we checked defines 11-92.
Varies by agency
Accident, shooting or sick person, depending on the agency.
Officer needs help urgently
Officer needs help urgently in Phoenix, Mesa and Coolidge, Arizona.
Commonly associated with 10-20
What a location request asks for, and how it differs from unit status.
Commonly associated with 11-99
Compare CHP 11-99, Phoenix 999 and San Antonio assistance signals.
Commonly associated with Code 3
Separate an emergency response from dispatch and radio priorities.
Commonly associated with Code 4
Why no further help does not establish an arrest or a cleared call.
Commonly associated with 211
California 211, Texas 29.02 and the distinction between robbery and theft.
Commonly associated with 415
Separate a disturbance call from the conditions of California section 415.
Commonly associated with 459
Entry, intent and the difference between a burglary and an alarm call.
California scanner, 10-code, response-code, and penal-code context
CHP examples, city differences and legal numbers heard alongside radio codes.
Texas scanner and local radio code context
Keep San Antonio codes, Dallas signals and Houston priorities separate.
Whether police still use 10 codes
Why some agencies retain 10 codes and others use plain language.
Why police code meanings differ
How agency policies, jurisdictions and document dates affect a meaning.
Difference between scanner codes and penal codes
Recognize a radio term, a dispatch label and a legal section.
No matching code found. Try searching by another code, meaning, or keyword.
Code meanings can vary by department, region, and policy. These are common public meanings, not official agency definitions.
Choose the Right Kind of Code
A prefix helps, but it is only a starting point. 10-11, Code 11 and 11-99 are separate forms. California Penal Code 211 is a legal section; Dallas signal 20 is a call label; Houston Priority 3 is a response category. Keeping those labels intact prevents common lookup errors.
Police 10 Codes
10 codes commonly communicate status or a short message. Some definitions align across many lists: 10-20 refers to location in the sources collected on its page. Others diverge: 10-15 is a prisoner-in-custody entry in many lists but an officer/firefighter trouble signal in San Antonio's cited manual.
- Browse the sourced 10-code table
- 10-4: acknowledgment
- 10-11: alarm condition, duty or cover depending on agency
- 10-20: location
- 10-7: out of service
- 10-8: in service
- 10-33: emergency traffic or assistance context
Police 11 Codes
The 11-code family is especially visible in CHP and other California publications. Individual entries and omissions vary. Do not take a California list as a Texas statewide system, or assume a popular online entry has been substantiated in an agency manual.
- Browse 11 codes with source attribution
- 11-44: fatality or coroner context
- 11-99: emergency officer help
- Code 11: a separate local label
Police Scanner Codes
Scanner searches often combine response terms and local call labels. Code 3 commonly concerns an emergency response, while Code 33 in CHP and several California lists restricts routine radio traffic. Code 20 is more variable, covering media notification, assistance or a facility depending on the agency.
- Browse the scanner code reference
- Code 3: emergency response
- Code 4: assistance or scene status
- Code 20: compare conflicting agency meanings
- Code 33: emergency radio traffic
- Code 11: traffic stop and other local uses
California Code References
California legal numbers often appear alongside radio terms. The Penal Code defines murder in 187, robbery in 211 and burglary in 459. Section 415 concerns specified peace-disturbance offenses. 5150 belongs to the Welfare and Institutions Code, so it should not be labeled a Penal Code offense.
Use the California legal reference tables for the code names and statutory subjects, or the California scanner guide for how legal numbers and radio terms coexist.
Texas Code References
The Texas reference separates San Antonio 10 codes, Dallas problem signals, Houston dispatch priorities and Texas Penal Code sections. For example, Texas robbery is section 29.02 and burglary is section 30.02; those are not California's numbering.
The Texas scanner guide explains how to read prefixes, suffixes and surrounding words without converting every number into the same system.
Popular Police Code Questions
If you know the meaning you are looking for, use these guides. Each separates the common code from a practical question that a one-line translation leaves unanswered.
- 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.
Popular Police Code Meanings
On smaller screens: each row keeps its code, meaning and source together.
| Code or section | Meaning in the cited agency or law | Listed this way by |
|---|---|---|
| 10-4 | Affirmative (OK) | Phoenix PD (AZ) |
| 10-7 | Going off duty/out of service | Phoenix PD (AZ) |
| 10-8 | In service | Phoenix PD (AZ) |
| 10-11 | Alarm condition | NYPD |
| 10-20 | Location requested | CHP |
| 10-33 | Help me quick | Phoenix PD (AZ) |
| 11-99 | Officer requires help, emergency | CHP |
| Code 3 | Emergency warning devices and headlights on (State Transportation Code; General Order 301.05) | Dallas PD (TX) |
| Code 4 | Situation stable, emergency situation no longer exists | CHP |
| Code 11 | Traffic Stop, Normal | Yuba City PD (CA) |
| Code 20 | Notify press | CHP |
| Code 33 | Clear radio channels for emergency traffic | CHP |
| 187 | Murder (California Penal Code) | Cal. Penal Code § 187 |
| 211 | Robbery (California Penal Code) | Cal. Penal Code § 211 |
| 415 | Specified peace-disturbance offenses (California Penal Code) | Cal. Penal Code § 415 |
| 459 | Burglary (California Penal Code) | Cal. Penal Code § 459 |
| 5150 | Mental health assessment/detention reference (California Welfare and Institutions Code) | Cal. Welf. & Inst. Code § 5150 |
Each example above retains its supporting source. It is a quick route into the individual pages, rather than a merged national codebook. Follow a code to compare other agencies and limitations.
Learn How Police Codes Work
The educational guides explain why police code meanings vary, why some departments still use 10 codes and how scanner codes differ from penal codes.
Our accuracy policy explains how we attribute meanings and handle uncertainty. A dispatched label is a description of reported information, not a finding of guilt, an injury diagnosis or a final case outcome.
FAQ
Are police codes the same everywhere?
No. The agency and code system are essential context. The same number can describe different events or actions in different manuals.
What is the best way to find a code?
Search the complete number or a plain-English meaning, then choose the agency or legal context that matches the source you saw.
Are Code 11 and 10-11 the same?
No. They have separate published definitions. The 11-code family, such as 11-99, is another distinct form.
Can a scanner label establish a crime?
No. It describes a call or communication. Legal application depends on evidence and the current law.
Is this an agency manual?
PoliceCodeFor.com is an independent reference. It attributes examples to published materials and keeps variations visible.
Sources
- Phoenix Police Department – Radio Codes – Numerical Order, Phoenix Police Department. Updated 3/17/26. Official Checked October 2026
- NYPD Patrol Guide (public edition), part 2, New York City Police Department. Official Checked October 2026
- CHP 254 – Aural Brevity Card (01-2021 v2), California Highway Patrol. Official Checked October 2026
- General Order 301.00: Emergency Vehicle Operation, Dallas Police Department. Updated 07/20/2021. Official Checked October 2026
- Communications Division Training Manual (radio codes, pp. 20-21), Yuba City Police Department. Updated November 2023. Official Checked October 2026
- California Penal Code § 187, California Legislative Counsel. Official Checked October 2026
- California Penal Code § 211, California Legislative Counsel. Official Checked October 2026
- California Penal Code § 415, California Legislative Counsel. Official Checked October 2026
- California Penal Code § 459, California Legislative Counsel. Official Checked October 2026
- California Welfare and Institutions Code § 5150, California Legislative Counsel. Official Checked October 2026
- General Manual 403: Communications, San Antonio Police Department. Updated December 21, 2016. Official Checked October 2026
- Texas Penal Code § 29.02 (Robbery), Texas Legislature. Official Checked October 2026
- Texas Penal Code § 30.02 (Burglary), Texas Legislature. Official Checked October 2026