State of Florida Scanner LawFlorida Statutes (1995)Title 46, CRIMESCh. 843, OBSTRUCTING JUSTICE§ 843.16843.16 Unlawful to install radio equipment using assigned frequency of state or law enforcement officers; definitions; exceptions; penalties (1) No person, firm, or corporation shall install in any motor vehicle orbusiness establishment, except an emergency vehicle or crime watch vehicleas herein defined or a place established by munincipal, county, state, orfederal authority for governmental purposes, any frequency modulation radioreceiving equipment so adjusted or tuned as to receive messages or signalson frequencies assigned by the Federal Communications Commission to policeor law enforcement officers of any city or county of the state or to thestate or any of its agencies. Provided, nothing herein shall be construedto affect any radio station licensed by the Federal Communications Commis-sion or to affect any recognized newspaper or news publication engaged incovering the news on a full-time basis or any alarm system contractor cert-ified pursuant to Part II of Chapter 489, Operating a Central MonitoringSystem. (2) As used in this section, the term: (a) "Emergency vehicle" shall specifically mean: 1. Any motor vehicle used by any law enforcement officer or em- ployee of any city, any county, the state, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, or the Armed Forces of the United States while on official business; 2. Any fire department vehicle of any city or county of the state or any state fire department vehicle; 3. Any motor vehicle designated as an emergency vehicle by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles when said vehicle is to be assigned the use of frequencies assigned to the state; 4. Any motor vehicle designated as an emergency vehicle by the sheriff of any county in the state when said vehicle is to be as- signed the use of frequencies assigned to the said county; 5. Any motor vehicle designated as an emergency vehicle by the chief of police of any city in the state when said vehicle is to be assigned the use of frequencies assigned to the said city. (b) "Crime watch vehicle" means any motor vehicle used by any person participating in a citizen crime watch or neighborhood watch program when such program and use are approved in writing by the appropriate sheriff or chief of police where the vehicle will be used and the ve- hicle is assigned the use of frequencies assigned to the county or city. Such approval shall be renewed annually. (3) This section shall not apply to any holder of a valid amateur radiooperator or station license issued by the Federal Communications Commissionor to any recognized newspaper or news publication engaged in covering thenews on a full-time basis or any alarm system contractor certified pursuantto Part II of Chapter 489, Operating a Central Monitoring System. (4) Any person, firm, or corporation violating any of the provisions ofthis section shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree,punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.</PRE>
