California police codes are a layered shorthand: numbered response codes tell officers how fast to arrive, ten-codes handle routine radio status, eleven-codes cover traffic incidents, and three- or four-digit numbers refer to specific sections of the Penal Code, Health and Safety Code, Vehicle Code, and Welfare and Institutions Code. Knowing which layer you’re hearing is the key to translating a transmission.
Response Codes: How Urgently Officers Are Arriving
Before anything else goes out over the air, dispatch tells responding units how to get there.
- Code 2 — respond urgently, lights but no siren.
- Code 3 — full emergency response with lights and siren, reserved for situations like an active violent crime or an injury collision.
- Code 4 — no further help needed. It tells units still en route that the scene is under control. It does not mean the call is over or that the officer on scene can leave.
The gap between Code 2 and Code 3 is more than speed. A Code 3 activates Vehicle Code exemptions that let officers exceed the speed limit and proceed through red lights, so dispatchers assign it deliberately.
Ten-Codes
Ten-codes are the oldest layer of radio shorthand, and most California departments still use them for everyday traffic. Meanings shift slightly between agencies, but the core set is consistent.1San Jose Police Department. SJPD 10-Codes Study Guide
- 10-4 — message received and understood.
- 10-20 — what’s your location?
- 10-33 — emergency traffic only; other units hold routine transmissions until the channel reopens.
- 10-97 — arrived at the scene. Dispatch uses this to track response times.
The point is compression. “10-97” saves several seconds over “I’ve arrived at the location of the call,” and across thousands of daily transmissions that discipline keeps the channel open for real emergencies.
Eleven-Codes for Traffic Incidents
The California Highway Patrol and many municipal agencies layer eleven-codes on top of ten-codes to add detail about road hazards, collisions, and disabled vehicles.2Department of California Highway Patrol. Aural Brevity Codes
- 11-24 — abandoned vehicle on the roadway.
- 11-25 — traffic hazard, with the officer specifying the type (debris, downed sign, animal on the road).
- 11-44 — fatality at the scene. Triggers notifications to the coroner and, depending on circumstances, homicide investigators.
- 11-80 — traffic collision with major injuries. EMS gets dispatched at top priority.
- 11-81 — traffic collision with minor injuries. Paramedics still respond, at a lower urgency.
- 11-85 — tow truck requested.
The split between 11-80 and 11-81 directly controls how many ambulances and what level of trauma response gets sent. An 11-80 might pull a helicopter medevac. An 11-81 typically gets a single ambulance.
Penal Code Sections Called Out by Number
California officers usually refer to crimes by their Penal Code section number rather than describing them. When a dispatcher hears “211 in progress,” they know the crime, its severity, and what response to send.
Violent Crimes
187 — Murder. A 187 call brings homicide detectives, crime scene technicians, and the coroner.3California Legislative Information. California Code PEN 187 – Murder
211 — Robbery. Robbery means taking property directly from a person through force or intimidation. That’s what separates it from theft or burglary: a victim is present and confronted. A 211 gets a high-priority response because the crime is inherently dangerous.4California Legislative Information. California Code PEN 211 – Robbery
245 — Assault with a deadly weapon. Someone has attacked or attempted to attack another person with a weapon or with force likely to cause serious injury.5California Legislative Information. California Code PEN 245 – Assault With a Deadly Weapon
Property and Public Order
459 — Burglary. Entering a building, locked vehicle, or other structure with the intent to steal or commit another felony. The entry itself completes the crime, whether or not anything is taken. First-degree burglary (a residence) is always a felony; second-degree (commercial) can be charged as felony or misdemeanor.6California Legislative Information. California Code PEN 459 – Burglary
415 — Disturbing the peace. Fighting in public, unreasonable noise, or provocative language likely to start a confrontation. Usually charged as a misdemeanor.
647 — Disorderly conduct. Broader than most people think. It covers public intoxication, loitering, solicitation, and related conduct. All violations under this section are misdemeanors.7California Legislative Information. California Code PEN 647 – Disorderly Conduct
Health and Safety Codes for Drug Calls
Drug offenses come across the radio as Health and Safety Code sections. The two officers reference most are 11350 and 11377.
11350 covers possession of narcotic drugs — heroin, cocaine, and certain prescription opioids — without a valid prescription. 11377 covers non-narcotic controlled substances, most commonly methamphetamine. Since Proposition 47 passed in 2014, simple possession under either section is generally a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in county jail, unless the person has prior convictions for serious violent offenses or is required to register as a sex offender.8California Legislative Information. California Code HSC 11377 – Possession of Controlled Substances
Vehicle Code Sections for Traffic Cases
23152 — DUI
Section 23152 makes it illegal to drive under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or a combination of both. It also sets the blood-alcohol thresholds: 0.08 percent for most drivers, and 0.04 percent for commercial vehicle operators and drivers carrying passengers for hire.9California Legislative Information. California Code VEH 23152 – Offenses Involving Alcohol and Drugs A first-offense conviction carries between 96 hours and six months in county jail, plus fines from $390 to $1,000 before court assessments.10California Legislative Information. California Code VEH 23536 – Punishment for First DUI Offense
20001 and 20002 — Hit-and-Run
These two sections split hit-and-run cases by severity. Section 20001 applies when someone is injured or killed; if the injuries are permanent or fatal, the driver who fled faces two to four years in state prison.11California Legislative Information. California Code VEH 20001 – Hit-and-Run With Injury Section 20002 applies when only property is damaged. It’s a misdemeanor carrying up to six months in county jail, a fine up to $1,000, or both.12California Legislative Information. California Code VEH 20002 – Hit-and-Run With Property Damage
Welfare and Institutions Codes
5150 — Involuntary Mental Health Hold
Section 5150 authorizes a peace officer to place someone in a psychiatric facility for up to 72 hours without their consent when the person poses a danger to themselves or others, or is gravely disabled due to a mental health condition.13California Legislative Information. California Code WIC 5150 – Detention for Mental Health Evaluation “Gravely disabled” is defined by statute as being unable to provide for basic personal needs such as food, clothing, shelter, personal safety, or necessary medical care because of a mental health disorder, a severe substance use disorder, or both.14California Legislative Information. California Code WIC 5008 – Definitions The officer initiating the hold has to document the specific facts that justify it.
601 and 602 — Juvenile Cases
These sections define how the juvenile court system gets involved with minors. A 601 is a “status offender” — a minor between 12 and 17 who is habitually truant, repeatedly defies parental authority, or violates curfew. A 602 is a minor who has committed an act that would be a crime if committed by an adult.15California Legislative Information. California Code WIC 601 – Status Offenders A 601 typically leads to counseling, family intervention, or a truancy program. A 602 enters the juvenile delinquency system, which can involve detention, probation, and formal court proceedings.
The LAPD Phonetic Alphabet
License plates, suspect names, and street addresses all get spelled out over the air. California agencies overwhelmingly use the APCO phonetic alphabet — commonly called the LAPD alphabet — rather than the NATO alphabet used by the military. Both the LAPD and the California Highway Patrol use it.
- A – Adam
- B – Boy
- C – Charles
- D – David
- E – Edward
- F – Frank
- G – George
- H – Henry
- I – Ida
- J – John
- K – King
- L – Lincoln
- M – Mary
- N – Nora
- O – Ocean
- P – Paul
- Q – Queen
- R – Robert
- S – Sam
- T – Tom
- U – Union
- V – Victor
- W – William
- X – X-ray
- Y – Yellow
- Z – Zebra
A plate reading “4ABC123” goes out as “4-Adam-Boy-Charles-1-2-3.” APCO officially retired this alphabet for the NATO version in 1974, but California departments never switched.
When Codes Get Dropped: Multi-Agency Incidents
These codes work within a single department where everyone learned the same system. They break down when multiple agencies respond together, because a ten-code that means one thing at a city police department might mean something different at the county sheriff’s office or a federal agency.
The National Incident Management System, administered by FEMA, requires plain language during any multi-agency, multi-jurisdiction event. During major disasters, joint operations, and large-scale exercises, responders must drop the numerical codes and communicate in clear English. Compliance has been tied to federal preparedness grant funding since fiscal year 2006.16FEMA. NIMS Alert – Plain Language The rule doesn’t ban ten- or eleven-codes for routine internal use. It kicks in only when outside agencies are involved.
Listening to California Police Radio
Listening to police radio traffic in California is legal, with one boundary. Penal Code section 636.5 makes it a misdemeanor to intercept public safety radio communications for the purpose of helping commit a crime or helping someone evade arrest. Owning a scanner is fine. Listening at home is fine. Using what you hear to tip off a suspect or to avoid police during criminal activity is not.17California Legislative Information. California Code PEN 636.5 – Intercepting Public Safety Communications
The bigger practical issue is encryption. A growing number of California agencies have moved to encrypted digital radio, which makes traditional scanners useless on those channels. State legislation has pushed departments to maintain some form of public access — unencrypted channels, delayed online streaming, or access to encrypted feeds on request — while allowing confidential material like criminal justice database queries to stay on encrypted-only channels.18California Senate Committee on Public Safety. SB 1000 Analysis Real-time access varies by department, and the trend has been toward less of it, not more.