Minnesota Scanner Law

Original source: Minnesota Statutes 2005
Chapter 299 - Public Safety
Section 299C - Bureau of Criminal Apprehension
Paragraph 299C.37

299C.37 Police Communication Equipment; Use, Sale.

Subdivision 1.    Use regulated.

    (a) No person other than peace officers  within  the  state,  the
    members of the state patrol, and  persons  who  hold  an  Amateur
    Radio license issued by the  Federal  Communications  Commission,
    shall equip  any  motor  vehicle  with  any  radio  equipment  or
    combination of equipment, capable of receiving any radio  signal,
    message, or information from any police emergency  frequency,  or
    install, use, or possess the equipment in a motor vehicle without
    permission from the Superintendent of  the  Bureau  upon  a  form
    prescribed by  the  Superintendent.   An  amateur  radio  license
    holder is not entitled to exercise the privilege granted by  this
    paragraph if the license holder has been convicted in this  state
    or elsewhere of a  crime  of  violence,  as  defined  in  Section
    624.712, Subdivision  5, unless ten years have elapsed since  the
    person has been restored to civil  rights  or  the  sentence  has
    expired, whichever occurs first, and during that time the  person
    has not been convicted of  any  other  crime  of  violence.   For
    purposes of this Section, "crime of violence" includes a crime in
    another state or jurisdiction that would have  been  a  crime  of
    violence if it had been committed in this state. Radio  equipment
    installed, used, or possessed as permitted by this paragraph must
    be under the direct control of the license  holder whenever it is
    used.  A person who is designated in writing  by  the  chief  law
    enforcement officer of a political subdivision  issued  a  permit
    under subdivision 3 may use and possess radio equipment while  in
    the course and scope of duties or employment without also  having 
    to obtain an individual permit.

    (b) Except as provided  in  paragraph  (c),  any  person  who  is
    convicted  of  a  violation  of  this  subdivision  shall,   upon
    conviction for the first offense, be guilty of a misdemeanor, and
    for the second and subsequent offenses shall be guilty of a gross
    misdemeanor.

    (c) An amateur radio license holder who exercises  the  privilege
    granted by paragraph (a) shall carry the amateur radio license in
    the motor vehicle at all times and shall present the license to a
    peace officer on request.   A violation of  this  paragraph  is a
    petty  misdemeanor.   A  second  or  subsequent  violation  is  a
    misdemeanor.

Subd. 2.  Repealed, 1971 c 71 s 2

Subd. 3.  Permit.  The  Superintendent  of  the  Bureau  shall,  upon
written  application,  issue  a  written  permit,  which   shall   be
nontransferable, to a person, firm, or corporation showing good cause
to use radio  equipment  capable  of  receiving  a  police  emergency
frequency, as a necessity, in  the  lawful  pursuit  of  a  business,
trade, or occupation.

Subd. 4. Repealed, 1983 c 293 s 115

HIST: (9950-48) 1935 c 195 s 8; 1961 c 661 s 1; 1965 c 721 s
1; 1981 c 37 s 2; 1983 c 293 s 91; 1986 c 444; 1987 c 191 s 1; 
2003 c 121 s 1,2


Retranscribed by: Todd L. Sherman/KB4MHH
Last verified: January 1, 2012.

Mobile Scanner & RADAR-Detector Laws In The U.S.
Todd L. Sherman/KB4MHH, Owner/Webmaster
Gainesville, Alachua Co., Fla.
E-mail: afn09444@afn.org
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