18 of 35 Orange County agencies are fully encrypted
35 public safety agencies in Orange County, California have encrypted their radio communications.
Radio systems serving Orange County
- Nextel (Santiago)
- Nextel (WIL681 2)
- United States Department of Defense (14C)
- Countywide Coordinated Communications System (CCCS) (P25)
- National Science and Technology Network (Sierra Peak 1)
- Caltrans (District 7/8/12)
- Mobile Relay Associates Diga-Talk Network
- California Radio Interoperable System (CRIS)
Of 629 talkgroups catalogued for Orange County, 201 are encrypted and 428 remain in the clear. A scanner can still receive the unencrypted channels.
33 of 35 records here have been checked against a primary source; 2 have not.
System and talkgroup counts come from this site's agency database and change without notice — confirm current status on RadioReference.
Encryption Technology Used in Orange County
Encrypted Agencies in Orange County
| Agency Name | Type | Encryption | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anaheim Police | Police | P25 AES-256 | Partially Encrypted |
| Brea Police | Police | P25 AES-256 | Partially Encrypted |
| Buena Park Police | Police | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Cal State Fullerton Police | Police | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Coast Community College District Police ✓ | Police | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Costa Mesa Police | Police | P25 AES-256 | Partially Encrypted |
| Cypress Police | Police | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Fountain Valley Police | Police | P25 AES-256 | Partially Encrypted |
| Fullerton Police | Police | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Garden Grove Police | Police | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Huntington Beach Police | Police | P25 AES-256 | Partially Encrypted |
| Irvine Police | Police | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Irvine Valley College Police ✓ | Police | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Laguna Beach Police | Police | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| La Palma Police | Police | P25 AES-256 | Partially Encrypted |
| Los Alamitos Police | Police | P25 AES-256 | Partially Encrypted |
| La Habra Police | Police | P25 AES-256 | Partially Encrypted |
| La Palma Police | Police | P25 AES-256 | Partially Encrypted |
| Laguna Niguel Police | Police | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| MetroNet/North Cities Fire | Fire | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Newport Beach Police | Police | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Orange County Emergency Medical Services | Ems | P25 AES-256 | Partially Encrypted |
| Orange County Fire Authority | Fire | P25 AES-256 | Partially Encrypted |
| Orange County Law Interoperability | Sheriff | P25 AES-256 | Partially Encrypted |
| Orange County Sheriff | Sheriff | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Orange County Transportation Authority | Transit | Unknown | Fully Encrypted |
| Placentia Police | Police | P25 AES-256 | Partially Encrypted |
| Rancho Santiago College Community District Police ✓ | Police | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Saddle Back College Police ✓ | Police | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Santa Ana Police | Police | P25 AES-256 | Partially Encrypted |
| Santa Ana Unified School District Police | Police | P25 AES-256 | Partially Encrypted |
| Seal Beach Police | Police | P25 AES-256 | Partially Encrypted |
| Tustin Police ✓ | Police | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| University of California Irvine Police ✓ | Police | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Westminster Police | Police | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
Related Case Studies
Learn more about police radio encryption issues in Orange County and California.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Orange County police radio encrypted?
18 of 35 agencies in Orange County, California are fully encrypted (51%), while 16 have partial encryption.
Can I listen to Orange County Sheriff on a scanner?
The Orange County Sheriff's Office has encrypted their radio communications using P25 AES-256. Scanner monitoring of sheriff operations is no longer possible.
How many police departments in Orange County are encrypted?
29 police departments in Orange County have implemented some level of encryption, along with 2 sheriff offices, 2 fire departments, and 1 EMS agencies.
What encryption technology does Orange County use?
The most common encryption type in Orange County is P25 AES-256, used by agencies for secure communications. This encryption blocks public scanner monitoring.
Fight Encryption in Orange County
Join the movement to restore transparency to public safety communications in Orange County, California.