Maryland State Police
Statewide, Maryland
How we verified this
As of August 2026 Maryland State Police troop and barrack dispatch talkgroups on FiRST are still in the clear ("7302 MSP D BelAir — Barrack D Bel Air — T") while every barrack Tac and CID channel is encrypted ("7306 MSP D Tac — Barrack D Bel Air - Tac — T Enc", "7310 MSP D CID — T Enc"), along with special units such as "7398 MSP EPS — Executive Protection Section — T Enc".
Encryption Details
What This Means
Tactical channels are encrypted while routine dispatch is not, so day-to-day activity may still be audible even though special operations are not.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Maryland State Police radio encrypted?
Yes. Maryland State Police uses P25 AES-256 encryption. Tactical channels are encrypted while routine dispatch is not, so day-to-day activity may still be audible even though special operations are not.
Can I listen to Maryland State Police on a police scanner?
Partially. Maryland State Police encrypts its tactical channels, so some channels may still be accessible. Check RadioReference for specific talkgroup status.
Why did Maryland State Police encrypt their radio?
Agencies cite officer safety and operational security. Those are assertions rather than findings — no local evidence is typically produced — while the effects are concrete and land straight away on anyone who relied on hearing Maryland State Police to know what was happening nearby.
Can Statewide County reverse the encryption decision?
It can. The radios support open and encrypted operation equally well, so this is a configuration and a policy, not a constraint — and policies set by Statewide County officials are policies those officials can revisit when constituents press for it.
What can I do about Maryland State Police encryption?
Three things carry weight, in this order: a public-records request for Maryland State Police's encryption policy and radio recordings, a turn at the microphone during Statewide County budget discussions, and finding the other people locally already asking the same question. Individually these are easy to deflect; together they are not.