6 of 7 Charleston County agencies are fully encrypted
7 public safety agencies in Charleston County, South Carolina have encrypted their radio communications. 86% Encrypted
Radio encryption in Charleston County
Charleston County traffic in this record sits on Palmetto 800 and FleetTalk Carolinas, with all seven listed agencies using P25 AES-256. Six encrypt every monitored channel - the Charleston City, North Charleston, Mount Pleasant, Isle of Palms, Sullivan's Island and Seabrook Island police departments - while the Charleston County Sheriff's Office is recorded as partially encrypted. Three of the seven records are unverified against RadioReference, among them the Charleston City and North Charleston entries, so those should be checked before being relied on. Of 41 talkgroups catalogued across the two systems, 19 are still receivable in the clear against 21 encrypted, which leaves a scanner useful for a meaningful share of monitored traffic even though the municipal departments themselves are listed as closed.
Compiled from this site's agency database. Encryption status changes without notice — confirm any specific agency on RadioReference.
Radio systems serving Charleston County
- Palmetto 800
- FleetTalk Carolinas
Of 41 talkgroups catalogued for Charleston County, 21 are encrypted and 19 remain in the clear. A scanner can still receive the unencrypted channels.
4 of 7 records here have been checked against a primary source; 3 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 Charleston County
Encrypted Agencies in Charleston County
| Agency Name | Type | Encryption | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston County Sheriff's Office ✓ | Sheriff | P25 AES-256 | Partially Encrypted |
| Charleston City Police Department | Police | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Isle of Palms Police Department ✓ | Police | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Mount Pleasant Police Department ✓ | Police | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| North Charleston Police Department | Police | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Sullivan's Island Police Department ✓ | Police | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Seabrook Island Police | Police | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Charleston County police radio encrypted?
6 of 7 agencies in Charleston County, South Carolina are fully encrypted (86%), while 1 have partial encryption.
Can I listen to Charleston County Sheriff on a scanner?
The Charleston 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 Charleston County are encrypted?
6 police departments in Charleston County have implemented some level of encryption, along with 1 sheriff offices, 0 fire departments, and 0 EMS agencies.
What encryption technology does Charleston County use?
The most common encryption type in Charleston County is P25 AES-256, used by agencies for secure communications. This encryption blocks public scanner monitoring.
Fight Encryption in Charleston County
Join the movement to restore transparency to public safety communications in Charleston County, South Carolina.