Tennessee Highway Patrol
Statewide, Tennessee
How we verified this
As of August 2026 RadioReference lists Tennessee Highway Patrol District 5 (Fall Branch) with its Dispatch 1 talkgroup in the clear but Dispatch 2, car-to-car and Event 1 encrypted on the Tennessee Advanced Communications Network (TACN); the same pattern was not independently checked for every district.
Encryption Details
What This Means
Encryption here is a mixed bag: some talkgroups are locked, others aren't. It varies by channel and by what the department is doing at the time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tennessee Highway Patrol radio encrypted?
Yes. Tennessee Highway Patrol uses P25 ADP encryption. Encryption here is a mixed bag: some talkgroups are locked, others aren't. It varies by channel and by what the department is doing at the time.
Can I listen to Tennessee Highway Patrol on a police scanner?
Partially. Tennessee Highway Patrol encrypts some of its talkgroups while leaving others open, so some channels may still be accessible. Check RadioReference for specific talkgroup status.
Why did Tennessee Highway Patrol encrypt their radio?
The standard justification nationwide is officer safety and operational security, regardless of whether a documented local incident ever required it. The tradeoff that follows is consistent too: public oversight drops, and reporters lose the ability to track state agency response as it happens.
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 Tennessee Highway Patrol encryption?
Three things carry weight, in this order: a public-records request for Tennessee Highway Patrol'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.