Encrypted Sheriff Offices
533 sheriff offices across the United States have encrypted their radio communications, blocking public access to critical safety information.
About Sheriff Offices
County sheriff offices responsible for law enforcement in unincorporated areas and county-wide services.
Impact of Encryption
Sheriff offices often cover large rural areas where scanner access is critical for safety. Encryption leaves rural residents without awareness of emergencies in areas where response times are longest.
Affected Stakeholders
- Rural residents
- Volunteer fire departments
- County officials
- Agricultural communities
States with Most Encrypted Sheriff Offices
Encryption Technologies Used
All Encrypted Sheriff Offices
Browse all 533 sheriff offices that have encrypted their communications.
| Agency | State | County | Encryption | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alameda County Sheriff | CA | Alameda | P25 AES-256 | Tactical Only |
| Contra Costa County Sheriff | CA | Contra Costa | P25 AES-256 | Tactical Only |
| Imperial County District Attorney | CA | Imperial | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Imperial County Sheriff's Office | CA | Imperial | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Marin County Sheriff | CA | Marin | P25 DES-OFB | Fully Encrypted |
| Monterey County District Attorney | CA | Monterey | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Monterey County Sheriff | CA | Monterey | P25 AES-256 | Tactical Only |
| Orange County Law Interoperability | CA | Orange | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Orange County Sheriff | CA | Orange | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Placer County Sheriff | CA | Placer | P25 DES-OFB | Partially Encrypted |
| Riverside County Sheriff | CA | Riverside | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| San Bernardino County Coroner | CA | San Bernardino | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| San Bernardino County Sheriff | CA | San Bernardino | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| San Joaquin Sheriff | CA | San Joaquin | P25 DES-OFB | Fully Encrypted |
| San Mateo County Sheriff | CA | San Mateo | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Santa Clara County Mutual Aid | CA | Santa Clara | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Santa Clara County Sheriff | CA | Santa Clara | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Santa Clara County Services | CA | Santa Clara | P25 AES-256 | Partially Encrypted |
| Stanislaus County Sheriff | CA | Stanislaus | P25 AES-256 | Partially Encrypted |
| Sutter County Sheriff | CA | Sutter | P25 DES-OFB | Partially Encrypted |
| Adams County Sheriff's Office | PA | Adams | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Berks County Sheriff | PA | Berks | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Bucks County Sheriff | PA | Bucks | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Chester County District Attorney | PA | Chester | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Dauphin County EMA | PA | Dauphin | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Dauphin County Sheriff's Office | PA | Dauphin | P25 AES-256 | Partially Encrypted |
| Erie County Sheriff | PA | Erie | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Franklin County District Attorney | PA | Franklin | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Lancaster County Sheriff | PA | Lancaster | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Lebanon County Emergency Management | PA | Lebanon | Unknown | Partially Encrypted |
| Montgomery County Sheriff | PA | Montgomery | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Philadelphia County District Attorney | PA | Philadelphia | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Schuylkill County Sheriff | PA | Schuylkill | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Somerset County Sheriff | PA | Somerset | P25 ADP | Fully Encrypted |
| Westmorland County Emergency Management | PA | Westmorland | P25 AES-256 | Specific Channels |
| Westmorland County Interop | PA | Westmorland | P25 AES-256 | Specific Channels |
| Westmoreland County Sheriff | PA | Westmorland | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Cape May County Sheriff | NJ | Cape May | P25 AES-256 | Specific Channels |
| Monmouth County Sheriff | NJ | Monmouth | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Mercer County Sheriff | NJ | Mercer | P25 AES-256 | Partially Encrypted |
| Ocean County Sheriff | NJ | Ocean | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Passaic County Sheriff | NJ | Passaic | P25 AES-256 | Tactical Only |
| Monmouth County Prosecutor | NJ | Monmouth | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Morris County Prosecutor | NJ | Morris | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Ocean County Prosecutor | NJ | Ocean | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Alger County Sheriff | MI | Alger | P25 DES-OFB | Partially Encrypted |
| Allegan County Sheriff | MI | Allegan | P25 ADP | Partially Encrypted |
| Alpena County Sheriff | MI | Alpena | P25 DES-OFB | Partially Encrypted |
| Calhoun County Sheriff Dept | MI | Calhoun | P25 DES-OFB | Fully Encrypted |
| Cass County Sheriff | MI | Cass | P25 DES-OFB | Fully Encrypted |
| Eaton County Sheriff | MI | Eaton | P25 ADP | Fully Encrypted |
| Genesee County Sheriff | MI | Genesee | P25 ADP | Fully Encrypted |
| Gogebic County Sheriff/PD's | MI | Gogebic | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Houghton Sheriff/Police | MI | Houghton | P25 DES-OFB | Fully Encrypted |
| Kent County Sheriff | MI | Kent | P25 ADP | Fully Encrypted |
| Kent County Emergency Services Team | MI | Kent | P25 DES-OFB | Fully Encrypted |
| Keweenaw County Sheriff/PDs | MI | Keweenaw | P25 AES-256 | Partially Encrypted |
| Lapeer County Sheriff | MI | Lapeer | P25 ADP | Fully Encrypted |
| Mason County Sheriff | MI | Mason | P25 DES-OFB | Fully Encrypted |
| Munroe County Sheriff | MI | Monroe | P25 DES-OFB | Partially Encrypted |
| Montcalm County Sheriff | MI | Montcalm | P25 DES-OFB | Tactical Only |
| Oakland County Emergency Management | MI | Oakland | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Oakland County Sheriff's Office | MI | Oakland | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Ontonagon County Sheriff/PDs | MI | Ontonagon | P25 AES-256 | Partially Encrypted |
| Ottawa County Interoperability | MI | Ottawa | P25 ADP | Fully Encrypted |
| Ottawa County Sheriff | MI | Ottawa | P25 ADP | Specific Channels |
| St. Clair County Sheriff | MI | St. Clair | P25 DES-OFB | Fully Encrypted |
| Washtenaw County Interoperability | MI | Washtenaw | P25 ADP | Fully Encrypted |
| Washtenaw County Sheriff | MI | Washtenaw | P25 DES-OFB | Partially Encrypted |
| Wayne County Sheriff | MI | Wayne | P25 DES-OFB | Partially Encrypted |
| Baker County Sheriff | FL | Baker | ProVoice DES | Fully Encrypted |
| Brevard County Sheriff's Office | FL | Brevard | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Broward County Sheriff's Office | FL | Broward | P25 AES-256 | Tactical Only |
| Citrus County Sheriff | FL | Citrus | P25 ADP | Partially Encrypted |
| Clay County Sheriff | FL | Clay | P25 AES | Fully Encrypted |
| Collier County Sheriff's Office | FL | Collier | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Columbia County Sheriff's Office | FL | Columbia | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| DeSoto County Sheriff's Office | FL | DeSoto | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Flagler County Sheriff's Office | FL | Flagler | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Escambia County Sheriff | FL | Escambia | P25 DES-OFB | Partially Encrypted |
| Flager County Sheriff's Office | FL | Flager | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Franklin County Sheriff | FL | Franklin | ProVoice DES | Fully Encrypted |
| Hardee County Sheriff | FL | Hardee | P25 DES-OFB | Fully Encrypted |
| Highlands County Sheriff's Office | FL | Highlands | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Highlands County Services | FL | Highlands | P25 AES-256 | Partially Encrypted |
| Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office | FL | Hillsborough | ProVoice DES | Tactical Only |
| Indian River County Sheriff's Office | FL | Indian River | P25 AES-256 | Partially Encrypted |
| Jacksonville Sheriff | FL | Duval | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Lake County Sheriff | FL | Lake | P25 AES | Fully Encrypted |
| Lee County Sheriff's Office | FL | Lee | P25 AES-256 | Dispatch Only |
| Leon County Sheriff | FL | Leon | P25 AES | Fully Encrypted |
| Levy County Sheriff | FL | Levy | ProVoice DES | Fully Encrypted |
| Manatee County Sheriff's Office | FL | Manatee | P25 AES-256 | Specific Channels |
| Marion County Sheriff | FL | Marion | P25 AES | Fully Encrypted |
| Nassau County Sheriff | FL | Nassau | P25 DES-OFB | Fully Encrypted |
| Orange County Sheriff's Office | FL | Orange | P25 DES-OFB | Partially Encrypted |
| Osceola County Sheriff's Office | FL | Osceola | P25 ADP | Fully Encrypted |
| Palm Beach County Sheriff (PBSO) | FL | Palm Beach | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Pasco County Sheriff's Office | FL | Pasco | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Pinellas County Sheriff's Office | FL | Pinellas | P25 AES-256 | Specific Channels |
Showing first 100 of 533 agencies. Use state pages to browse all agencies.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many sheriff offices have encrypted their radios?
533 sheriff offices across 39 states are documented as encrypted: 313 fully encrypted and 220 with partial encryption.
Which state has the most encrypted sheriff offices?
Florida leads with 35 encrypted sheriff offices, out of 533 tracked nationwide.
What encryption technology do most sheriff offices use?
P25 AES-256 is the most common, used by 351 of the 533 encrypted sheriff offices tracked here (66%).
Why does encrypting sheriff office radio matter?
Sheriff offices often cover large rural areas where scanner access is critical for safety. Encryption leaves rural residents without awareness of emergencies in areas where response times are longest. Stakeholders most affected include rural residents, volunteer fire departments, county officials, agricultural communities.
What can I do if my local sheriff office is encrypted?
Encryption is a policy choice made by department or elected leadership, not a technical requirement — it can be revisited. File a public-records request for the encryption decision, raise it at a city council or county commission meeting, and connect with others who rely on scanner access in your area.
Take Action for Transparency
Your voice matters. Here are concrete ways to advocate for open police communications in your community.
Contact Your Representatives
Use our templates to email your local officials about police radio encryption policies.
Get StartedRead Case Studies
See how encryption has affected real communities - from Highland Park to Chicago.
View CasesSpread Awareness
Share evidence about police radio encryption with your network and community.
Public Testimony
Learn how to speak effectively at city council and public safety meetings.
Prepare to Speak