# Cordless phones, scanners and eavesdropping

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cordless-phones-scanners-and-eavesdropping/360132>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [June 9, 2006, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cordless-phones-scanners-and-eavesdropping/360132 "2006-06-09T22:38:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Homebrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Homebrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homebrew)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cordless-phones-scanners-and-eavesdropping/360132/1 "2006-06-09T22:38:36Z")

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Let’s say you live in a two-family house. The family in the downstairs part and you don’t really get along and things have been escalating. One day you discover that your radio scanner is picking up their cordless phone calls. So you listen in and overhear them telling someone about their plans to damage your property or even hurt you.

Are there any legal prohibitions against you recording such conversations for evidence to take to the police?

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**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cordless-phones-scanners-and-eavesdropping/360132/2 "2006-06-09T23:03:32Z")

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From [this](http://www.strongsignals.net/access/content/laws.html) site:

> [@](#):
>
> USA  
> **1. Illegal to monitor cellular phone transmissions**  
> 2. Illegal to monitor cordless phone transmissions  
> 3. Illegal to monitor scrambled/encrypted signals  
> 4. Illegal to monitor SCA signals  
> 5. Illegal to monitor voice paging signals  
> 6. Illegal to monitor remote radio-TV broadcast signals  
> 7. Illegal to monitor outside residence in a few states  
> 8. Illegal to monitor by convicted persons in a few states  
> 9. Illegal to monitor in vehicles in some states  
> 10. Illegal to manufacture cellular-capable receivers  
> 11. Illegal to modify to receive cellular signals  
> 12. Illegal to import cellular-capable receivers  
> 13. Illegal to use as an aid in commission of crime in most states  
> 14. Illegal to use information heard for personal gain  
> \*\*15. Illegal to disclose or publish information heard to third party (for signals which are NOT “readily accessible to the public”) \*\*

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**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cordless-phones-scanners-and-eavesdropping/360132/3 "2006-06-09T23:04:35Z")

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…and of course I highlight the wrong item in the list. I meant to bold #2 and not #1.

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**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cordless-phones-scanners-and-eavesdropping/360132/4 "2006-06-09T23:17:19Z")

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I’m thinking that you need to go to the cops **now** and explain what you’ve accidentally overheard - that way you won’t get busted on it or have your recorded evidence tossed as inadmissible.