The Best Police Scanners of 2024

Best Overall

Uniden BearTracker 885

$380 $360 at Amazon $400 at Walmart $400 at Lowe's

One of the pricier options on this list, the Uniden Beartracker 885, offers a full-featured CB radio and digital trunk tracking police scanner. GPS is included, so it can automatically select nearby channels from its database (updated weekly). You don’t have to do complex programming while you drive, as the scanner does the work for you. It provides weather alerts, PA functionality, and much more with an easy-to-read LCD.

This is an excellent device for communications, safety, and general peace of mind for anyone who spends time on the road. The BearTracker 885 also has a noise-canceling mic that allows for clear conversation and is also wireless mic-compatible.

Bonus: It alerts you when there’s a nearby public safety transmission so that it can serve as a radar detector alternative.

Best Budget

Uniden BC365CRS 500 Channel Scanner

$120 $88 at Amazon $91 at Walmart $91 at Home Depot

The Uniden BC365CRS is a 500-channel scanner that also serves as an alarm clock, an AM/FM radio, an FM broadcast radio, and a weather alert device. It includes 500 channels in 10 banks to search police and fire bands, aircraft, amateur radio, and marine transmissions.

This is designed as a tabletop scanner, so it’s not the best option to take with you on the go. The BC365CRS takes three AA batteries, including an antenna and AC adapter, in the package.

The reception will depend somewhat on your geographic area and the type of transmissions you’re attempting to receive. Most users say they receive clear audio with police, fire, weather, and radio transmissions. However, this is a basic, analog, non-trunking scanner, so it may not be able to pick up transmissions from some agencies. It’s best to check the compatibility against the local agencies in your area.

Best for Home

Uniden HomePatrol-2 Touchscreen Digital Scanner

$600 $442 at Amazon $556 at Walmart $442 at Home Depot

The Uniden HomePatrol-2 digital scanner has a pre-programmed database with a highly functional scanner that’s perfect for any room in the house. It includes a flip stand so that you can stand it up almost anywhere.

The Uniden is a highly recommended digital scanner with specialized features like quick recording and playback. There’s no programming required; enter your zip code, and HomePatrol-2 will load all the recognized police, fire, and EMS channels in the surrounding area. It includes channel information for the US and Canada from radioreference.com.

Weighing just over a pound, the HomePatrol-2 is easy to tote and use almost anywhere. This product includes rechargeable batteries that last between five and six hours, but it also comes with a USB charging cord that you can connect to a standard USB power brick.

Best Digital

Uniden BCD996P2 TrunkTracker V Scanner

$500 $402 at Amazon $490 at Walmart $418 at Home Depot

As a one-stop shop for analog scanning and digital transmissions, the Uniden BCD99P2 is one of the better scanners. Whatever your needs, the BCD99P2 most likely has you covered, even if it does so in a reasonably spendy package. 

The BCD99P2 is capable of location-based scanning and can detect nearby radio transmissions. The TrunkTracker V scanner also offers continuous band coverage spanning 25 MHz to 1.3 GHz—factor in 25,000 different dynamically allocated channels.

You’ll have enough options to cover all your local systems, recalled via the intuitive internal memory of the unit. It all comes in a compact 11 x 3.75 x 8.5-inch unit with a bright display and easy-to-navigate controls.

Best Analog

Uniden Bearcat BC75XLT Handheld Scanner

$110 $105 at Amazon $100 at Walmart

Featuring the ability to connect to public safety, military aircraft, and racing scanner channels, Uniden’s BC75XLT is a terrific choice for analog scanner fans. The built-in search functionality is second to none, and it quickly identifies channels for police, fire, marine, air, weather, and more, which makes the BC75XLT a useful pickup-and-go analog scanner. 

You can save 300 channels into the scanner’s memory or 30 channels in 10 separate banks. This makes it easy to scan for current transmissions on each stored channel.

Additionally, the inclusion of Close Call RF capture technology assists the BC75XLT in identifying and detecting nearby transmissions, even if they aren’t pre-programmed into a channel. Powered by two AA batteries, the BC75XLT is lightweight and designed to fit in the hand. Overall, it has a good reception.

Best for a Vehicle

Uniden BCD536HP HomePatrol Mobile Scanner

$625 at Amazon $500 at Walmart

Uniden’s BCD536HP scanner offers some of the easiest-to-program features available on a scanner. You type in your zip code, and the scanner works. There’s even a Wi-Fi option that allows you to use the exclusive Uniden siren app on your smartphone or tablet to access the scanner from anywhere in the home or a vehicle. 

The LCD backlit keypad helps illuminate the unit, so you can see it in the dark and quickly access the controls. The packaging includes home and auto power cords, a mounting bracket for inside the vehicle, and a Wi-Fi dongle and telescoping antenna.

There’s no battery power to worry about since this Uniden scanner runs entirely off a car battery or a power adapter.