About Washington Police Frequencies
- 5 conventional channels are analog FM, so any scanner can receive them. Enter the frequency and set the tone shown in the table.
- 1 conventional channel uses a digital mode (DMR), which needs a scanner that decodes that mode.
- Trunked radio systems that carry law-enforcement traffic here: Placer Interoperable Radio Communications System (PIRCS): 6 talkgroups. A trunking scanner is required, and it must support the system type shown.
- To follow a trunked system, program a control channel first. For Washington, start with the Blue Canyon site of California Radio Interoperable System (CRIS), about 7 miles away. Its control channels: 770.20625, 770.94375, 773.54375 MHz.
- 1 listed entry is marked encrypted. No scanner can decode encrypted audio.
Nevada County channels that also cover Washington
Dispatch
| Agency | Description | Frequency (MHz) | Tone | Mode | FCC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada County Sheriff | Nevada County Sheriff – Dispatch – West | 155.5650 In 154.8300 | 141.3 PL | FMN | KYG736 |
| Nevada County Sheriff | Nevada County Sheriff – Dispatch – East | 155.7600 In 154.8300 | 156.7 PL | FMN | KYG736 |
| Sierra College | Nevada County Campus Police (Grass Valley) | 860.9625 In 815.9625 | DMR | WPIE754 |
Tactical
| Agency | Description | Frequency (MHz) | Tone | Mode | FCC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada County Sheriff | Nevada County Sheriff – Tactical Channel | 155.1000 | 229.1 PL | FMN | WPKL799 |
| Nevada County Sheriff | Search and Rescue – Signal Peak | 155.5425 In 159.0675 | 100.0 PL | FMN | WQWZ739 |
| Nevada County Sheriff | Search and Rescue – Mt Rose | 159.7425 In 157.6125 | 127.3 PL | FMN | WRTF883 |
Placer Interoperable Radio Communications System (PIRCS)
| Agency | Description | Talkgroup | Hex | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| County Sheriff | West Dispatch (patched with 160.545) | 2001 | 7d1 | D |
| County Sheriff | East Dispatch (patched with 161.505) | 2003 | 7d3 | D |
| County Services | District Attorney Investigations | 1101 | 44d | D |
| County Sheriff | West Tactical | 2002 | 7d2 | D |
| County Sheriff | East Tactical | 2004 | 7d4 | D |
1 encrypted talkgroup (cannot be monitored)
| Agency | Description | Talkgroup | Hex | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| County Sheriff | County Sheriff – Dispatch | 2005 | 7d5 | D Encrypted |
Nearest trunked radio sites
Distances are measured from the center of Washington.
Blue Canyon · California Radio Interoperable System (CRIS)
RFSS 1 · Site 31 (hex 1F) · NAC 9D1 · about 7 mi away
Control 770.20625, 770.94375, 773.54375, 773.81875
Voice 774.28125, 774.79375
Banner Mountain · California Radio Interoperable System (CRIS)
RFSS 1 · Site 22 (hex 16) · NAC 9D2 · about 12 mi away
Control 769.96875, 770.91875, 773.34375, 773.79375
Voice 774.04375, 774.78125
Cisco Butte · California Radio Interoperable System (CRIS)
RFSS 1 · Site 32 (hex 20) · NAC 9D2 · about 13 mi away
Control 769.20625, 770.90625, 773.31875, 774.06875
Voice 774.54375, 774.84375
What do these numbers mean?
- Control channel
- The frequency your scanner listens to first. It tells the scanner where each voice call is happening, so program it before anything else.
- Voice
- The other frequencies the site uses for calls. A trunking scanner follows them automatically once it has the control channel.
- Site
- One tower location of the system. Scanners show the number in decimal or hex, so both are listed.
- RFSS (Radio Frequency Sub-System)
- A group of sites run by the same controller. Large Project 25 systems can have several.
- NAC (Network Access Code)
- A hex code the site transmits. Your scanner can use it to ignore other systems on the same frequency.
- Talkgroup
- A virtual channel on a trunked system, such as one agency’s dispatch. Programming uses the decimal or hex number, depending on your scanner.
Common questions
What frequency do the police use in Washington?
We do not have a dispatch channel listed specifically for Washington. County-level dispatch channels in the same county: Nevada County Sheriff 155.5650 MHz (141.3 PL); Nevada County Sheriff 155.7600 MHz (156.7 PL).