THE MICHIGAN PENAL CODE (EXCERPT)
Act 328 of 1931
750.508 Equipping vehicle with radio able to receive signals on
frequencies assigned for police or certain other purposes; violation;
penalties; radar detectors not applicable.
Sec. 508.
(1) A person who has been convicted of 1 or more felonies during the
preceding 5 years shall not carry or have in his or her possession a radio
receiving set that will receive signals sent on a frequency assigned by
the federal communications commission of the United States for police or
other law enforcement, fire fighting, emergency medical, federal, state,
or local corrections, or homeland security purposes. This subsection
does not apply to a person who is licensed as an amateur radio operator
by the federal communications commission. A person who violates this
subsection is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for
not more than 1 year or a fine of not more than $1,000.00, or both.
(2) A person shall not carry or have in his or her possession in the
commission or attempted commission of a crime a radio receiving set
that will receive signals sent on a frequency assigned by the federal
communications commission of the United States for police or other law
enforcement, fire fighting, emergency medical, federal, state, or local
corrections, or homeland security purposes. A person who violates this
subsection is guilty of a crime as follows:
(a) If this subsection is violated in the commission or attempted
commission of a misdemeanor punishable by a maximum term of imprisonment
of at least 93 days but less than 1 year, the person is guilty of a
misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 1 year or a
fine of not more than $1,000.00, or both.
(b) If this subsection is violated in the commission or attempted
commission of a misdemeanor or felony punishable by a maximum term
of imprisonment of 1 year or more, the person is guilty of a felony
punishable by imprisonment for not more than 2 years or a fine of not
more than $2,000.00, or both.
(3) Subsection (2) does not apply to a person who carries or has in
his or her possession a radio receiving set described in subsection (2)
in the commission or attempted commission of a misdemeanor punishable
by a maximum term of imprisonment of less than 93 days.
(4) This section does not apply to the use of radar detectors.
History: 1931, Act 328, Eff. Sept. 18, 1931 ;-- Am. 1939, Act 295,
Eff. Sept. 29, 1939 ;-- CL 1948, 750.508 ;-- Am. 1957, Act 242,
Eff. Sept. 27, 1957 ;-- Am. 1990, Act 77, Imd. Eff. May 24, 1990 ;--
Am. 2002, Act 672, Eff. Mar. 31, 2003 ;-- Am. 2006, Act 39, Eff. May
31, 2006
Constitutionality: This section, which prohibits equipping or using
a vehicle with a radio receiving set capable of receiving frequencies
assigned for police purposes, was enacted to facilitate law enforcement
activity. This section's restriction of persons permitted to monitor those
frequencies involves classifications which are rationally related to the
statute's objective, consistent with equal protection and due process
guarantees. People v. Gilbert, 414 Mich. 191, 324 N.W.2d 834 (1982).