10-6 Police Code Meaning & Definition

What Does 10-6 Mean?

10-6 is a police radio code most commonly used to mean Busy.

Police departments and dispatch centers may use 10-6 differently, but Busy is the most common meaning found in our database of agencies across the United States.

Most Common Meaning: Busy

Used this way by: 50% of agencies on this page
Used in: 20 agencies across 13 states
Category: Status
Consensus: MediumMost agencies use this code similarly, but some regional or agency variations exist.

Code Distribution Breakdown

Busy: 50% (10 agencies)
Standby: 15% (3 agencies)
Busy (Less Than 10 Min.): 5% (1 agency)
Transfer: 5% (1 agency)
False Alarm: 5% (1 agency)
Change channel: 5% (1 agency)
Busy on Non-Dispatch Activity: 5% (1 agency)
Traffic Violator: 5% (1 agency)
Arrived at Location: 5% (1 agency)

10-6 Police Code Meanings by Agency

20 agencies across 13 states

Why Does 10-6 Have Different Meanings?

Police radio codes are not standardized nationwide. Different agencies may assign different meanings to 10-6 , which is why multiple definitions can exist for the same code.

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