Michigan Compiled Laws

Mich. Comp. Laws § 750.508 (2026)

Equipping vehicle with radio able to receive signals on frequencies assigned for police or certain other purposes; violation; penalties; radar detectors not applicable.

✓ current as of July 2026

Find cases: SyfertCases citing this section MI-LEGlegislature.mi.gov JustiaChapter on Justia CornellLII Search CasesGoogle Scholar

THE MICHIGAN PENAL CODE

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 Notes:

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 NW2d 834 (1982).

FormerLaw Notes:

See section 5 of Act 152 of 1929, being CL 1929, § 578.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 7 cases, 1969–2018 · leading case: People v. Gilbert, 324 N.W.2d 834 (Mich. 1982).

Sort: Relevance Newest Treatment

People v. Gilbert, 324 N.W.2d 834 (Mich. 1982). · cites it 26× “We are asked to determine whether the defendant can be prosecuted under MCL 750.508; MSA 28.776 for equipping his motor vehicle with a radar detector or "Fuzzbuster".”

People v. Gilbert, 279 N.W.2d 546 (Mich. Ct. App. 1979). · cites it 7× “Therefore, he charged defendant with equipping his car with a radio receiving set capable of receiving police signals, a violation of MCL 750.508; MSA 28.776. On February 28, 1977, a hearing was held in Troy Municipal Court on a motion to dismiss *767 which had been previously…”

Mich. Gun Owners, Inc. v. Ann Arbor Pub. Sch., 918 N.W.2d 756 (Mich. 2018). “224f ; MCL 750.227b ; MCL 750.227f ; MCL 750.227(2) and MCL 750.”

People v. Gilbert, 287 N.W.2d 220 (Mich. Ct. App. 1979). · cites it 3× “On March 6, 1979, this Court made a determination that charges were properly brought against defendant for equipping his car on December 3, 1976, with a radar detector, more commonly known as a "fuzzbuster”, in violation of MCL 750.508; MSA 28.776. 1 People v Gilbert, 88 Mich…”

People v. Kremko, 218 N.W.2d 112 (Mich. Ct. App. 1974). “He thereupon placed the two persons in the automobile, the defendants herein, under arrest for possession of an operating police radio in a motor vehicle without a license (MCLA 750.508; MSA 28.776). A pat-down search was then conducted of each defendant and they both were given…”

State v. Peterfeso, 169 N.W.2d 18 (Minn. 1969). “39 Mich. Comp. Laws Ann. § 750.508 . An Illinois statute which made it a misdemeanor to equip an automobile with a shortwave radio except by permission of the local sheriff, 111.”

People v. Burkes, 318 N.W.2d 535 (Mich. Ct. App. 1982). · cites it 3× “Defendant was charged with equipping her automobile with a "Fuzz-buster” radar-detecting device, contrary to the prohibition of MCL 750.508; MSA 28.776. The trial court dismissed the charge after concluding that the conduct alleged did not constitute "equipping” within the…”

Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.