10-21 Police Code Meaning & Definition

What Does 10-21 Mean?

10-21 is a police radio code most commonly used to mean Call by Phone.

Police departments and dispatch centers may use 10-21 differently, but Call by Phone is the most common meaning found in our database of agencies across the United States.

Most Common Meaning: Call by Phone

Used this way by: 21% of agencies on this page
Used in: 19 agencies across 11 states
Category: Communication
Consensus: ConflictedThis code has significant meaning conflicts between agencies and may vary widely by location.

Code Distribution Breakdown

Call by Phone: 21% (4 agencies)
Telephone: 21% (4 agencies)
Call Headquarters: 5% (1 agency)
Call by telephone: 5% (1 agency)
Phone ______: 5% (1 agency)
Call Station (Phone): 5% (1 agency)
Call Station by Phone: 5% (1 agency)
Phone Station: 5% (1 agency)
Lost/Stolen Vehicle Tag/Tag Validation Sticker: 5% (1 agency)
Call Complaint Desk: 5% (1 agency)
Kidnapping - Officer: 5% (1 agency)
Brush/Woods Fire: 5% (1 agency)
Burglary: 5% (1 agency)

10-21 Police Code Meanings by Agency

19 agencies across 11 states

Why Does 10-21 Have Different Meanings?

Police radio codes are not standardized nationwide. Different agencies may assign different meanings to 10-21 , which is why multiple definitions can exist for the same code.

View all police codes