Ten-code: Difference between revisions

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'''Ten-codes''', or '''10-codes''', are used in two-way voice [[radio]] communication as numeric [[codeword]]s for frequently used messages. They originated in the [[United States]] law enforcement community before [[World War II]]. There is no universal, official set of 10-codes, and the meanings of a particular 10-code can vary between one jurisdiction and another: a code meaning "I have the suspect in custody" in one state can mean "Send an ambulance" in a second state and have yet another meaning in a third.

Ten-codes were adopted with enthusiasm by the [[Citizen's Band]] craze, first in the US, then shortly afterwards in the [[UK]] and elsewhere. The codes were extended and changed to reflect the sorts of things that CBers wanted to refer to, rather than law enforcement usage, etc. During the height of the fad in the UK (around [[1980]]), new ten codes were seemingly made up on the spot, used in the local area for a short time, then disappeared again.

The following is a sample of commonly used 10-codes, submitted for purposes of illustration. It is common for a 10-code to have numeric gaps.