GSP codes are the radio shorthand used by the Georgia State Patrol, the statewide law enforcement division of the Georgia Department of Public Safety. They include the numeric 10-codes troopers use to describe common situations quickly, along with the troop letters and post numbers that identify where a unit is operating. Some of the meanings match what you’ll find in other states or at Georgia sheriff’s offices; others are specific to GSP.
Commonly Used GSP 10-Codes
The full official list sits in internal policy documents, but the 10-codes you’ll routinely hear on GSP channels include the following:
- 10-0: Caution
- 10-4: OK / acknowledged
- 10-7: Out of service
- 10-8: In service
- 10-10: Fight
- 10-15: Burglary
- 10-16: Domestic disturbance
- 10-17: Armed robbery
- 10-20: Location
- 10-21: Call by phone
- 10-27: Driver’s license information request
- 10-28: Vehicle registration information request
- 10-29: Check for wanted or stolen status
- 10-32: Subject with a firearm
- 10-33: Emergency
- 10-35: Violation of the Georgia Controlled Substances Act (VGCSA)
- 10-38: Traffic stop
- 10-41: Begin tour of duty
- 10-42: End tour of duty
- 10-46: Assist motorist
- 10-50: Accident
- 10-55: Intoxicated driver
- 10-57: Hit and run
- 10-70: Fire
- 10-76: En route
- 10-78: Request another unit, Code 1
- 10-80: Chase / pursuit
- 10-89: Bomb threat
- 10-96: Mental health subject
- 10-99: Wanted or stolen indicated
A trooper calling in a 10-50 is reporting an accident; a 10-55 is a drunk driver; a 10-80 means a pursuit is underway. Some codes handle housekeeping (10-41 and 10-42 bookend a shift), and some flag immediate danger (10-32 for an armed subject, 10-33 for an emergency).
Why GSP Codes Don’t Always Match Other Agencies
If you compare the GSP list against a neighboring sheriff’s office, the Atlanta Police Department, or a state patrol in another state, you’ll find mismatches. GSP’s 10-35 refers to a Violation of the Georgia Controlled Substances Act; the same number means something different elsewhere. This is a nationwide pattern. Individual departments adapted the original codes to local needs over the decades, and some deliberately customized them so scanner listeners couldn’t follow along easily.1Police1. Police 10 Codes vs Plain Language: The History and Ongoing Debate
That inconsistency became a problem on big multi-agency scenes, and in 2006 the federal government recommended that law enforcement discontinue 10-codes in favor of plain language.1Police1. Police 10 Codes vs Plain Language: The History and Ongoing Debate The Department of Homeland Security encourages plain language within its National Incident Management System, and the National Public Safety Planning Advisory Committee requires it when agencies use national calling channels.2Office of Justice Programs. Plain Language in Law Enforcement Communications Even so, GSP and many other agencies still rely on 10-codes, citing officer safety, operational security, retraining costs, and departmental culture. The practical takeaway: a GSP code only reliably means what GSP says it means. Don’t translate across agencies.
Troops, Posts, and Call Signs
Alongside the 10-codes, you’ll hear troopers identify themselves using a troop letter and a post number. The Georgia State Patrol is organized into nine geographic troops lettered A through I, covering 52 patrol posts across the state.3Georgia Department of Public Safety. Troop and Post Locations The letter and number tell dispatch and other units which region and which post the trooper works out of. Command staff are based at the Department of Public Safety headquarters in Atlanta.
Specific call sign assignments for units and personnel are governed by the department’s “Special Radio Call Signs Exhibit,” Policy 14.04-1 in the DPS Policy Manual, last revised in September 2021. It sits in Chapter 14 (Communications) alongside Policy 14.04, which covers general radio protocols.4Georgia Department of Public Safety. Chapter 14 – Communications
Why Scanners No Longer Hear Most GSP Traffic
If you came looking for GSP codes to follow along on a scanner, there’s an important limit to know about. Over roughly 18 months ending in mid-2024, the Georgia State Patrol migrated from its legacy VHF radio system to a Mission-Critical Push-to-Talk service running on Southern Linc’s private LTE network, using L3Harris XL Series radios that can operate across VHF, UHF, 700/800 MHz, and LTE.5L3Harris. Georgia State Patrol Embraces Cutting-Edge Communication6RadioReference. Georgia State Patrol Radio Communications
The Southern Linc platform uses AES 256 encryption,7Southern Linc. MCPTT so GSP voice traffic on the new system is not accessible to standard scanners. According to RadioReference, communications on the LTE system are unmonitorable and are not patched to the older radio infrastructure. Legacy VHF repeaters remain in place as a backup, and in metro Atlanta, Troop C still uses P25 trunked systems shared with Atlanta, Gwinnett County, and other local agencies for interoperability.6RadioReference. Georgia State Patrol Radio Communications Knowing the 10-codes still helps for the interoperable channels and recorded or quoted transmissions, but most routine GSP traffic is now encrypted.
Star GSP (*477): The Code the Public Dials
One GSP code the general public uses directly is *477, known as Star GSP. Dialing *477 on a cell phone connects you to the nearest Georgia State Patrol post to report a suspected impaired or dangerous driver. The service is free and was established in the summer of 1994 through a partnership between cellular carriers and the GSP.8Georgia Department of Public Safety. Star GSP Service Marks 10-Year Anniversary
A Note on the Other “GSP”
Searches for “GSP codes” sometimes turn up material about the Generalized System of Preferences, a U.S. trade program that uses letter codes (“A,” “A+,” “A*”) in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule to flag duty-free eligibility for goods from certain developing countries.9U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Generalized System of Preferences That program has no connection to the Georgia State Patrol. If you’re researching tariff classification rather than police radio, you’re looking for a different GSP.