A method and apparatus for packet alignment in a simulcast system includes a communications controller (310) having a vocoder and an input/output (I/O) processor (313) controlling the vocoder (311), the I/O processor having a timing alignment control (315) and a packet counter (314) for inserting timing alignment tags in voice/data packets and adjusting packet numbering and timing based on alignment requests from a master radio communication unit. The communications controller is coupled to radio communication units (330, 340, 350), each having a packet buffer (331) and an alignment processor (332) which includes a packet number detector (333) for detecting the transmission timing tag and sending a request for a packet numbering adjustment to the communications controller and a timing alignment detector (334) for comparing a receive time of the first information packet and a predetermined preferential receive time and for sending a timing alignment request to the communications controller.