We hope you will take the time to explore the SCDPS website for information pertaining to our mission. We often receive questions through e-mail or by phone regarding topics that may or may not fall under the purview of SCDPS. We encourage you to take a few minutes to check out the information and the frequently asked questions below to find answers to some of our most common inquiries.

Traffic Information, Road Conditions, and Closures

For traffic information, please visit the SC Department of Transportation's Traffic Information webpage at 511sc.org and on the SCDOT 511 app on iOS and Andriod.

For information on road conditions and closures, please visit SCDOT's Road Conditions webpage.

Drivers Licenses, Vehicle Registrations, and License Plates

For information on drivers licenses, vehicle registrations, and license plates, please visit the SC Department of Motor Vehicles website here. 

Traffic Violation Questions

How do I pay a Uniform Traffic Ticket? 

To pay a Uniform Traffic Ticket, you must make a payment to the city or county in which the ticket was issued. You can learn more about the process, step-by-step at the South Carolina Court Payments webpage here.

Uniform Traffic Ticket Search (Example: I lost my ticket and need the ticket number)

Note – these citations begin with the numbers 2025.

If you need to identify your ticket number, visit the South Carolina Judicial Branch's Traffic Ticket Search webpage here.  You can also contact your local Highway Patrol office if you were stopped by a Trooper. You can find the contact information for each Highway Patrol office at the SC Highway Patrol Troop Contact page here. 

How do I obtain evidence for a traffic ticket?

If you are engaging in discovery for a criminal case written by a South Carolina Highway Patrol trooper (Rule 5/Brady motion), please serve the Trooper as shown on the Uniform Traffic Ticket at the appropriate Troop office. Read more information about this process here. 

What can I expect from a traffic stop?

Has my court date been postponed?

Contact the courthouse at which your case was scheduled. This information is on your citation. 

Collision and Towing Questions

I lost my mandatory insurance verification form (FR-10). How do I obtain a copy?

If you lost your FR10 (mandatory insurance verification form), please contact the appropriate troop office where the incident occurred.

I was in an accident. How do I get a collision report?

If you are involved in a collision and wish to obtain a copy of the collision report (TR-310), you may request it through the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. Find more information about obtaining a collision report here. 

I was involved in a collision that was not investigated by law enforcement. What do I need to do?

According to the South Carolina Code of Laws Section 56-5-1270, the driver or owner of a vehicle which is in any manner involved in an accident that is not investigated by law enforcement that results in total property damages of one thousand dollars or more or in death or bodily injury, shall complete a Traffic Collision Report Form FR-309 and send the form to the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles within 15 days of the collision. 

The FR-309 is a form for the driver or owner of a vehicle to complete if your vehicle was involved in a collision of any kind and the collision was never reported to a law enforcement agency. SCHP cannot investigate collisions that were not reported to law enforcement after the incident. In this case, the motorist must complete the FR309 and submit to the SCDMV. 

You can obtain the Traffic Collision Report Form FR-309 on SCDMV's website here. 

My car was towed. How do I find out where it was towed?

If your vehicle was towed by an SCDPS Officer (Highway Patrol, State Transport Police or Bureau of Protective Services), you may contact the local Highway Patrol office where your vehicle was towed. However, please understand they may have to call the appropriate Telecommunications Center (TCC) to find this information. If your vehicle was towed by another law enforcement agency, we will not have this information.

How are wrecker / towing services utilized by the SC Highway Patrol?

Troopers of the Highway Patrol of the Department of Public Safety must frequently call upon a wrecker service to tow or remove abandoned, damaged, disabled, or wrecked motor vehicles from the highways of the state and accident scenes. Accordingly, to ensure a fair, equitable and impartial rotation among competing wrecker services, each Highway Patrol Troop within the Highway Patrol Division establishes a zone or zones for towing certain damaged, disabled, or wrecked motor vehicles from the highways and accident scenes, and must prepare, maintain and use wrecker rotation lists for each towing zone in accordance with applicable law. Further, to ensure the delivery of quality and courteous wrecker services to the motoring public at reasonable costs, it is the policy of the department to enforce the law, regulations, and standards relating to wrecker services by means of fair and equitable disciplinary procedures and, when necessary for enforcement purposes or to protect the public, by administering appropriate disciplinary measures. Read more information about wrecker regulations here. 

Commercial Motor Vehicle Questions

How do I pay a Uniform Size, Weight, Idling, and Safety Citation? 

Note – these citations begin with the letters WA, which is displayed on the lower right-hand corner of the citation.

To pay a citation for size, weight, and safety violations, visit the State Transport Police's Uniform Size, Weight, Idling, and Safety Online Citation Payment portal here.   

How do I find out where load restricted bridges are located in South Carolina?

You can view all load restricted bridges in the state on the SC Department of Transportation's interactive map here. 

Can State Transport Police enforce state traffic laws for non-commercial drivers?   

Yes. Although STP officers specialize in commercial motor vehicle enforcement, they also enforce state traffic laws for non-commercial drivers regularly.

Can the SC Highway Patrol enforce traffic laws for commercial motor vehicles?   

The SC Highway Patrol can enforce state traffic laws for commercial motor vehicles.

Concealed Weapon Questions

What is the law regarding carrying a weapon in SC? (CWP)

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) handles all concealed weapons permits (CWPs) in the state of South Carolina. Please visit SLED's CWP webpage here for the latest information. SLED's CWP hotline is 803-896-7015 or you can email cwpquestions@sled.sc.gov.

What items are visitors prohibited from carrying at the State House and Capitol Facilities?

As a reminder, there are areas where it remains unlawful to carry a firearm or dangerous weapon on State House grounds. Despite the passage of the South Carolina Constitutional Carry/Second Amendment Preservation Act of 2023, it's important to remember that South Carolina Code Section 10-11-320(A) still applies and prohibits carrying a firearm or dangerous weapon on State House grounds.

As indicated in the map below, the State House grounds include the area in downtown Columbia between Gervais Street, Sumter Street, Pendleton Street, and Assembly Street.

Additionally, visitors to the Governor’s Mansion are also prohibited from carrying a firearm or dangerous weapon onto the grounds.

Community and Public Services

How do I request a safety presentation from a state trooper?

The South Carolina Highway Patrol offers community outreach and education programs to help address unsafe driving behaviors before they occur. SCHP’s Community Relations Officers conduct 900 safety presentations on average each year to schools, civic organizations, and companies around the state. 

SC Highway Patrol offers several types of programs to educate the public on the dangers of impaired driving, driving distracted, and speeding, as well as the importance of wearing a seat belt and staying alert behind the wheel. You can read more about these community outreach programs and request a safety talk here. 

How do I request a safety presentation from an STP officer?

The DRIVE 2 ZERO (D2Z) Program is one of the State Transport Police’s outreach and education initiatives that aim to address unsafe driving behaviors before they occur, especially in and around commercial motor vehicles. Each year, more than 8,000 participants get to experience what it is like to drive impaired or distracted behind the wheel. Read more about the Drive 2 Zero Program here. 

How do I commend or thank a trooper or officer?

If you would like to submit an official commendation for a trooper or an officer from our agency, you may do so through our online commendation portal here.

Other Questions

How do I submit a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request?  

The FOIA process is outlined on our FOIA webpage here. You may also e-mail the FOIA office at FOIA@scdps.gov. 

What are the fees associated with a FOIA request?

DPS charges reasonable costs for providing documents or information and may not release information until payment in full is received. Fees are subject to change.

Fees may be waived or reduced if it is determined that the waiver or reduction is in the public interest because the information is considered as primarily benefiting the general public.

Find out more about the fees for requested documents here.

What sort of career opportunities are available at SCDPS? 

To explore careers available at any of our DPS law enforcement agencies: South Carolina Highway Patrol (SCHP), State Transport Police (STP), or Bureau of Protective Services (BPS), please visit the careers webpage here. 

If you are interested in a career as a telecommunications operator, please visit the telecom careers webpage here.

If you are interested in available DPS non-sworn/civilian positions, please visit the South Carolina Careers website here.