SC Highway Patrol

Colonel C.N. Williamson image — **Colonel C.N. Williamson**
Commander, South Carolina Highway Patrol

The mission of the South Carolina Highway Patrol is to provide equitable service and protection and uphold the laws of the constitutions of the United States and the State of South Carolina in order to promote a safe and secure environment for the public.

The personnel of the South Carolina State Highway Patrol recognize that to achieve our mission, policies and programs must be developed that allow us to:

Serve the public in a dedicated, honest, reasonable, and professional manner.
Assist, direct, educate, and counsel the public in matters consistent with our mission.
Reduce the number and severity of traffic collisions through the diligent enforcement of all traffic laws and promotion of traffic safety.
Cooperate and communicate with other law enforcement agencies in our common objectives.
Respond to emergencies and disasters with all available resources.
Be accountable and manage all allocated resources effectively and efficiently.

Highway Patrol troopers work throughout South Carolina’s 46 counties, patrolling all our highways and interstates for unsafe drivers to help protect the public daily.

The South Carolina Highway Patrol’s primary mission is to create a safe and secure environment for South Carolina citizens and visitors as they travel on the state’s public roads and highways. Our goal is to reduce fatalities and collisions on our roadways and move toward our goal of Target Zero highway fatalities. It is a privilege for me to serve as the commander of an outstanding group of professional men and women at an exciting time in the Highway Patrol’s history. Safety and outstanding service to our citizens and visitors are our top priorities.

That is why the Highway Patrol constantly strives to develop innovative public education and outreach programs coupled with proactive enforcement of our state’s traffic laws. Every day, you will see troopers engaged in proactive enforcement of our state’s DUI laws, speed, safety belt and other important safety issues.

Our Community Relations Officers visit schools, civic clubs, businesses and work with media outlets to teach and train drivers about important safety issues. We use computer driving simulators, a roll-over simulator, DUI goggles and golf carts and other tools to teach and instruct – especially with our young drivers.

I want to stress the importance of being a safe and defensive driver. Every year, a staggering 42,000-45,000 people die on our nation’s highways. South Carolina typically loses about 900 people each year to motor vehicle collisions.

We are especially concerned about impaired driving fatalities. Almost half of our fatalities still involve an impaired driver or pedestrian. We believe these statistics are unacceptable. We are working closely with local law enforcement throughout the state to help prevent these terrible tragedies.

The South Carolina Highway Patrol places a strong emphasis on safety education and providing support for families who have lost a loved one on our highways through the SCDPS Families of Highway Fatalities program.

We have an outstanding team of troopers in each area of our state called Community Relations Officers. They are here to help citizens learn more about good safety practices on the roadways. If you would like for a trooper to visit your classroom or work place to talk about safety, please contact us at “Request A Trooper” on our home page or by calling 803-896-7920.

How can you stay safe as a citizen or visitor to our state? Learn why collisions occur and make adjustments in your own driving behaviors. A disproportionate share of our collisions involves a single vehicle. Driver error, the time of day, location, environment or vehicle defects all play a role in collisions too. Drive defensively. First and foremost, always buckle up and ensure your passengers are properly secured as well.

Thank you for your interest in the South Carolina Highway Patrol. I hope you will visit our web page regularly for updates and information.

Colonel C.N. Williamson
Commander, South Carolina Highway Patrol

Lt. Colonel J.T. Manley
Deputy Commander, Administration

Lt. Colonel S.A. Stankus
Deputy Commander, Field Operations

Major K.N. Brown
Administrative Operations

Major D.J. Gamble
Field Support

Major J.T. Morf
Field Operations

Major E. Patterson
Field Operations

Highway Patrol Troops

The SC Highway Patrol consists of seven regional Troops, with several Posts per Troop, throughout the state of South Carolina. Each Troop is led by a Highway Patrol Captain, and each Post is led by a Highway Patrol First Sergeant.

Troop One includes Clarendon, Kershaw, Lee, Lexington, Richland, and Sumter counties.
Troop Two includes Abbeville, Edgefield, Greenwood, Laurens, McCormick, Newberry, and Saluda counties.
Troop Three includes Anderson, Greenville, Oconee, Pickens, and Spartanburg counties.
Troop Four includes Cherokee, Chester, Chesterfield, Fairfield, Lancaster, Union, and York counties.
Troop Five includes Darlington, Dillon, Florence, Georgetown, Horry, Marion, Marlboro, and Williamsburg counties.
Troop Six includes Beaufort, Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester, and Jasper counties.
Troop Seven includes Aiken, Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Calhoun, Hampton, and Orangeburg counties.

Highway Patrol History

The South Carolina Highway Patrol has a rich heritage. Created in 1930, the Highway Patrol initially consisted of 69 men charged with patrolling the nearly 6,000 miles of highways that were in South Carolina at that time. These patrolmen began enforcing the law after receiving a few verbal instructions and being issued a badge, uniform, gun and a motorcycle.

Today, troopers use a variety of vehicles including marked, semi-marked, and unmarked vehicles, including Dodge Chargers, Ford Mustangs, trucks, motorcycles, and sport utility vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with mobile communications systems, computers, and in-car cameras. Additionally, state troopers now undergo 20 weeks of intensive training before beginning their law enforcement careers and are always equipped with the best weaponry, communications, and safety equipment.

In the beginning, the Highway Patrol was a part of the Motor Vehicle Division under the SC Highway Department. As the Patrol grew in size and responsibility, it was deemed that the Highway Patrol could function more efficiently as a separate division. So, in 1953, the Highway Patrol became its own division. And with the passing of the Government Restructuring Act in 1993, the South Carolina Highway Patrol division was placed under the newly created South Carolina Department of Public Safety to promote efficiency and cost effectiveness.

Although the South Carolina Highway Patrol has grown to become a technologically advanced and sophisticated law enforcement agency, we remain firmly rooted by our proud tradition and decades of service to the citizens of our state. Today, we have hundreds of uniformed troopers dedicated to the safety of all South Carolinians and those who travel our highways.

We are very proud of our history and the accomplishments we have made along the way. However, our accomplishments have not come without sacrifice. In our 95-year history, we have lost 52 Troopers in our commitment to the citizens of this State and country. We respectfully admire these Troopers for their service and dedication. Please visit our Fallen Trooper tribute webpage to learn more about these fallen heroes.

For more South Carolina Highway Patrol history, read about each Highway Patrol Commander here.

Special Operations Units

While the primary mission of the Highway Patrol is to enforce motor vehicle laws, there are several specialized units within the Highway Patrol.

Area Coordinated Enforcement (ACE) Unit

The Area Coordinated Enforcement (ACE) Unit is a specialized unit of the South Carolina Highway Patrol that uses crash data to identify areas most in need of special enforcement to curb crashes caused by aggressive driving, speeding and other unsafe driving behaviors. The unit is comprised of three teams: Upstate (Troops 3 and 4); Midstate (Troops 1, 2 and 7); and Lowstate (Troops 5 and 6). The ACE Unit includes the K-9 Unit, Motor Unit, and the DEA/US Marshals Task Force officers.

Community Relations Officer (CRO) and Recruiter Unit

The CRO is a uniformed trooper located in one of seven regions around the state, dedicated to educating the public and media about the Highway Patrol and highway safety. They are also responsible for identifying and recruiting professional candidates to become SC State Troopers. Read more about the Highway Patrol's community outreach programs and request a safety talk here.

Civil Emergency Response Team (CERT)

CERT responds to civil emergencies using specialized training, tactics, and equipment.

Employment Unit

The SCHP Employment Unit ensures each applicant is carefully examined and meets all qualifications and suitability for employment as a law enforcement officer with the South Carolina Highway Patrol.

Honor Guard Unit

The Honor Guard is a ceremonial unit whose members act as guardians of the colors when escorting or presenting the American, state, and organization flags at functions. These select troopers are well trained in military procedures of flag folding, presentation, and rifle salutes, and appear regularly at DPS events, ceremonies, law enforcement or state funerals, sporting events, and other civic engagements as requested. Prospective members must be recommended by their troop commander to try out and join.

Governor’s Security Detail

While working with the State Law Enforcement Division, the Governor's Security Detail provides protection for the South Carolina Governor and his or her family.

Multi-disciplinary Accident Investigation Team (MAIT)

The Multi-disciplinary Accident Investigation Team (MAIT) investigates complicated vehicle crashes, using state-of-the-art technology and analysis to reconstruct the scene.

Insurance Enforcement Unit

The Insurance Enforcement Unit works closely with the Department of Motor Vehicles to identify and prohibit uninsured drivers on the highways.

Regulatory Compliance Unit

The Regulatory Compliance Unit oversees the administrative and regulatory compliance matters for the Highway Patrol, specifically: Rotation wrecker regulation, records maintenance, CALEA standards, grants and assists with the daily operations of Patrol Headquarters.

Telecommunications Unit

The SCHP Telecommunications Unit provides dispatch communication to troopers and other SCDPS law enforcement. Telecommunications Officers dispatch troopers to collision scenes and other calls for service and provide officers with accurate and timely information necessary for their safety and motorists’ safety.

TTY Number: TTY 711

Victim Services Unit

The South Carolina Highway Patrol Office of Victim Services provides assistance to those who have been a victim in a motor vehicle related crime. These crimes include Driving under the influence, leaving the scene of a crash, reckless driving, and reckless homicide.

Frequently Asked Questions

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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