Free service
Free roadside assistance in
North Carolina: IMAP.
NCDOT's Incident Management Assistance Patrol, also called Safety Patrol, provides free roadside help and incident support on covered major highway routes.
Official sources checked October 6, 2026Dial *HP from a mobile phone while in a covered area. Give the route, direction, nearest exit or mile marker and a description of the vehicle.
Most major North Carolina highway routes shown on NCDOT's Safety Patrol map; coverage is not every road in the state.
Patrol deployment varies by covered highway and traffic conditions. NCDOT publishes the service area on its official map.
At a glance
Key facts about IMAP
This record separates the program operator, request method and actual patrol coverage so motorists can see what the published service does—and what it does not promise.
- Official program
- North Carolina IMAP Safety Patrol
- Operating agency
- North Carolina Department of Transportation
- Published cost
- Free service
- Service area
- Most major North Carolina highway routes shown on NCDOT's Safety Patrol map; coverage is not every road in the state.
- Request or dispatch route
- Dial *HP from a mobile phone while in a covered area. Give the route, direction, nearest exit or mile marker and a description of the vehicle.
- Information checked
- October 6, 2026
Operator and base
Who runs IMAP
North Carolina Department of Transportation administers or operates this public motorist-assistance program. The service works through mobile patrol vehicles and traffic-management dispatch rather than as a repair shop that motorists visit.
The official program material reviewed for this page does not publish a public walk-in patrol base. Use the request or dispatch method above rather than traveling to an agency office for roadside help.
Patrol footprint
Where and when the service operates
Most major North Carolina highway routes shown on NCDOT's Safety Patrol map; coverage is not every road in the state.
Patrol deployment varies by covered highway and traffic conditions. NCDOT publishes the service area on its official map.
The operating agency publishes coverage as a corridor, route or patrol-area description rather than a guaranteed pickup radius. A vehicle inside the described area is not guaranteed an available unit.
Published assistance
What IMAP can provide
These services are summarized from the operating agency's current public information. The attending operator decides what is safe and available at the scene.
- Flat-tire change
- Small amount of gasoline or diesel
- Battery jump-start
- Roadway-obstruction clearance
- Emergency traffic control and incident support
Before relying on it
Coverage and service limits
- Service is limited to covered routes and operational availability.
- Basic roadside help does not replace commercial towing or mechanical repair when the vehicle cannot be made safe.
- The program is managed solely by NCDOT; its published sponsor does not handle service requests or insurance matters.
If you are stranded
What to do before help arrives
These steps combine the program's published request guidance with basic roadside-safety precautions. Conditions at the scene always take priority.
- 01
Move as far away from live traffic as safely possible and switch on the vehicle's hazard lights.
- 02
Use the published request method for this program: Dial *HP from a mobile phone while in a covered area. Give the route, direction, nearest exit or mile marker and a description of the vehicle.
- 03
Call 911 for a crash, injury, fire, vehicle in a live lane or any other immediate danger.
Primary-source record
Check the operating agency
Routes, hours and program rules can change. Use the official sources below for the latest operating information.
