Free on covered routes
Free roadside assistance in
South Carolina: SHEP.
SCDOT's State Highway Emergency Program provides free limited roadside help and incident response in published patrol zones.
Official sources checked October 6, 2026Dial *HP (*47) to reach the South Carolina Highway Patrol, which can coordinate assistance. Call 911 for immediate danger.
Published zones around Charleston, Columbia, Florence, Myrtle Beach, Rock Hill, the Upstate and a Jasper County section of I-95.
Hours vary by zone; SCDOT publishes current route and operating details for each patrol area.
At a glance
Key facts about SHEP
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
- South Carolina SHEP
- Operating agency
- South Carolina Department of Transportation
- Published cost
- Free on covered routes
- Service area
- Published zones around Charleston, Columbia, Florence, Myrtle Beach, Rock Hill, the Upstate and a Jasper County section of I-95.
- Request or dispatch route
- Dial *HP (*47) to reach the South Carolina Highway Patrol, which can coordinate assistance. Call 911 for immediate danger.
- Information checked
- October 6, 2026
Operator and base
Who runs SHEP
South 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
Published zones around Charleston, Columbia, Florence, Myrtle Beach, Rock Hill, the Upstate and a Jasper County section of I-95.
Hours vary by zone; SCDOT publishes current route and operating details for each patrol area.
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 SHEP 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 assistance
- Battery jump-start
- Emergency fuel
- Minor mechanical help
- Incident traffic control and scene clearance
Before relying on it
Coverage and service limits
- Only published patrol zones and hours are covered.
- Response depends on active incidents and unit availability.
- The patrol provides basic help rather than destination towing or major repair.
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 (*47) to reach the South Carolina Highway Patrol, which can coordinate assistance. Call 911 for immediate danger.
- 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.
