SC Highway Patrol/Department of Public Safety (SC)

The South Carolina Highway Patrol is a division of the SC Department of Public Safety that is responsible for investigating traffic accidents and enforcing traffic laws across the entire state. SCHP is divided into seven troops that each serve several counties. The primary radio system used by SCHP is the Palmetto 800 system. SCHP has the capability of using several other radio systems as well, especially during special events.

SCHP Scanning Tips

SC Highway Patrol uses the Palmetto 800 State-wide trunked radio system as its primary communication system. The vast majority of SCHP communications are analog and not encrypted.

There are three basic steps for scanning SCHP:

Selecting appropriate tower sites
Selecting appropriate talkgroups
Programming your scanner

Selecting Tower Sites

This map is pretty good for finding county names and interstate routes. Determine your county of interest or the counties you'll pass through on your trip. Create a written or typed list of these counties.
SC Interstate Routes This lists counties that one passes through while travelling on any of several popular interstate routes, along with Palmetto 800 site numbers for each county.
Next, look at this current coverage map for Palmetto 800 and determine which tower sites cover your area(s) of interest. Also consult this Google Map of Palmetto 800 and Palmetto P25 tower sites.
Lastly, consult the site list on the Palmetto 800 database page to determine frequencies for the sites you have selected. Add the site numbers, names and frequencies to your county list. These will be the frequencies you'll program in your scanner.

Selecting Talkgroups

Using your county list, look below at the list of SCHP Troops. Determine which Troops you are interested in listening to.
Again consult the Palmetto 800 database page, this time scrolling down to the Talkgroups section. The first set of talkgroups is for SCHP, and they are sorted by channel number, but are grouped by Troop, starting with Troop 1 channels.
Each Troop has several dispatch channels (used by one or a group of counties), 2 TAC channels (used for talk-around), and 1 channel each for SC Transport Police, SC DPS (Traffic Management and SCDOT Emergency Responders) and Special Ops.
Select the talkgroups that you are interested in and jot those down on your list.
Special Note: Some SCHP dispatch talkgroups are regularly "patched" to each other to allow a single dispatcher to handle multiple channels as a single channel. Different scanners handle this situation differently, but you may find that your favorite SCHP dispatch channel goes quiet for long periods of time. Program all the dispatch channels for the Troop and unlock them when your favorite channel seems to go quiet.

Programming your scanner

It's beyond the scope of this article to provide details on programming every different model of scanner. How you choose to organize your scanner is up to you. But this process should give you the data you need to program the SCHP Talkgroups of the Palmetto 800 system into your radio.

SCHP Units

HP unit numbers consist of a letter and a number. The letter indicates the troop/special unit and the number indicates the rank. The lower the number, the higher the rank.

A Troop 1: Clarendon, Kershaw, Lee, Lexington, Richland, Sumter
B Troop 2: Abbeville, Edgefield, Greenwood, Laurens, McCormick, Newberry, Saluda
C Troop 3: Anderson, Greenville, Oconee, Pickens, Spartanburg
D Troop 4: Cherokee, Chester, Chesterfield, Fairfield, Lancaster, Union, York
E Troop 5: Darlington, Dillion, Florence, Georgetown, Horry, Marion, Marlboro, Williamsburg
F Troop 6: Berkeley, Beaufort, Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester, Jasper
G Troop 7: Aiken, Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Calhoun, Hampton, Orangeburg
R Troop 8: ACE Team & Motorcycles
M Troop 9: MAIT Team (Accident Reconstruction)
I Troop 10: Insurance Enforcement
S SCDOT Incidence Response
X State Transport Police

SCHP 10-Codes

Code	Description	Code	Description
10-0	Pursuit in progress	10-1	Signal weak
10-2	Signal good	10-3	Stop transmitting
10-4	Message received	10-5	Relay
10-6	Busy	10-7	Out of service
10-8	In service	10-9	Repeat
10-10	Negative	10-11	On duty
10-12	Standby	10-13	Report conditions
10-14	Message/Information	10-15	Message delivered
10-16	Reply to message	10-17	Enroute
10-18	Urgent	10-19	In contact
10-20	(Advise your) Location	10-21	Phone (number)
10-22	Disregard	10-23	Arrived at scene
10-24	Assignment complete	10-25	Meet up at ____
10-26	Estimated time of arrival	10-27	Driver's license
10-28	Vehicle registration	10-29	Check for warrants
10-30	Danger/Caution	10-31	Pick up
10-32	____ units needed quickly	10-33	Emergency
10-34	Correct time	10-35	Radar
10-36	Abandoned vehicle	10-37	Mobile Data Computer
10-38	Normal traffic stop	10-39	Vehicle search
10-40	Road repairs	10-41	Beginning shift
10-42	End shift	10-43	Time check
10-44	Unable to locate	10-45	Dead animal
10-46	Assist motorist	10-47	Investigate suspicious vehicle
10-48	Stopping suspicious vehicle	10-49	Civil disturbance
10-50	Motor vehicle accident	10-51	Request tow truck
10-52	Request ambulance	10-53	Roadway blocked
10-54	Direct traffic	10-55	Intoxicated driver
10-56	Intoxicated pedestrian	10-57	Hit and run MVA
10-58	Riot	10-59	Person with gun
10-60	Request coroner	10-61	Illegal use of radio
10-62	Escaped prisoner	10-63	Advise phone number
10-64	Bomb threat	10-65	Blockade
10-66	Drag racing	10-67	Subject in custody
10-68	Mental subject	10-69	Detaining subject - Expedite
10-70	Fire alarm	10-71	Wanted/Stolen indicated
10-72	Larceny	10-73	Break-in
10-74	Robbery	10-75	Shooting
10-76	Assault	10-77	Vandalism
10-78	Request assistance	10-79	Prowler
10-80	Suspicious person	10-81	Missing person
10-82	Domestic problem	10-83	Crime in progress
10-84	Estimated time of arrival	10-85	Alarm
10-86	Out of vehicle - Available	10-87	Permission to leave patrol
10-88	Squad in vicinity	10-89	Escort
10-90	Prepare to copy	10-91	Return to ____
10-92	Delayed	10-93	Message received
10-94	General Broadcast	10-95	Prisoner
10-96	Breathalyzer operator	10-97	Test signal
10-98	Switch to regional channel	10-99	Traffic signal not working

SCHP Signals

Signal	Description	Signal	Description
Signal 1	Handle by mail	Signal 2	Delivered
Signal 3	Delivered	Signal 4	Changing channel/comm center
Signal 4	Use lights/siren	Signal 5	Permission to use patrol car
Signal 6	Permission to go to Columbia HQ	Signal 7	Send ___ to Columbia for vehicle
Signal 8	Permissionto go to Columbia HQ	Signal 9	Confidential investigation
Signal 10	Remain in vehicle/Stay in service	Signal 11	If not stolen, check owner disposition
Signal 12	No information available	Signal 13	Request to go out of service
Signal 14	Relay to local broadcast stations	Signal 15	Resume normal operations
Signal 16	Out of vehicle, radio on	Signal 17	Officer-initiated complaint
Signal 18	No further assistance needed	Signal 19	Do not use radio
Signal 20	Tower lights out	Signal 21	Visitors present
Signal 22	Zone assignment	Signal 24	Sex offender
Signal 26	Switch to channel 1	Signal 27	Switch to channel 2
Signal 28	Switch to channel 3	Signal 29	Switch to channel 5
Signal 30	Rape	Signal 31	Kidnapping
Signal 32	Homicide	Signal 33	Armed robbery
Signal 34	Strong-arm robbery	Signal 35	Burglary from vehicle
Signal 36	Animal complaint	Signal 37	Unlocked vehicle
Signal 38	Human error	Signal 39	Mechanical error
Signal 40	Residence check

Suspension Codes

Used by SCHP and many other LE agencies to indicate prior suspension causes.

**SC Cause Codes/Suspension Codes**
*S=Suspension. R=Revocation. C=Canceled.*
1	S	DUI-DUI permanent, SR-22, Reinstatement, ADSAP
2	S	Financial responsibility
3	S	Point
4	S	Reckless Driving
5	R	Leaving the scene of an accident
6	S	Failure to report an accident
7	C	False information-application
8	C	Physically disqualified
9	C	Failure to appear for re-exam
10	C	Minor signature withdrawal
11	R	Involuntary manslaughter
12	R	Reckless Homicide
13	S	DUS
14	S	Transporting illegal whiskey
15	R	Property tax
16	R	Racing uninsured
17	S	Driving uninsured
18	S	Failure to stop for blue light
19	R	False insurance certificate
20	S	Acquiescing in racing
22	S	Habitual offender
25	S	DUS (NRVC), fail to pay reinstat.
26	S	DUS (DUI)
28	S	Excessive points
33	S	CDL suspended
35	S	Minor in possession of alcohol
36	S	Drugs
37	S	Fail to stop for blue lights involving injury or death
38	S	Child support
39	S	Passing stopped school bus causing injury or death
40	R	Operating unlicensed taxi/vehicle
43		Owner Operating Uninsured
42		Cancellation of insurance
46		Non-owner operating uninsured
47		Accident-Uninsured motorist
53	S	False information on CDL
54	S	Alter/deface signs/signals
56	S	Implied consent<21
57	S	BAC=>.15
58	S	BAC =>.02 for those <21
60	S	Failure to file proof of insurance
68	S	Misrepresentation of identity
71	S	Felony in vehicle CDL
77	S	Accident default
78	S	FR accident (Failure to report)
79	S	Judgment
80	S	Dishonored Check
81	S	Failure to file FR-10
91	S	Implied consent
94	S	CDL operating while out of service
95	S	Felony DUI
97	S	NRVC (Failing to pay for tickets)
99	S	Departmental

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