South Carolina Accident Reports: Highway Patrol, TR-310 and FR-50
Who has your crash report, what drivers must report, insurance rules and traffic deaths in South Carolina.
I-95 runs through the state from the Georgia line to the North Carolina line, while I-26 covers 221 miles between the North Carolina line and Charleston. Meanwhile, I-85 carries traffic across the Upstate, I-20 comes in from Georgia and ends at I-95 in Florence, and I-77 runs north from Cayce to the North Carolina line.
With so many major routes crossing the state, crashes can happen anywhere, and figuring out who handled the scene is an important first step. South Carolina Highway Patrol troopers cover highways and interstates across all 46 counties, while city police departments and county sheriffs handle crashes in their jurisdictions, too. Where your crash happened often determines which agency prepared the report and where you need to go to get a copy.
Who Has Your South Carolina Crash Report
South Carolina Highway Patrol accident reports are sold by the SC Department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV). The Department of Public Safety, which runs the Highway Patrol, sends requesters to SCDMV for a copy of the TR-310, the officer’s South Carolina Traffic Collision Report.
Inside a city, crashes go to the city police department. Outside city limits, state law points drivers to the county sheriff or the nearest Highway Patrol office, and whichever agency investigates writes the report.
Online: use the SCDMV collision report request. You enter your personal details to verify your identity, then the crash details. Reports for crashes before March 22, 2012 cannot be ordered online, and drivers with an out-of-state license or no SCDMV customer number should call SCDMV at 803-896-5000.
By mail or in person: fill out Form FR-50, Request for Copy of Collision Report. It costs $10 per report. At any SCDMV branch, you can pay by cash, card, check, or money order. By mail, send a check or money order payable to SCDMV, with both pages signed and two copies of the form, to SC Department of Motor Vehicles, Titles Mail-in Unit FR-50, PO Box 1498, Blythewood, SC 29016-0050.
SCDMV says anyone involved in a collision may request the report. The FR-50 finds the crash by its FR-10 number, case number, date, county, and driver details. Officers must send their report to SCDMV within 24 hours of finishing the investigation, and a copy is not available until SCDMV has received and processed it.
Photos, video, and fatal crash files from the Highway Patrol come from the SCDPS FOIA Office, PO Box 1993, Blythewood, SC 29016. Its posted fees include $20 for a fatality packet and $20 for photographs from one incident.
Don’t want to fill out the FR-50, or not sure which agency took your report? We can get a copy of your report for you at no cost.
Police Reports From South Carolina Cities
City police departments release their own reports, so start with the agency that responded to your crash. A few examples:
| Department | How to request | Fee |
| Anderson Police Department | Records Division request form; the department sends an invoice, and the report is released once it is paid | Free to people involved; $8.50 for others |
| Columbia Police Department | In person at the Records Unit, 1 Justice Square (Lincoln and Washington streets), with photo ID, weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; or mailed to the address on the report after verification. No email, fax, or phone requests | $3 per report |
| North Charleston Police Department | Online through the Accident Reports link on the department’s website | Not posted |
Columbia police use an alternate response for crashes on private property, and officers still come out when someone is hurt or killed, when a driver leaves the scene, when impairment is suspected, or when there is a disturbance.
What South Carolina Drivers Must Report
Under South Carolina Code section 56-5-1260, the driver in a crash that injures or kills anyone must notify police immediately, by the quickest means available. Drivers must also stop, give their name, address, and vehicle registration, show their license, and give reasonable aid to anyone hurt under sections 56-5-1210 to 56-5-1230.
Leaving the scene of a crash that damages an attended vehicle is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail, and leaving an injury or fatal crash carries heavier penalties that rise with the harm.
When no officer investigates a crash that caused injury, death, or at least $1,000 in total property damage, the owner or driver has a written report to file. South Carolina Code section 56-5-1270 requires that report, Form FR-309, with proof of liability insurance, to be filed with the SCDMV within 15 days. Your insurance agent completes one section of the form, and Columbia Police lists the mailing address as SCDMV Financial Responsibility, PO Box 1498, Blythewood, SC 29016-0040.
Skipping the FR-309 is treated as evidence that the vehicle was uninsured. If the driver cannot report, another person in the vehicle must, and an owner who was not driving has five days after learning of the crash under section 56-5-1280.
South Carolina Insurance Rules After a Crash
Every South Carolina policy must carry at least $25,000 for injury to one person, $50,000 per crash, and $25,000 for property damage under South Carolina Code section 38-77-140. Uninsured motorist coverage is required at the same limits, plus at least $25,000 for property damage, though the policy may exclude the first $200 of that loss under section 38-77-150. Insurers must offer underinsured motorist coverage up to your liability limits, and you choose whether to buy it under section 38-77-160.
Claims after a crash turn on fault. Liability coverage pays for injuries and damage the policyholder causes to others, and an injured person can recover from the other driver if their own negligence is not greater than that driver’s. The South Carolina Supreme Court set that rule for claims arising on or after July 1, 1991.
SCDMV checks coverage electronically and can suspend a registration and license when it lapses. A driver ticketed for having no insurance has 30 days to show proof to avoid suspension, and reinstatement costs $100.
South Carolina Traffic Deaths by the Numbers
| Measure | Figure | Year | Source |
| People killed in traffic crashes | 946 (preliminary) | 2025 | SCDOT and SC Department of Public Safety |
| People killed in traffic crashes | 1,040 | 2024 | SCDPS Traffic Collision Fact Book |
| Total reported collisions | 143,801 | 2024 | SCDPS Traffic Collision Fact Book |
| Motorcyclists killed | 134 | 2024 | SCDPS Traffic Collision Fact Book |
| Deaths in crashes with an alcohol-impaired driver | 417 (40%) | 2024 | NHTSA |
SCDOT and SCDPS put the preliminary 2025 count 21% below the 1,198 deaths recorded in 2021. The Department of Public Safety posts its year-to-date count daily, so this year’s figure keeps moving.
South Carolina Crash Guides by City and County
At Local Accident Reports, we cover crashes across the whole of the States, going county by county and then city by city. From car crashes and motorcycle wrecks to commercial and residential fires, we report on accidents happening in communities across the nation.
South Carolina is no exception. With 46 counties and 71 cities, there is always something happening on the state’s roads and in its communities. Our goal, however, goes beyond reporting when and where an accident occurred. We also want to help drivers and commuters get to know the places they travel through, including the major roads, busy routes, and dangerous intersections they may encounter along the way.
Here, you can find the latest accident reports from counties and communities across South Carolina, along with guides to some of the state’s most important cities. Whether you are looking for information about a recent crash or want to learn more about the roads you use every day, we aim to help you stay informed.
City crash guides: Anderson, SC
County accident news: Spartanburg County · Horry County · Greenville County · Richland County · Lexington County · Anderson County · Charleston County · Florence County
Statewide intersection coverage is on our South Carolina intersections page.
Help After a Crash
- Local Accident Reports. After a crash, we can connect you with local help, from doctors and body shops to injury attorneys. Contact our team.
- South Carolina Crime Victim Compensation Run by the Attorney General’s Crime Victim Services Division, it may consider claims from people hurt or killed in DUI crashes, reckless driving or reckless homicide cases, and hit-and-runs. The crime must be reported to police within 48 hours, and the claim filed within 180 days, though both can be waived for good cause.
- Highway Patrol Office of Victim Services Gives case updates, court information, referrals, and help applying for compensation to victims of DUI, hit-and-run, reckless driving, and reckless homicide crashes.
- MADD Free support for people hurt by drunk or drugged drivers and their families. 24-hour help line: 877-MADD-HELP (877-623-3435).
- 911. Call 911 any time for support after an accident.
- Trauma care. The Department of Public Health posts information on the state’s trauma system on its South Carolina Trauma System page.
South Carolina Crash Questions
How do I get a South Carolina Highway Patrol accident report?
Order it from the SC Department of Motor Vehicles. Crashes from March 22, 2012, on can be requested online at scdmvonline.com after you verify your identity. You can also send Form FR-50 by mail or bring it to any SCDMV branch, at $10 per report. People involved in the crash may request a copy once SCDMV has processed the officer’s report.
What is the FR-10 form in South Carolina?
The Department of Public Safety calls the FR-10 the Mandatory Insurance Verification Form. Its number is one of the details the FR-50 request form uses to find a crash report at SCDMV. If you lost yours, contact the Highway Patrol troop office for the area where the crash happened. The driver report due within 15 days for crashes no officer investigated is a separate form, the FR-309.
Is South Carolina a no-fault state?
South Carolina claims follow fault. Required coverage is liability insurance, which pays others for injuries and damage the policyholder causes, plus uninsured motorist coverage. An injured person can recover from the driver who caused the crash as long as their own negligence is not greater than that driver’s, under the rule the state Supreme Court set in 1991.
How long do I have to file a car accident claim in South Carolina?
Three years for injury claims and three years from the date of death for wrongful death claims under South Carolina Code section 15-3-530. For claims against a state agency, city, or county, the Tort Claims Act requires a lawsuit within two years, or within three years if you first file a verified claim, which must be received within one year under sections 15-78-80 and 15-78-110.
Recent South Carolina Crash Coverage
Fatal Crash on Carl Baker Rd in Starr, SC
Fatal Pedestrian Crash on Savannah Hwy in Charleston, SC
Fatal House Fire on Maple St in Rock Hill, SC
Crash Closes Weber Blvd in North Charleston, SC
One Hospitalized in House Fire on Deborah Ln in Greenville, SC
The full archive is at South Carolina accident news, and recent accident alerts track new crashes nationwide as they come in.
Local Accident Reports compiles this information from public agency sources and published reports for general reference. It is not legal advice and is not an official police record. Fees, forms and deadlines change, so confirm with the agency before you send a request. Last updated October 2026.