Is it illegal to sleep at SC rest centers? Here’s what the law says

Taking road trips down South Carolina’s highways may leave you exhausted. It’s important to take breaks from driving and rest your eyes as needed, but where should you go?

There are a total of 19 rest areas in SC, and they’re all conveniently located near highways to give drivers a much-needed break. Since they’re supposed to be used to prevent tired driving, you might be tempted to take an overnight nap in your car. But is that allowed?

Some states have different laws regarding overnight stays on public property, so we took a look to see if SC law allows people to do so at rest centers. Here’s what we found:

Is sleeping at an SC rest center legal?

As far as we can find, no state law in SC prohibits the use of rest centers to sleep in your car.

While some rest areas might have signs from the SC Department of Transportation that say you can’t park overnight, camp or use the area for any group activities, nothing is stopping you from taking as much of a break as you need, even if that means closing your eyes and resting behind the wheel of a parked car.

Rest areas are open 24 hours a day and seven days a week, so if you need to take a break that lasts an entire night, you’re entitled to do so.

You might be told by security or workers to move it along if you’ve been parked in the same spot for more than several hours, so listen to the person in case that happens.

You’re also not allowed to set up a tent or anything else that indicates you’re camping or plan to stay an extended amount of time at the rest center.

For whatever reason, if you decide to camp on the side of a highway for more than 48 hours, you can be fined up to $100 or imprisoned for up to 30 days.

All of SC’s rest areas can be found here.