Temperatures in the Triangle could feel up to 100 degrees this weekend. Yet, people continue to bear the heat and wait in long lines outside the DMV during Saturday hours—despite statements from the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles (NCDMV) that these new hours would cut wait times.
Tracy, a local resident, waited in line at the DMV office at Avent Ferry Road in Raleigh, where she had been waiting over two hours.
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She said she only wanted to get her license renewed, a process that began back in April.
She tried to renew it online, but was redirected to call after she couldn’t. She then called the DMV to get an appointment, to which they responded there were no available appointments and insisted she keep calling until she could.
A new state law now in effect allows a two-year grace period for driver's licenses that expire starting July 1, 2025.
It’s just one of many changes at the NCDMV aimed at cutting down long lines. But at many offices, those lines are still as long as ever.
Tracy said she was finally able to get one appointment—in August in Winston Salem.
Frustrated with the lack of appointment flexibility, Tracy decided to get up early Saturday, July 12 and wait in line at the DMV to get her license renewed. She said she already has a REAL ID, she had no points on her license, she had everything she needed to get her license renewed.
She said she was #140 in line, and even met a man who had been in line since 1:30 a.m. As of her statement to WRAL News at around 9 a.m., she and many others still wait in line, as temperatures start to creep into the upper 80s.
“I have friends that have been staying overnight in their cars because they can’t get an appointment,” said Tracy. “This is absolutely ridiculous that we have to do this, especially people like me who have their REAL ID and do not need anything other than just a renewal. I don’t understand why we all have to do this.”
In late June, the NCDMV announced that all driver license offices across the state will serve walk-in customers all day.
Before that, the department announced that some offices will start to offer walk-in services on Saturdays to open up more flexibility. Offices were closed on June 28 and July 5, but resumed July 12 and will continue to be offered until August 23.
These new changes barely fixed anything, according to many frustrated people.
Back in June, a business owner near the DMV office on Spring Forest Road said that in previous years, that office had been open for summer Saturday walk-ins.
But when a father and a daughter waited in line outside the office, they regretfully came to find out that the store stopped offering those hours, despite a sign that listed hours showing Saturday being open from 8 a.m. to noon.
N.C. State Auditor Dave Boliek said in a news release that the NCDMV needs to focus more on improving its workforce situation — including staffing and personnel flexibility — to improve customer service.
Without addressing the DMV's workforce challenges, Boliek said, North Carolinians will continue to experience service delays, excessive wait times, and require multiple visits to driver license offices. He said he’s shared the findings with legislative leaders, who approve the state budget, and Gov. Josh Stein, who oversees the division.
In a one-on-one interview with WRAL 5 On Your Side, newly appointed DMV Commissioner Paul Tine promised shorter wait times and fewer headaches for North Carolinians in need of DMV services.
“It’s going to get better,” he said. “I wouldn’t be in the job if I didn’t believe I could make a serious impact.”