North Carolinians have long faced frustration with their local DMV offices, and government officials are now taking action to address the growing number of complaints.
As the state’s population rapidly increases — with approximately 347 people moving to North Carolina each day — the DMV is struggling to keep up with demand. Staffing is capped by the legislature at 568 employees, creating bottlenecks in service that result in long wait times, limited appointment availability, and general inaccessibility. In some cases, residents have been forced to drive with expired licenses due to an inability to secure renewal appointments.
House Bill 821 passed the House Rules Committee on Tuesday afternoon and may soon go to the House floor for a vote. The bill would give license holders a two-year grace period to renew their expired licenses to account for the state’s hold ups at DMV offices. The bill explicitly states: “The General Assembly finds that there is a backlog of drivers unable to renew their driver’s licenses in person. It is the intent of this act to eliminate that backlog.”
In North Carolina, drivers licenses are generally valid for up to eight years and can be renewed after expiration at any DMV office, self-service kiosks, or online. However, the convenience of online renewal is only allowed once every other time. Additionally, online appointments are becoming increasingly unavailable, as seen in the image below, prompting more individuals to resort to walk-ins.
In an attempt to cut down wait times, the NC DMV announced earlier this year that 42 additional offices across the state would open an hour earlier, extending the previous eight hours of operation to 10. The announcement was made by then-DMV Commissioner Wayne Goodwin, who said in a press release that he was “ecstatic” to be able to further expand service hours.
Despite these efforts, Goodwin faced criticism from lawmakers in a committee hearing earlier this year, prompting him to step down from his position. Former state Rep. Paul Tine was selected as the new commissioner last month. He described the need to reduce NC DMV wait times as “critical.”
In addition to staffing shortages and backlogs, some residents have encountered complete office closures without warning. One license plate agency (LPA) announced via a post on X this week that it would be closed for the week due to “vacation.” In response, House Speaker Destin Hall, R-Caldwell, publicly condemned the closure and called on the DMV’s new leadership to ensure better oversight. That same agency had also closed for a week last November when its operator retired.
Our citizens are using vacation days just to spend them at the DMV and this office is taking an ENTIRE WEEK off?? I’m optimistic that things will change under new leadership, but it’s clear we’re in desperate need of an overhaul. https://t.co/L4WYEbFhAO
— Speaker Destin Hall (@ncspeakerhall) May 12, 2025
Although License Plate Agencies (LPAs) in North Carolina are typically independently operated, they function under contract with the DMV to provide official state services. As such, the performance and customer experience at these agencies can directly influence public perception of the state’s motor vehicle services, even when the agencies themselves are privately run.
With a new commissioner in place, legislation moving forward, and an audit on the way, state officials are focusing energy on addressing mounting public frustration.