A new bill in the North Carolina General Assembly would provide some relief for North Carolina residents that have been struggling with long wait time at the state’s Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
Rep. Keith Kidwell, R-Beaufort; Rep. Jay Adams, R-Catawba; and Rep. Mike Schietzelt, R-Wake, introduced House Bill 821, which seeks to provide temporary relief by allowing drivers to legally operate vehicles with an expired Class C driver’s license for up to two years. Class C licenses are the most common type in the state and are held by the vast majority of North Carolina drivers.
“At the General Assembly, we’re getting a lot of complaints from constituents, that they cannot get into the DMV get licenses renewed,” Kidwell told the Carolina Journal. “In some cases, it’s taking 2-3 months to get appointments or more.”
The proposal comes as the DMV faces intense scrutiny from both the public and government watchdogs. The North Carolina Office of the State Auditor has launched a full-scale audit of the agency, investigating widespread service delays that lawmakers have attributed to chronic understaffing and systemic inefficiencies. The DMV is among the most frequently criticized state agencies, according to legislative leaders.
“This is not a fix, this is a stopgap measure to accommodate the needs of North Carolinians,” said Adams. “Residents shouldn’t be punished for the state’s backlog. This bill is about giving everyday drivers some breathing room while we work to fix the DMV’s deeper problems.”
Contributing to the surge in demand for DMV services are two major factors: the rapid population growth in North Carolina and the May 7th REAL ID deadline. In response, the DMV has expanded hours at 42 of its office locations. Many offices are now operating up to 10 hours a day in an attempt to accommodate the influx of appointments and walk-ins. Most offices offer scheduled appointments from 7 a.m.-12 p.m., and walk-in customers from 12 p.m.-5 p.m.
Former state Rep. Paul Tine, now serving as Commissioner of the DMV, emphasized the need to reduce wait times after recently stepping into the role.
As of publication according to the online DMV appointment scheduler, not a single DMV office in the state has an appointment time open.
For additional details on READ ID requirements and online DMV appointments, visit www.ncdot.gov
The post House bill seeks temporary solution to DMV backlogs first appeared on Carolina Journal.