The people have spoken: NC DMV tries fewer appointments, more walk-ins at its offices
The N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles wants to make it easier to get served at a driver’s license office without making an appointment.
Starting May 1, the DMV will see customers by appointment only in the mornings; after noon, customers will see a DMV agent on a first-come, first-served basis. Walk-in customers are also welcome in the mornings, but people with appointments will continue to take priority.
The move is a response to customer demand, says DMV Commissioner Wayne Goodwin. A growing number of people would rather not bother with an appointment, Goodwin says, noting that up to 25% of people who make one don’t show up.
“We’ve heard from the public that they want more walk-in availability, so that’s what we’re aiming to deliver,” Goodwin said in a statement. “I believe now is the time to better maximize potential efficiencies by allowing for more walk-in capability.”
Improving efficiency was the reason DMV began offering appointments in the first place. Plagued by long lines at its driver’s license offices four years ago, the agency rolled out a series of changes that included encouraging people to make appointments rather than just showing up.
During the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the DMV required appointments, to control crowding and reduce wait times. As the pandemic eased, the agency again began accepting walk-ins, but they must wait for an opening between customers with appointments.
The new system of afternoon walk-ins will apply to all of DMV’s 115 driver’s license offices statewide.
The DMV also says it will soon have a new tool to help customers decide whether to visit an office without an appointment. The web page that lists driver’s license offices will include an estimated wait time for each one so customers “can make the best decision on which office to go to, or whether to try again another day,” Goodwin said.
Other changes aimed at reducing wait times
The wait time estimator is one of several steps DMV is taking to try to reduce crowding and long lines. Last summer, the agency rolled out a system that allows customers to check in at a driver’s license office using QR codes on their phones, establishing their place in line and allowing them to wait elsewhere until they get a text letting them know it’s their turn.
Later this year, the DMV hopes to install the first computer kiosks in public places that allow customers to do DMV business that doesn’t require an office visit, such as renew a license. The DMV finds that more than half of customers are still visiting offices for transactions they could probably complete online.
The agency will start with up to 20 kiosks to see how they work, Goodwin said.
“My plan is to have these kiosks at various easily accessible, 24-hour locations like grocery stores and pharmacies by the end of the summer,” he said in a statement. “If the public responds well to this pilot program, then I plan to make even more kiosks available statewide. All with the goal of shorter lines and shorter wait times for persons requiring an in-person appointment.”
The new walk-in strategy takes effect just before the DMV’s busiest season, summer, when demand for new licenses is typically highest. The agency will again offer Saturday morning hours at 16 of its busiest offices from June 3 through Aug. 26.
In addition, starting May 1, the DMV will begin opening an hour earlier, at 7 a.m., at offices in Aberdeen, Graham, Kernersville, Mooresville and Washington. They will join 35 other offices that already open at 7 a.m., including several in the Triangle and the Charlotte area.
