NCDMV announces new Examiner Staffing Plan to reduce wait times, bring services closer to home

ROCKY MOUNT — The North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles today unveiled an Examiner Staffing Plan designed to improve customer service by aligning staff resources with where North Carolinians live and need service the most.

The plan, part of NCDMV’s broader transformation into an exceptional customer-service organization, will increase staffing at 56 driver license offices across the state, ensure every service terminal is staffed daily in the 19 highest-need locations, and expand operating hours at eight part-time offices in underserved areas.

“North Carolinians shouldn’t have to drive across town or wait hours for basic driver license services,” said NCDMV Commissioner Paul Tine. “This plan puts people first by bringing more staff and more open terminals to the communities where demand is greatest, while making the best possible use of our existing resources.” 

Key findings that drove the plan include: 

• Nearly half of all customers currently bypass their closest office to seek service elsewhere. 
• Average statewide wait times exceed 1 hour and 50 minutes, with some offices regularly seeing waits of three hours or more.

In an analysis of all 113 driver license offices, NCDMV grouped demand by the office closest to where customers live, calculated required staffing hours for each location, and adjusted for space constraints, extreme wait times, proximity to relief, and special populations such as military communities. 

Highlights of the plan include: 

• Increasing examiner positions at 56 offices to meet local demand 
• Guaranteeing all service terminals are staffed every day at the 19 offices with the greatest need, using relief staff when necessary 
• Adding service hours at eight part-time offices in rural and underserved areas 
• Reallocating a small portion of existing positions (under 10% statewide) from lower-demand to higher-demand offices, while directing all new hires to the locations with the greatest need. 
• Planning future investments in new or expanded facilities where current buildings cannot accommodate needed growth 

“This is not a one-time fix, but the start of an ongoing, data-driven process,” Commissioner Tine added. “We will continue monitoring wait times, transaction trends, and customer feedback to refine staffing and service delivery for years to come.”

Implementation will be phased to minimize disruption to customers and employees and changes will be reversed if customer experience is negatively impacted. A future report will address long-term real estate needs and specialized services such as commercial driver license and motorcycle testing.

Customers are encouraged to use NCDMV’s growing menu of online services at NCDMV.gov to skip the trip altogether for their transaction, including license and ID renewals, duplicates, and address changes.