By Jordan Meadows
Staff Writer
North Carolina’s Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is facing a mounting service crisis, according to a performance audit released by State Auditor Dave Boliek on Monday evening.
The report, based on visits to DMV offices, staff interviews, and data analysis, found that customer service has significantly worsened in recent years. Average wait times at DMV offices have increased by 15.5% since 2019, with customers now waiting an average of 1 hour and 15 minutes for service.
Even more concerning, nearly 14% of all visits now exceed two and a half hours — a 79% jump from 2019. These wait times do not include time spent outside waiting in line before checking in, meaning the actual customer burden may be even greater.
"Our audit team has worked hard to find opportunities where the DMV can course correct and effectively serve North Carolina citizens,” Boliek said.
The audit highlights that nearly half of DMV customers are bypassing their nearest office, often traveling long distances to find more availability. In rural regions, 14% of customers who go outside their local service area are driving more than an hour.
Staffing shortages are a central issue. The DMV currently has about 160 vacant driver license examiner positions statewide. Despite North Carolina’s population growing by 2.5 million people over the past two decades, only 52 new examiner positions have been added during that time.
In some locations, the situation is dire. For instance, in Harnett County’s Lillington office, one examiner is responsible for more than 56,000 residents. Other overburdened locations include Fuquay-Varina (4 examiners), Durham East (6), Raeford (2), Clayton (3), Cary (9), and Laurinburg (1).
DMV leadership reports that since January 2025, only 62–75% of all examiners have been available on any given day due to vacancies and unplanned absences, such as sick leave tied to burnout.
Morale among DMV employees is also alarmingly low. Only 4% of employees feel the agency fosters open communication, while 43% express negative views about leadership. Average examiner salaries remain under $50,000 annually. Workers cited burnout, security risks, and a lack of adequate training as persistent problems.
The audit also underscored the DMV’s limited influence within the North Carolina Department of Transportation (DOT), where it operates as a division. Despite generating 30% of the DOT’s revenue, the DMV receives just 2.8% of its total expenditures. Furthermore, only 31% of the DMV’s staffing requests were included in DOT’s official budget proposals. The report finds that the DMV was excluded from key phases of DOT’s planning and procurement processes, limiting its ability to invest in operations and improvements.
To address the crisis, Auditor Boliek and his office issued several key recommendations. Foremost among them is a call to make the DMV an autonomous agency with full control over its own budget, staffing, and strategic direction.
"It’s time to solve the DMV problem. North Carolina has the will and the tools to make our DMV better. Our audit lays out some concrete steps to begin the process to fix the DMV," added Boliek.
Other proposals include developing an independent five-year strategic plan, conducting a comprehensive staffing analysis, converting temporary roles into permanent ones, adjusting pay structures, and building a real-time dashboard to monitor wait times, satisfaction, and staffing levels at DMV offices across the state. Improvements to the DMV’s outdated information technology systems were also emphasized as a critical step toward reducing customer backlogs.
The report also encouraged innovative customer service strategies, such as eliminating the current appointment-only system, dedicating specific days for certain appointment types, reducing fees for online transactions to encourage digital use, and hosting more pop-up DMV events in underserved areas.
DMV Commissioner Paul Tine responded to the audit with a statement acknowledging the findings and committing to several of the proposed changes. He noted that the agency is in the process of recruiting 97 new driver license examiners over the next two years and is developing a five-year strategic plan to be completed by December 1, 2025. Additional improvements include website upgrades, a text-based system for walk-in customers, and enhanced REAL ID tools aimed at streamlining service delivery.
Auditor Boliek concluded that reform is not just necessary — it is urgent.
“The DMV is at that level of emergency in the state of North Carolina. Because our DMV affects the economy,” he said.
The audit recommends that the DMV and DOT jointly develop a transition plan toward autonomy within six months, with biannual progress reports delivered to both the General Assembly and the Governor’s Office.
