You no longer need to wonder how long you’ll have to wait at NC DMV license offices
If you’re planning to go to a DMV driver’s license office and are wondering how long you might have to wait, you can now find out before you go.
The N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles has begun posting current wait times at all 115 of its driver’s license offices statewide. The times are for walk-in customers — those without appointments — and shows the average time they can expect to wait from when they check in to when they’re called up.
DMV Commissioner Wayne Goodwin says the online wait-time information can help customers “make an informed decision on which office to go to, or whether to try again another day.”
The new tool is part of a broader effort to make it easier to show up at a driver’s license office without an appointment. Starting this month, the agency sees customers with appointments only in the mornings; after noon, customers see a DMV agent on a first-come, first-served basis. Walk-in customers are also welcome in the mornings, but people with appointments take priority.
For those who do have a wait ahead of them, the DMV has a system that allows customers to check in at a driver’s license office using QR codes on their phones. That establishes their place in line and allows them to wait elsewhere until they get a text letting them know it’s their turn.
You can see the average wait times by clicking on or hovering over the icon for each office on the DMV locator map at www.ncdot.gov/dmv/offices-services/locate-dmv-office/. The service is not available for the 127 license plate offices, which are operated by private contractors.
This story was originally published May 10, 2023 at 4:37 PM with the headline "You no longer need to wonder how long you’ll have to wait at NC DMV license offices."
