Governor Stein’s June Column: Driving into a Great Summer

This month Governor Josh Stein is sharing tips for a smooth DMV experience. Media outlets are invited to publish the column below from Governor Stein.

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School is out, which means summer vacations, family road trips, and long-awaited time at the swimming pool. It also means one of the busiest times of the year at the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles. The good news is that our team at the DMV has been hard at work building tools to help customers get in, get out, and get on with their day. Here are a few tips for having the best DMV experience possible this summer.

Check the wait before you go. One of the easiest ways to save time is to check live wait times before heading to an office. At VisitDMV.NC.Gov, you can now check live wait times at driver license offices near you and pick which office is best for you.

Wait from anywhere. Just like a restaurant where you can put down your name for a table and then order a drink next door, the DMV now allows customers to wait from anywhere. Arrive, sign in, leave your phone number for alerts, and go about your day until your number gets called.

No paper? No problem. NCDMV now allows customers to upload insurance documents, proof-of-address materials, and teen driver logs directly from their phones. So if you already have the paperwork that you need electronically, you don't need to print it. And if you realize you forgot a form but have it on your phone, your DMV visit can still proceed. Note: Following federal law, original identity documents (think birth certificates and Social Security cards) are still required to be presented in hand.

Skip the line. Do it online! Perhaps the most important tip is to complete transactions online whenever possible. Thanks to recent changes in state law, more than 250,000 North Carolinians have completed transactions online that previously required an office visit. Before making a DMV visit, figure out whether your transaction can take place from the comfort of your home.

We have made a lot of progress at the NCDMV, and it has been a team effort all along the way. Wait times are down 87% from spring 2025 to an average of 23 minutes, and customers are finding appointments sooner. We have added 64 new Driver License Examiner positions around the state and opened new offices in Garland and Leland, with additional locations planned for Fuquay-Varina, Cabarrus County, and Fort Bragg. I thank team DMV for its hard work, Commissioner Tine for his leadership, and the General Assembly for its partnership in making these results possible.

There is always more work to do, and we remain focused on the job at hand. In preparation for the summer rush, NCDMV is making more appointments available, speeding up transactions, and expanding online service options. We are recruiting even more Driver License Examiners and modernizing the DMV's technology. And my 2026-27 budget proposal calls for even more funding for additional examiners, more administrative staff, and new offices. These investments would help ensure DMV services keep pace with our state's growth.

I'm proud of the progress we've made, and we are committed to continuous improvement. We are always looking for ways to better serve North Carolinians, and we welcome new ideas to help us deliver a faster, more convenient, and more customer-focused DMV experience. By following these tips, you will be able to hit the road faster than ever this summer.

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