Governor Stein Celebrates Ribbon Cutting of New DMV Office in Brunswick County

Today Governor Josh Stein and N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles Commissioner Paul Tine celebrated the opening of a new driver license office in Brunswick County. This location will serve as a temporary office while a permanent office is constructed in Leland, and it is the second of four new DMV offices opening as a result of House Bill 125, which the Governor signed into law in August. NCDMV opened a new office in Garland in December and has plans to open two more offices in Fuquay-Varina and Cabarrus County later this year.

"New DMV offices mean shorter lines and faster service," said Governor Josh Stein. "We're making steady progress to improve the DMV experience statewide, and I'm grateful to team NCDMV for its efforts to create an experience that helps North Carolinians get in, get out, and get on with their day. But we know we have more work to do."

"I want to thank Governor Stein and the General Assembly for their support," said NCDMV Commissioner Paul Tine. "We've made significant progress, leading to shorter wait times and better service statewide, but we have much work ahead to become the exceptional customer service organization outlined in our Strategic Plan, and we're committed to that vision."

Brunswick County is the fastest-growing county by percentage in North Carolina and the eleventh fastest growing county in the country. Governor Stein's visit to the new office at the N.C. Department of Transportation's Belville Bridge Yard comes as NCDMV continues to improve customer service statewide. To further shorten lines and reduce job vacancies, Governor Stein signed Senate Bill 245 in September, allowing more than 175,000 North Carolinians to complete transactions remotely in just over four months instead of having to visit a DMV office and lengthen everyone's wait time. NCDMV also added and filled 64 new driver license examiner positions with additional funding approved last summer.

At the press conference, Governor Stein announced a new DMV feature: estimated wait times online. Effective immediately, this tool empowers North Carolinians to make more informed decisions about when and where to visit an office for services such as driver license renewals, replacements, or new issuances. Customers can use the feature at the visitDMV.nc.gov.

Additionally, the agency cleared a months-long training backlog through updated and expanded classes in the Driver License Examiner Basic School, including the largest graduating class in the agency's history. As a result, vacancy rates have dropped below 5 percent statewide, improving service for customers across North Carolina.

Learn more about NCDMV's new Strategic Plan and updated Staffing Plan.

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