North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles (NCDMV) Commissioner Paul Tine, along with NC Department of Transportation (NCDOT) Secretary Joey Hopkins, Gov. Josh Stein, and others, held a press conference Friday in Raleigh to discuss solutions that are underway to fix the longstanding issues that have affected the NCDMV for years.
The changes come amid pressure from lawmakers and the Office of the State Auditor in response to years of customer complaints about the state DMV. In the House budget out earlier this month, lawmakers took the first steps toward privatizing some services of the DMV arguing that the division “would be out of business if it were in the private sector.”
State Auditor Dave Boliek also recently told Carolina Journal in an exclusive interview that an audit of the DMV is nearing completion and should be ready very soon, adding that there are 14 auditors working on the project. At Friday’s press conference, officials thanked Boliek and his staff for their oversight, saying it will help identify areas for improvement and ensure that they are accountable to the public.
DMV: 3,900 people in line each morning
Hopkins said the DMV issues stem from a combination of factors, including a surge in population growth with over 2.5 million people moving to the state in the last 20 years, strained staffing levels, and the need for modernized systems.
Tine said that, on average, there are approximately 3,900 people in line each morning, with about 2,000 appointments scheduled online. Like a road under construction, fixing the process won’t happen overnight, but officials are promising a smoother ride ahead in the months and years to come.
“We pretty much all need the DMV in North Carolina, and what we want is for this organization to work for the people of North Carolina,” Stein, a Democrat, said. “We’ve heard today, and you all may know that from your own experiences, that there are serious problems at the DMV. People shouldn’t have to line up for hours at the DMV, or take days off work, or use their vacation time in order to get their driver’s license or whatever other business they need. DMV employees need better working conditions and more support.”
He said Tine is working on a plan so that customers can move through more efficiently, having a better website which will allow people to take advantage of more services online so they don’t have to come into the locations in the first place and having a fully staffed workforce, which is why he said he requested that the General Assembly appropriate 85 more positions for the DMV across the state as it is the third fastest growing state in the country.
Tine, who became the commissioner last month, has experience as a business owner, served two terms in the state House, co-chaired the Transportation Appropriations Committee, and served on the Joint Transportation Oversight Committee.
Since taking over the position, he has visited DMV offices across the state to get staff and customers’ input on what needs improvement.
“I’ve listened to staff and customers, and it’s informed the changes that I’m announcing today,” Tine said. “I’m supported in this effort by what I call Team DMV, and it starts with our staff. We’ve got a great staff who want to do a great job, but they haven’t been empowered to get there, whether it’s the systems, or the processes, or the facilities themselves, and so it’s my job and to support our staff to make sure that they have those resources moving forward.”
He said the agency has new core principles to promote problem-solving, including service, efficiency, agility, and accountability.
three pilot programs
Tine first discussed the early actions that he has taken, including looking at customer focus, which starts by owning the experience of a customer before they get to the front of the line. A major push is to check people’s paperwork to make sure it’s correct. They have had volunteers from inside the DMV to come back out in the field and interns to help with the process. There are also three pilot programs they are focusing on, including the East Raleigh DMV, about how to get people in and out of our offices as quickly as possible.
“We’ve learned some great lessons already, and we’ve seen some ways to reduce our wait time, and we’re going to be implementing those in the next couple of weeks,” he said.
52% of North Carolinians have a real ID
Tine said there are three levels through which people can move efficiently through the office, including examiners and their work, the phone system when people call and have questions, and the website, which has seen improvements.
In addition to the old website address, ncdot.gov/dmv, people can also access the website at ncdmv.gov.
Other improvements to the website include adding a Real ID tool on the front page. This tool allows people to determine if they currently need a Real ID, which is needed to fly or enter a federal government building unless they have a passport.
He stressed that if people don’t need one right now, they should wait until the backlog of people who immediately need one clears up.
Fifty-two percent of North Carolinians currently have a Real ID.
The website has also been revamped to clearly outline services that people need, such as obtaining a license and license renewal, registration and plates, and paying property taxes.
NCDMV can now also be found on social media, including Facebook.
Other improvements include:
- Twenty offices—four more than usual—will now offer Saturday hours.
- Staff have volunteered to return to field assignments to help manage summer lines.
- Open positions for a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and a Deputy Commissioner of Modernization.
- Development of a structured career path for examiners, including pay increases.
- Procurement of new equipment and distribution of updated uniforms.
DMV systems, which currently run on a Disk Operating System (DOS), were identified as a major issue—one that officials say will take three to four years to fully resolve. Additionally, they noted that the scanners also require significant upgrades. They are also looking at ways to change the appointment process and the training for road tests.
Long Way To Go
Tine said while they are heading in the right direction, there is a long way to go before things improve.
“These are just the first projects that we that we’re announcing,” Tine stated. “They’re not going to help the people that are standing in line today, they’re not going to help the people that are looking for appointments today, but know that we are working to fix those problems as we move forward. We have great people in the DMV, and my job is to empower them, but I’m asking for your patience during the summer while we make our changes.”
He said that as they make the changes, they may make some mistakes along the way, and ask for the public’s feedback, either by visiting the website, tagging them on social media, or calling their office.
The post With long lines, impending audit, NC officials pledge fixes to DMV first appeared on Carolina Journal.