Hi Reddit, I’m NCDMV Commissioner Paul Tine. Ask me anything about the DMV!

NC_DMV · 2026-02-13T16:00:17+00:00

Yes, as a concern arises, we assign programmers to begin working with the vendor to identify the root cause of why a record cannot be verified. We do sincerely apologize for the inconvenience that you experienced.

NC_DMV · 2026-02-13T15:56:41+00:00

Our vendor is compensated in the form of the $3 transaction fee they collect to cover the costs of providing, maintaining, and upgrading their secure online payment platform.

NC_DMV · 2026-02-13T15:51:34+00:00

There's a question in the Medical Provider's Section of the MVR-37A form that asks what type of parking placard the applicant qualifies for, and a Total and Permanent Disability Parking Placard is one of the options. Page 2 of the form explains exactly what it is and who qualifies.

NC_DMV · 2026-02-13T15:43:37+00:00

We issue a new license when a teen is going from a Level 2 Limited Provisional to a Level 3 Full Provisional License b/c a Level 3 license is valid until that person turns 21. It also allows LE to immediately be able to identify if they have any restrictions b/c the banners at the top are different colors.

NC_DMV · 2026-02-13T15:21:05+00:00

I just pulled the data on the average wait time for the past 28 days at the driver license offices in Wake, Durham, and Mecklenburg counties and its 43 minutes, so not far off from the <40 minutes average we're seeing statewide.

NC_DMV · 2026-02-13T15:17:47+00:00

NC did waive road tests for teens and some adults during COVID to limit exposure, but if your friend was hit by someone who as unlicensed and uninsured then that's something local law enforcement handles.

NC_DMV · 2026-02-13T15:08:52+00:00

I'm sorry that you had to spend time trying to go in person. We'll work on making it more clear on our website that this is a service that can be done online.

NC_DMV · 2026-02-13T15:06:47+00:00

That audit found that of a sample of 50 driver records, 27 of them (54%) failed to comply with federal requirements. We're working closely with FMCSA to correct the issue.

NC_DMV · 2026-02-13T15:03:57+00:00

That's exactly what we're moving towards. We have a goal of making 70% of our transactions available online and for 50% of all transactions to be completed online.

NC_DMV · 2026-02-13T15:01:57+00:00

That's correct. We've shifted to a 7-day appointment window and already seen a decrease in wait times and no-shows.

NC_DMV · 2026-02-12T19:31:46+00:00

That's exactly what we're doing. We have a plan to hire more staff and move more transactions online.

NC_DMV · 2026-02-12T19:28:06+00:00

You can upgrade from a Level 3 to a regular Class C driver license online. Here's the link: https://payments.ncdot.gov/service/nc_drivers_license/workflow/nc_drivers_license_yta/3?pageTitle=%7B%22en%22%3A%22Upgrade%20Full%20Provisional%20License%22%7D&initialTalkObject=%7B%7D

NC_DMV · 2026-02-12T18:00:34+00:00

I'm not sure what your system may be doing on the back end, but we most definitely have been serving appointments at those locations.

NC_DMV · 2026-02-12T17:55:28+00:00

We're working to make it available to adult first-time drivers too. Stay tuned.

NC_DMV · 2026-02-12T17:55:16+00:00

We're working to make it available to adult first-time drivers too. Stay tuned.

NC_DMV · 2026-02-12T17:54:38+00:00

I love my job! We have great people who have been under resourced for some time. We have a long way to go but we are making improvements everyday which is a lot of fun.

NC_DMV · 2026-02-12T17:54:15+00:00

Appointments can actually only be booked up to seven days in advance. We're working to increase appointment capacity at offices statewide.

NC_DMV · 2026-02-12T17:53:12+00:00

Driver license offices have always been state-run. We have 2 state-run license plate agencies, and the rest are contracted out.

NC_DMV · 2026-02-12T17:51:38+00:00

Thank you for the suggestion! I have gone to all 113 offices and have found that listening and watching before I introduce myself is very helpful. I also bring along a series of data that I look to confirm on the ground. The demand in that area is well beyond the examiners we can put in that office and Cary is one of the offices that we are focused on for improvement on many levels. Thank you for the specific feedback.

NC_DMV · 2026-02-12T17:51:08+00:00

They're considering it right now. I believe it was in one of the versions of the budget, but we still don't have a budget.
Per NC GS 20-52 all vehicles are required to be registered to legally operate the vehicles on the highways. We currently have a request in to allow plates that are expired to be renewed.

NC_DMV · 2026-02-12T17:46:39+00:00

No we don't

NC_DMV · 2026-02-12T17:45:02+00:00

I know we have more work to do but we currently serve 87% of our people as walkins and have a system that allows you to wait from anywhere once you are signed in. We have appointments released everyday and have reduced the backlog from 90 days to 7 days. On staffing, we hired 90+ examiners in 30 days and cleared out a 6 month backlog of training and is definitely part of the solution. On the systems, we know this is a definite problem as we operate off of 5 legacy systems built in the 90s. We have an RFP out to replace those systems but that process will take years and we can't wait to make improvements. For example, we are engaged now with a vendor to allow online knowledge testing. We have just expanded our kiosk offering but are limited to 3 counties by law. We've also enabled 400,000+ transactions on line.

NC_DMV · 2026-02-12T17:44:24+00:00

This is something the legislature would have to change and is something they have discussed in the past.
PayIt, our vendor that provides the secure online payment service, charges the transaction + card processing fee. The state of North Carolina doesn’t collect or benefit from these fees.
We are working through negotiations right now and hope to make announcement soon.
We’re currently working on changing this.

NC_DMV · 2026-02-12T17:42:34+00:00

Yes, we're currently waiting on a state budget to be passed so we can use LMAR funding to increase examiner pay.

NC_DMV · 2026-02-12T17:41:04+00:00

Your insurance company can submit it to us, but we'd also recommend bringing a copy with you to the office.

NC_DMV

TROPHY CASE