Get ready for long lines at North Carolina DMV offices this summer as pandemic delays and economic forces bring record demand for licenses.
The state Division of Motor Vehicles is anticipating an unusually high level of activity this summer.
The DMV will be open on Saturdays and the agency is opening new offices, expanding hours and hiring new license examiners to address the high demand.
Division of Motor Vehicles Commissioner Torre Jessup urged motorists to conduct business online if they can.
Officials say summer is usually the busiest season at the DMV, but many people have waited to get vaccinated before completing transactions, the division said in a news release. Numerous vacancies and driving backlogs are also factors contributing to the high volume.
The COVID-19 pandemic also delayed thousands of teenagers in completing in-person driving tests to obtain their provisional licenses. And the agency's job vacancy rate remains high because of the state's strong job market, according to the DMV.
The DMV is encouraging people who must complete in-person business to schedule appointments, or wait to come in until after Labor Day.
WUNC’s Naomi Prioleau contributed to this report.