Gov. Josh Stein says wait times at the Division of Motor Vehicles are improving thanks to additional staffing and a new state law that moves more DMV transactions online.
The governor announced Monday that DMV has already filled 64 new driver's license examiner positions funded earlier this year. He says 95% of jobs are now filled.
"We know that we still have a very long way to go to make people's DMV experiences smoother, speedier and less stressful, and we are going to keep at it, but let's recognize these improvements and keep looking for ways to do even better," he said during a news conference Monday.
Stein praised a new state law that allows thousands of drivers to get their licenses renewed online. The law, approved by the legislature last month, allows people to renew their driver's license online if they got a new license photo during their last DMV transaction.
It would also allow some drivers getting a full provisional license to do that online without submitting a driving log. Under current law, teen drivers seeking to move up from a limited provisional license requires a driving log that shows they've logged 12 hours of driving time.
"In the first two weeks of this policy, more than 18,000 people have renewed their licenses online," he said. "That's 18,000 people who couldn't have done so before — 18,000 people who otherwise would have had to go to a DMV office, adding to the length of the lines there."
DMV Commissioner Paul Tine says it's no longer necessary to arrive early in the morning before offices open. Most offices are now able to take walk-in customers through mid-morning or longer.
"You do not have to have an appointment to come into the DMV, we serve over 87% of our people as walk-ins at our offices," Tine said. "You do not have to come in early in the morning. This only makes your wait longer. We generally do not hit capacity at our offices before 9 or 10 each morning, and many offices do not hit capacity until long after that."
Tine says the DMV is also working to speed up its training process for new hires, and it's adding faster document scanners that can shave time off each transaction.
New aviation workforce training program
Also announced at Stein's Monday news conference, Fayetteville Tech Community College is creating a new training program for aviation technicians with funding from GE Aerospace. The company is contributing $500,000 to the effort.
The program will train military service members transitioning to civilian work as aircraft mechanics. Stein says he hopes the program will help veterans stay in North Carolina working in the state's aviation industry.
"Supporting those who served also strengthens North Carolina's aerospace future," said Christian Meisner, chief human resources officer for GE Aerospace. "The new effort will help service members returning to civilian life earn their FAA Airframe and Powerplant license, helping dozens and dozens per year. The new program comes at a time where the industry is still short about 5,000 mechanics."
