The North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles is finally moving away from its decades-old computer system.
The tech upgrade is one of several new strategies DMV is using to try and cut down on notoriously long waiting times at its offices. Problems at the agency have drawn attention from lawmakers in the General Assembly, Democratic Gov. Josh Stein, and Republican State Auditor Dave Boliek.
This week, DMV announced it awarded a $84.8 million contract to Kyndryl, an information technology-focused spinoff of IBM. The company has modernized DMV systems in Arizona and Wyoming and is working on upgrades in Virginia.
North Carolina uses five separate systems, tied to mainframe computers that were installed in the early 1990s. Kyndryl will move all that data to a single, cloud-based platform called NCMAX.
"I'm excited for the future of our agency with this partnership. This was the best deal for taxpayers, and I'm confident NCMAX will deliver a significantly better experience for both our customers and our dedicated staff," DMV Commissioner Paul Tine said in a statement.
Kyndryl's system in Arizona, known as AZMVDNOW, allows drivers to begin the license application process online. Motorists can also obtain their driving records and order specialty license plates. A Tucson nonprofit worked with Kyndryl to create a mobile kiosk that provided easy access to photo IDs for people experiencing homelessness, according to NPR member station KJZZ. Arizona was also one of the first states to issue digital driver's licenses and ID cards.
The North Carolina DMV will be able to offer these services once the Kyndryl update is finished. It will take about two years for the agency's driver services to switch to the new system, while vehicle services will be online in three years, according to DMV spokesman Marty Homan.
DMV has been working to reduce long lines at its driver's license offices, especially in fast-growing counties in the Triangle and the Charlotte areas. In 2024, lawmakers ordered a report looking into the pros and cons of privatizing DMV services. That report singled out the mainframe computer system as a source for customer bottlenecks. State Auditor Dave Boliek released an audit last year that recommended splitting DMV from the North Carolina Department of Transportation. The report also found low staff morale and high turnover.
New leadership has made waiting times a priority. Paul Tine, a former state lawmaker, was named DMV Commissioner in April 2025. "We have about 120 projects that we're working on right now," Tine said in an interview with the WUNC Politics Podcast.
These include new ways to schedule appointments and a tracker on the DMV website with estimated office wait times. New offices are open in Wake, Cabarrus, Sampson, and Brunswick counties. DMV is also installing self-service kiosks at supermarkets in the Triangle, Charlotte, and Fayetteville.
