Due to the large demand for DMV-related visits, students and adults of North Carolina have found it difficult to get appointments at their local facilities, leading state lawmakers to approve plans for new DMV centers. Many people have had to wait several months for their appointment dates due to issues like understaffing, small facilities and growing need for DMV related services. Walk-in visits that used to take a few hours have become all day events, with people having to wait many hours in line for testing. Even scheduled appointments are running longer, and in some cases their clientele have to be asked to reschedule when the staff are at max capacity for the day.
Maddie Edwards, a sophomore at FVHS, recently went to apply for her driver’s permit.
“We got there right at 8:00 and the line was wrapped around the building… we waited in line until around 4:00,” said Edwards.
Despite the lack of workers, Edwards explained that the staff were very friendly and understanding with her. She also added that the locations in more populated areas like Fuquay, Apex and Cary seem to be facing the most challenges.
Not all of the current experiences are bad, though, as Jillian Walden, a junior at FVHS, also visited the DMV a few weeks ago.
“I got there 15 minutes early. When I went inside, they checked my paperwork. I got a number and then in around 20 minutes I was up talking to someone to get my permit,” said Walden. She agreed with Edwards that not all the DMV locations are having this problem.
However, the issues aren’t going unseen, as Erin Paré, a southern Wake County representative, has made it her mission to help fix the many issues with the DMVs. She is working on creating a budget plan that will help with smaller wait times. Paré also stated that her budget plan will help the county afford more workers for the facilities, which she acknowledged to be a big contributing factor for the slower lines.
Paré has also proposed the idea that they use the old Fuquay-Varina Middle School as a larger DMV facility that can hold many more people and staff. In the meantime, there is talk of new construction happening on a bigger DMV building at WUNC.org. While there are no specific dates yet, the project is planned to help relieve some pressure on the smaller locations.
Edwards agreed with the new plans and she even said, “I think it’s a good idea as North Carolina is one of those populated states with there being lots of citizens and lots of people in the teen or adult ages. North Carolina has the funds and the ability to do so. I believe that is something they should have done a long time ago. The waits and the horror stories people have told from going in should not be what is accepted. That should be way beyond normal.”
Lawmakers have set out to resolve these issues with upcoming construction and budget planning. While these may take a while to finalize, they hope that this will bring them a step closer to shortening DMV lines, increasing staff efficiency and improving their service across the country.
