The N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) announced that all driver license offices across the state will serve walk-in customers all day.
Customers without an appointment no longer have to wait until noon to be seen.
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NCDMV announced these changes to help customers avoid long lines and prolonged exposure to the sun during the hot summer months. These changes aim to get lines moving, streamline check-in processes and enhance customer comfort while maintaining efficient service, the NCDMV says.
The changes to the check-in process are effective immediately at 82 of the 115 driver license offices around the state.
Examiners will prioritize checking in customers quickly and directing them to wait in their vehicles or at a nearby business until space is available in the office lobby. Customers will receive a text notification when there is room in the lobby and another when it is their turn to be served.
“We’re committed to making the DMV experience as comfortable and efficient as possible, especially during these scorching summer months,” said NCDMV Commissioner Paul Tine. “By focusing on quick check-ins and allowing customers to wait in cooler, shaded areas, we’re reducing time spent standing in the sun while keeping our offices running smoothly.”
People may begin to notice there are no lines outside some locations, and that’s intentional. Customers will be checked in and waiting elsewhere, ensuring a more comfortable experience.
However, the NCDMV encourages customers to come prepared for the possibility of a wait -- to be checked in, to be called to the lobby, and to have their business completed. The DMV encourages customers to bring water, snacks, necessary medications and items like an umbrella or chair to ease that wait.
NCDMV also reminds customers to check the requirements for their specific service on the NCDMV.gov website before visiting an office to avoid delays.
NCDMV offices that regularly offering walk-in service on Saturday mornings will be closed for the next two Saturdays (June 28 and July 5). Saturday service hours will resume at all 20 locations on July 12 and go through Aug. 23.
Meanwhile, customers like Lonzetta Marshall are searching for silver linings in the oppressive heat while waiting outside a Durham DMV.
"I trust in God," she said. "But this wait, it reminds me I don't wanna go to hell."
All NCDMV offices will be closed on July 4 for Independence Day.