NCDMV kiosks go live Wednesday at some Harris Teeter stores
Drivers can now renew their license and conduct other DMV business at select local grocery stores.
On Wednesday, new self-serve DMV kiosks became available at three Harris Teeter stores in Raleigh, Fayetteville and Charlotte.
The kiosks are located inside Harris Teeter stores in Brier Creek, 4221 Corners Parkway, Raleigh, and in Highland Center, 2800 Raeford Road, Fayetteville.
A third location is open in Charlotte in Riverbend Village, located at 4701 Smith Farm Road.
Similar kiosks are already in place in California, allowing drivers to renew their license or state ID, print a temporary ID certificate and even register to vote.
More kiosks could be coming at other locations across the state. The North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles plans to add seven additional kiosks in the first half of 2024 in grocery stores and other settings that are open for long stretches of the day.
The initiative is part of a pilot program.
"This will be a tremendous help," NCDMV Commissioner Wayne Goodwin said. "It gives our DMV customers another option of getting their DMV services without being in line."
Shoppers like Rudell Alexander and Carolyn Harris were eager to try the kiosk.
"I will encourage my friends to use it and try it out too," Alexander said.
"You can go in and do what you need to do," Harris added. "I don’t need to be more frustrated."
From new drivers to license renewal, North Carolinians dread delays at DMV
WRAL 5 On Your Side has reported for years on long waits for DMV services. Goodwin promised the kiosks as one solution for simple services a year ago.
- How to get a learner's permit in North Carolina: A comprehensive guide
- How to get a North Carolina driver's license: a comprehensive guide
The plan is for 20 kiosks across the state by the end of 2024 to help ease long wait times that plague North Carolina DMV offices.
In the summer of 2023, the DMV also added walk-in hours on Saturdays for some locations to help get people processed faster. Goodwin told WRAL that offices outside of Wake, Cumberland and Mecklenberg counties often have more available appointments, and he recommends that people use the state's on-line tool to make an appointment.
He also offered these tips:
- Book an appointment early. “Many canceled appointments become available on the website overnight, so be sure to check early in the morning,” Goodwin recommended.
- Consider walking in. Most offices start accepting walk-ins at noon.
- Avoid Mondays and Fridays. Those are the busiest days at the DMV.
- Use the DMV's Q-Anywhere app to check in, then shop, nap or wait in your car for your turn.
To decrease wait times, the NCDMV has filled 250 opened positions and modified wait times.
