Your DMV is a cruel joke, North Carolina

[Goodheart]

I mean... are you fucking serious?

Moved here to Charlotte from out of state two weeks ago. Changed my insurance coverage to North Carolina, the agent told me I had to get a North Carolina drivers license within 30 days.

So, earlier today I went to a DMV... there was a line stretched outside the door. After 30 minutes not a single person in line had moved into the office. So, I asked the guy in front of me what was going in... he said that appointments get priority, and you have to make an appointment online. OK, fair enough, I guess, but in three other states I've never had to make an appointment to a DMV.... you go to a big office, pick a number, and wait your turn.

So, I'm like... I give up, I'm not likely to get inside the door at this rate.... went online to book an appointment... and guess what... not a single appointment available in Charlotte for the next 90 days, at any of their five locations. OK, then, I'm willing to drive a bit out of town... Gastonia, Concord, Monroe, Statesville... but not a single appointment available within 90 days at any of those places, either. And the online system won't accept appointments beyond 90 days anywhere.

North Carolina... FUCK YOU. That's how I feel right now.

[underpants]

1. That sucks. Sorry you are going through that.

[Goodheart]

2. I'm a crabby old fart.

But I'm justified.

[Probatim]

3. It used to be that way in PA - maybe for the first 70 years of licensing.

Then some very smart person suggested that your license expired on your birthday - and instead of everyone showing up on the 30th of the month for a new driver's license, it was spread throughout the month.

That aside, I am a firm believer that republican controlled states purposely hamstring services like this to prove the government doesn't serve its citizens.

[wishstar]

9. NC does the birthday expiration also and is very easy to renew online

but problems of long lines became much worse during Covid. There are so many new residents that have moved here in recent years that offices are overwhelmed and the upcoming requirement for enhanced Real ID has slowed things down since upgrading requires longer in person interviews.

I was lucky to do my renewal in person to get the enhanced Real ID two years ago when DMV briefly opened up a 2nd temporary office to ease the long lines at the main office in Asheville, so only had to wait in line in cold and rain for 45 minutes!

But for those who already have their licenses, renewals are simple and easy online, even for those like my spouse who turned 80 last year and got a 5 year renewal online.

[hauckeye]

4. Yep, that happened to my daughter in Boone

Couldn’t get an appointment for weeks.

[Shermann]

5. When I lived in NC, my experience was that you had to know which DMV to go to

Some were always busy and others not so much. But there were never any guarantees, and that was many years ago.

[jcgoldie]

6. Here's my crazy North Carolina DMV story...

I went to the DMV in Illinois, where I live, to renew my drivers license about 3 years ago. I waited in line for over an hour as I expected.

When it was finally my turn, the DMV guy says "Sorry we can't renew your license because there's a hold on it from North Carolina."

"Uhmm... surely this is a mistake I haven't been to North Carolina in like 25 years when I passed through briefly in route to Myrtle Beach vacation."

"Sorry nothing I can do about it here is a number for their DMV, come back when you get it cleared up... NEXT!"

So I go outside and call the number and waited on hold for another hour or so. Finally the lady with a sugar sweet southern accent tells me, "Yes sir 25 years is right you got a speeding ticket here in 1996..."

"Surely I paid it?" (I actually had no idea.)

"Yes you did but we received the payment several days late and we conducted an audit of all outstanding fees last year and you were assessed a late fee of $60..."

"Jesus Christ I'm waiting at the DMV in Illinois to renew my license will you take a card?"

"No sir, checks only."

So I had to mail a check to North Carolina and wait a month for them to process it before I could renew my license... all over a 25 year old late fee that had been assessed 20+ years after the fact!

[yonder]

8. Wow.

[yonder]

7. NC out to ensure the gubmint of NC doesn't work.

Sorry for your hassles. And be careful driving around too. That may be a misdemeanor for not having a DL or registration not matching your new insurance.

[Probatim]

10. That was the second comment in my post above.

Republicans run on "gubmint don't work - elect us and we'll prove it".

[yonder]

12. 👍

[steventh]

11. In my experience, big city DMVs are very busy. Smaller towns, not so much.

I've experienced long DMV lines in big cities (NYC and Raleigh NC). Recently (March) I went to the local Winston-Salem NC DMV. Around noon. Didn't have an appointment. There was no line. Drivers came and went quickly. Employees were friendly. All in all a good experience.

Sorry to say, our DMV is 85 miles away from the Charlotte DMV. One hour and 20 minutes straight up I-85.
https://www.mapquest.com/directions/from/us/north-carolina/charlotte/28217-5701/809-e-arrowood-rd-35.13798,-80.8793/to/us/north-carolina/winston-salem/27127-5627/1141-silas-creek-pkwy-36.06609,-80.25396

Make a day of it while you're here; check out Old Salem museums, gardens, gift shops, Moravian cookies?

My favorite Indian restaurant, Nawab, survived the pandemic and I recommend it
https://resmanmis.c2bapps.com/backend/web/uploads/8/3db7465af9375ec8622080df4f5a7ac1.pdf

[Goodheart]

14. There's a Nawab in Virginia Beach, where I used to live

I wonder if it's the same company. Great place!

Thanks for the tip. Might give it a try.

[Maru Kitteh]

13. Lived there for 6y. Don't miss it. Stay as far away from any and every state entity

/institution/agency/etc., etc. and so on as you can. Don't go to school, don't rent a book, don't have a flat tire on the highway, don't have a child, don't buy anything with a title, don't buy anything without a title, don't sell anything to anybody for any reason and for gods sake don't DIE. It's just not worth the wait in line, the sheriff at your door in the middle of the night or the paperwork.

[BlueHurricane]

15. Same experience Here! Worst DMV ever!

Same experience here. Moved here 1.5 years ago. Stopped by DMV like I’ve done in every other state I’ve have lived in to get my license changed, Line never moved. Someone said you can make an appointment online. Went home, no appointments available for 45 days. Made appointment went to DMV, still was there 2-3 hours to get two people changed licenses from another state. Unbelievable. I had previously complained about other DMVs. Nope NC #1 worst in country. I asked the lady who worked there, who was very nice, and she said it’s always been that way. She worked there for a number of years and said they never had enough personnel. On my day there was 2.

This is what you get when you elect people (republicans) who don't want to properly fund any public services. You get bad poorly run government. When they say don’t trust the government, they mean don’t trust me to run the government.

[Goodheart]

16. I see I can make an appointment in Elkin in July.

Probably about an hour and a half away.

[dsc]

17. I live in eastern NC and have had good experiences with DMVs in small cities

I am not familiar enough with the area around Charlotte to have great suggestions for you. I would find DMV's in cities of 50k or less.

[Goodheart]

18. According to the website they're all booked.