Andrews – The N.C. Department of Motor Vehicles boasts 116 facilities across the state. However, like most modern businesses, they are plagued with staffing shortages.
This means less examiners, which is why an average wait time to renew or replace a driver’s license is several months long, forcing Cherokee County residents into neighboring counties. As of Friday, the first available appointments at the Andrews office start as of Wednesday, Oct. 12.
Justin Fitzgerald, sports writer for the Cherokee Scout, learned the hard way that in order to get a new driver’s license and state plate in July, he would need to sign up on the DMV’s online appointment center several months in advance.
“I couldn’t find an opening until September,” he said.
Fitzgerald was in a bit of a pinch since his car emissions inspection from Maryland was due to expire.
“I couldn’t wait for the appointment in Andrews, so I drove up to Burnsville,” he added, which is a 2½-hour journey one way. Fitzgerald remained good-natured about the inconvenience.
“I decided to make a day of it and drove out to see Mount Mitchell,” he said.
After spending five hours worth of gas on the commute, he was shocked by the license fee.
“It was $290,” he said, adding, “but the license was only $44.”
Wayne Goodwin, commissioner of the DMV, understands that these long wait times for services are unacceptable. His solution is to urge residents to go online.
“We encourage customers to skip the trip to the DMV and do their business online, if at all possible,” he said. They named their online link the catchy skiptheline.nc.gov.
However, for people like Fitzgerald needing a new license or plate, or even those needing a renewal who used the online service last year, they must appear in person.
Marty Homan, the DMV’s public information officer, doesn’t have an answer for the long wait times. He echoes Goodwin with the online service advantages.
“First we encourage the online resources. A simple renewal can be done online,” he said.
Homan said he feels the onus for those requiring human interaction rests upon the customer.
“As far as scheduling an appointment, we encourage people to schedule well in advance,” he said. “Don’t wait until month your license expires. You get a six-month notice from us in the mail.”
One of the problems, Homan said, has to do with their massive staffing needs.
“We have more than a hundred vacancies for driver’s license examiners,” he explained. “The DMV has tried to do outreaches in the state. We just participated in the Land of Sky job fair in Asheville.”
However, driving to Asheville for service is exactly what Cherokee County residents are hoping to avoid.
“It’s not an easy fix,” Homan added, “especially out west. We don’t know the answers.”
He offered that DMV leadership met with Macon County planners, but when challenged how that assists those farther west, he answered, “Macon County is pretty close to Cherokee County.”
In fairness to Homan, the DMV has had a difficult time recruiting workers for more reasons than lack of applicants. Those applying must first pass a screening, then undergo five weeks of full-time training. Only then can they begin work with an annual salary in the mid-$30,000 range.
“They get full state benefits including a pension,” Homan added. But it’s doubtful that this salary, even with medical insurance, will attract those seeking a living wage.
If recruiting more people doesn’t solve their long wait times, Homan conceded that their plan B consists of pushing people back to the website. That, of course, becomes a tautological circle because many of the services people are seeking require them to attend in person.
“We recently hired 52 examiners,” Homan said, but few of them live in Cherokee County. “We’ve reopened in Marshal,” which is good news for those living there.
The DMV website also recently announced that the Mount Olive is closing, meaning the long wait times will not be solved by shuffling services from one
office to another. Once a customer secures an appointment, Homan recommend double-checking the paperwork.
If a customer shows up without all the required documents, even after waiting three months for an appointment, they will be directed to the online appointment setter to begin the whole process all over.
Fitzgerald isn’t the only one in the state willing to drive considerable distance to get the job done. Under their Frequently Asked Questions, the DMV’s website posted, “Can I check for appointment by date rather than office?” The answer is no, but the questions speaks to frustration people from around the state are experiencing when attempting to comply with the North Carolina driving laws.