Good news: NCDMV hiring nearly 100 driver license examiners to ease long wait times

The North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles has hired nearly 100 driver license examiners since June, some good news to customers waiting months for an appointment to get a new ID.

The NCDMV increased the starting salaries for workers earlier this year and raised the pay of current employees in an effort to recruit and retain driver license examiners.

The agency said 43 examiners will soon graduate a training program. In June, 52 graduated. The examiners will work at dozens of NCDMV offices to fulfill a need across the state.

People looking to get their REAL ID or who are in need of other in-person services, like driving tests, often wait months after snatching an appointment. Others complain of long lines at the DMV.

“Since June, we have added nearly 100 driver license examiners to offices across our great state, but that's not enough,” said NCDMV Commissioner Wayne Goodwin. "We still have more work to do to attract, hire, train and keep our employees in this challenging labor market.”

REAL ID deadline extended two years to May 2025

The extension is due in part to lingering effects from the COVID-19 pandemic

The process to obtain a REAL ID is much like the process to get a regular driver’s license, but more documents are required.

Not everyone will need a real ID as of May 2025, including those who don’t plan to fly anywhere or enter a military base or federal courthouse or prison.

"If you don't plan on doing those things, then your regular identification, whether it's a driver's license or an ID, will still be valid," said Goodwin.