The new hires were made just one month after Governor Josh Stein signed a spending bill to fund the positions. DMV Commissioner Paul Tine, State Auditor Dave Boliek and other state leaders have voiced support for overhauling DMV operations, citing overwhelming demand from the state's fast-growing population.
"Internally, you know, we've been saying that help is on the way and now it's here," said DMV spokesperson Marty Homan. "So we'll be training these employees in some of these offices."
A familiar frustration
DMV customers across the state have shared similar frustrations: long waits, technical issues, and fully booked offices.
"I waited three hours and I finally figured it wasn't going to happen for me," one customer said.
"I got here at 6:30 this morning and then I waited until 7:30, and then she said you can go home if you want to scan the QR code and then come back when you get a call, but the QR code wasn't working," said another.
Others have visited multiple locations with no luck.
"I went to four different locations, they're all full," one person said.
Staffing shortages have contributed to the problem.
"There's like 15 stations in there and only four people are working," said a customer. "So, you know, hiring more people to fill those stations would definitely help."
Not a "silver bullet," but a start
The newly hired staffers will begin training in the coming weeks and are expected to be deployed across DMV offices statewide. Homan emphasized that while the new positions will help alleviate some strain, the system still has major issues to address.
"It's not the silver bullet," he said. "We know we've got other problems that we're working on to sort of make our processes faster in the office and to move more transactions online."
For DMV customer Micah Wascher, any improvement is welcome.
"I think that's beautiful and amazing and I think it was very necessary and I'm very excited," Wascher said.
Fellow customer Sara Forchette echoed the sentiment.
"You kind of know what you're getting with the DMV, so anything to make it better is exciting," she said.
What's next?
The DMV plans to open four new offices in the near future and hire 33 additional employees in the coming year.
Lawmakers are also considering a bill that would allow more DMV transactions to be completed online.
SEE ALSO | Drivers' experience is 'worsening' at DMV North Carolina, state auditor's report says