The findings follow changes to operations, new hires, and policy shifts after an I-Team investigation highlighted widespread complaints about excessive waits. In September, some Triangle-area DMV offices averaged more than three hours per visit.
The ABC11 I-Team reviewed wait-time data from offices statewide and found a steady decline, including at some of the busiest locations.
"We really are busy everywhere, but we're starting to see lagging wait times in the afternoons all across the state," said Marty Homan, communications director for the North Carolina DMV.
One of the most dramatic improvements was at the Raleigh North DMV office. When the I-Team checked, the agency's live online dashboard showed a wait time of about 15 to 35 minutes.
That estimate matched what drivers experienced.
"They took me in at 10:31, and I'm out now at 10:45," said Carolyn Winters of Raleigh after she visited the Raleigh North office. "15 minutes!"
Another Raleigh North customer, Jaishona Lysch, said the shorter line avoided problems at work.
"I was worried about the wait. I was worried about having to text my boss, 'Hey, I might be a little late.' But 10 minutes is all it took," she said.
The DMV recently began publishing live wait times online for every office in the state, a move officials say is helping customers plan visits more efficiently.
"It's a great tool for folks to be able to figure out which office they might want to go to," Homan said.
State officials told the I-Team that staffing has been a major factor in reducing delays. The 2025 mini budget, passed last year, provided funding for the DMV to hire 64 additional employees statewide during the last fiscal year, with plans to add 33 more after July.
Policy changes have also shifted some workload away from brick-and-mortar offices.
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"Senate Bill 245 allowed us to move more transactions online," Homan said.
Another change affects driver testing. Commercial driving schools can now conduct road tests for adults, a responsibility previously handled only by the DMV. These private driving schools were already permitted to test teen drivers.
"We've been waiting for this for years as commercial driving schools in the state of North Carolina," said Savannah Gregory of Drivers of the Future driving school. She says they've been working to get as many instructors certified as they can.
"It's a one-time 80-hour certification," said Gregory. "Then after that, you have renewal credits that are 64 hours every four years, and so that's continuing education for driving instructors."
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She said allowing private schools to test adults should bring consistency.
"We can give them the proper standards from start to finish. And there's no word of mouth. There's no third parties. We can essentially say here is exactly what you need to do to pass your road test," she said.
Despite the improvements, DMV officials say the work is not finished.
"We know we have more work to do, and we want to get to 15 minutes, and we're going to keep pushing until we get there," Homan said.
The DMV said additional funding from lawmakers will be needed to restore extended service hours, particularly during the busy summer months.
The ABC11 I-Team has published a full breakdown of average wait-time changes for every DMV office in North Carolina.