Latest news with #DivisionofMotorVehicles
Axios
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Axios
NC DMV problems will get worse without reform, state audit finds
Problems at North Carolina's beleaguered Division of Motor Vehicles could get worse if the state does not reform its structural and operational issues, according to a state audit of the agency. Why it matters: The state's DMV — which handles issues including driver's license renewals, vehicle registrations and license plates — has come under fire from politicians and residents in recent years due to long waits and limited appointment availability. Driving the news: The audit of the DMV's performance comes with several improvement recommendations from the state's recently elected auditor, Dave Boliek, a Republican who is becoming increasingly powerful in Raleigh. "I can't stress enough: Fixing the DMV is going to take buy-in from all levels of the government," Boliek said at a press conference Monday, per WRAL. "It's not going to happen tomorrow, it's not going to happen next month. But it can happen quick." Between the lines: The audit of the DMV was part of a campaign promise for Boliek, who said more reports on the agency would come. Zoom in: The 435-page audit found that the DMV has been hamstrung by several barriers, including: No direct control over its budget or ability to advocate for resources from the state's General Assembly. A lack of internal performance data to guide decisions. Exclusion from modernization efforts that improved other parts of the state government. State of play: All of this has resulted in an average wait time exceeding one hour and 15 minutes and in 14% of residents traveling more than an hour for an appointment, according to the audit. The audit also found that the number of driver's license examiners has not increased as fast as the state's rapid population growth, according to the audit. At the same time, employee morale has cratered at the agency, potentially leading to more turnover and worse outcomes. What's inside: One of the biggest proposals from Boliek is a potential separation of the DMV from the state's Department of Transportation, to give the DMV more autonomy. It also suggests: That the DMV delivers a new strategic plan within nine months, with clear performance measures. The creation of a new staffing plan that prioritizes high-need offices, like Lillington where there is one examiner for 56,639 residents. Improving customer service through service pilots like pop-up DMV events and improved online technology, like document upload systems and translation tools or a "fast pass" option that allows customers to move to the front of the line for a fee. What they're saying: In response to the audit, Department of Transportation Secretary Joey Hopkins and DMV commissioner Paul Tine said they were "committed to addressing the findings of the audit and look forward to continued collaboration ... to implement meaningful changes." The two agreed with most of the recommendations, except for potentially separating the DMV from the DOT. Instead, Tine and Hopkins suggested potentially changing how the DMV is funded by the Legislature, from a biennial appropriations model to a "percentage of fees" funding model.
San Francisco Chronicle
5 days ago
- Automotive
- San Francisco Chronicle
North Carolina DMV audit recommends reforms to reverse customer wait times, worker morale
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Customers at North Carolina's Division of Motor Vehicles are waiting longer in lines that are often far away from home, while agency staffing fails to keep pace with the state's surging population, according to agency reviews that also recommend major reforms. Elected Republican Auditor Dave Boliek on Monday released two audits totaling nearly 600 pages that scrutinize the DMV — the bane of motorists in many states. But long lines and frustrations are acute in the ninth-largest state. 'Our DMV affects the economy. It affects people having to take off of work unnecessarily. It takes our students out of the classroom,' Boliek told reporters. 'This has to be fixed and it has to be a top priority.' Constituent complaints, REAL ID brings problems to fore Boliek promised during last year's campaign to conduct a top-to-bottom review of the DMV if elected. Elected leaders' constituents have complained about the inability to book appointments online close to home and the struggles for their teenagers to complete driving tests. It's not unusual for customers to camp outside driver's license offices in the wee hours hoping to get seen later that day. Problems continued as federal REAL ID license security standards took effect in May. Erin Van Dorn of Holly Springs said at Boliek's news conference it took her and her teenage son four trips to the DMV — the last time 130 miles (209 kilometers) away in Mount Airy — to obtain his license. Information technology and staffing shortages were to blame. 'My son has missed a total of four days of school,' Van Horn said. 'It's just been a very big ordeal for us.' New Democratic Gov. Josh Stein's administration brought in former state legislator Paul Tine as the new Division of Motor Vehicles commissioner and has pledged a turnaround. Longer waits, continued examiner shortages A DMV performance audit Monday said average wait times for customers at the state's driver's license locations increased by over 15% since 2019 to 1 hour and 15 minutes. And close to 14% of the wait times lasted over 2 hours and 30 minutes — a 79% increase from 2019. And nearly half of all transactions by customers aren't happening at the license office closest to where they live. 'The employee experience has diminished as well,' Boliek said. The audit said there were 160 vacant license examiner positions as of April. And while the state's population has grown by 29% over the last 20 years, the number of examiner positions has grown by just 10%. Boliek's staff heard DMV employee complaints about burnout, security and low pay — average examiner position salaries were well below $50,000 last year. The audit attributes many problems to DMV's relationship to the Cabinet-level state Department of Transportation that oversees the agency. The auditor said DMV has undersized influence within DOT when it comes to decision-making and getting budget requests approved by the legislature. Agency independence among recommendations Boliek's most significant recommendation is for policymakers to consider turning DMV into an autonomous agency separate from DOT. Boliek said the recommendation is no slight upon Tine and current Teansportation Secretary Joey Hopkins, whom he said are taking steps toward reform. But he said a permanent change is needed to address situations where the commissioner and secretary don't cooperate as well. Other recommendations include creating a public online dashboard measuring keys performance goals and initiating nonconventional initiatives to reduce wait times and backlogs. Boliek said outside driving school instructors could administer road tests required of new drivers. The DMV could open 'pop-up' license offices at a vacant mall anchor store or create 'fast-pass' options for customers who pay extra to reach the front of the line. 'We can't keep doing things the same old way," he said. DMV, DOT chiefs back most recommendations In a written response to the audits, Tine and Hopkins agreed with nearly all of the recommendations and said many already getting carried out. But they opposed the recommendation to separate DMV, saying the agency's core functions align with the Transportation Department's mission to improve highway safety. 'We know that with the right leadership and follow-through, we will get results -– getting people out of lines and empowering our hard-working DMV employees," Stein spokesperson Morgan Hopkins said. The GOP-controlled General Assembly could still attempt to implement the change. A stopgap budget measure on Stein's desk provides funds to hire over 60 license examiners. And a new state law has established a temporary moratorium on renewing standard licenses, allowing them to remain valid within North Carolina for up to two years beyond the expiration date.
Winnipeg Free Press
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Winnipeg Free Press
North Carolina DMV audit recommends reforms to reverse customer wait times, worker morale
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Customers at North Carolina's Division of Motor Vehicles are waiting longer in lines that are often far away from home, while agency staffing fails to keep pace with the state's surging population, according to agency reviews that also recommend major reforms. Elected Republican Auditor Dave Boliek on Monday released two audits totaling nearly 600 pages that scrutinize the DMV — the bane of motorists in many states. But long lines and frustrations are acute in the ninth-largest state. 'Our DMV affects the economy. It affects people having to take off of work unnecessarily. It takes our students out of the classroom,' Boliek told reporters. 'This has to be fixed and it has to be a top priority.' Constituent complaints, REAL ID brings problems to fore Boliek promised during last year's campaign to conduct a top-to-bottom review of the DMV if elected. Elected leaders' constituents have complained about the inability to book appointments online close to home and the struggles for their teenagers to complete driving tests. It's not unusual for customers to camp outside driver's license offices in the wee hours hoping to get seen later that day. Problems continued as federal REAL ID license security standards took effect in May. Erin Van Dorn of Holly Springs said at Boliek's news conference it took her and her teenage son four trips to the DMV — the last time 130 miles (209 kilometers) away in Mount Airy — to obtain his license. Information technology and staffing shortages were to blame. 'My son has missed a total of four days of school,' Van Horn said. 'It's just been a very big ordeal for us.' New Democratic Gov. Josh Stein's administration brought in former state legislator Paul Tine as the new Division of Motor Vehicles commissioner and has pledged a turnaround. Longer waits, continued examiner shortages A DMV performance audit Monday said average wait times for customers at the state's driver's license locations increased by over 15% since 2019 to 1 hour and 15 minutes. And close to 14% of the wait times lasted over 2 hours and 30 minutes — a 79% increase from 2019. And nearly half of all transactions by customers aren't happening at the license office closest to where they live. 'The employee experience has diminished as well,' Boliek said. The audit said there were 160 vacant license examiner positions as of April. And while the state's population has grown by 29% over the last 20 years, the number of examiner positions has grown by just 10%. Boliek's staff heard DMV employee complaints about burnout, security and low pay — average examiner position salaries were well below $50,000 last year. The audit attributes many problems to DMV's relationship to the Cabinet-level state Department of Transportation that oversees the agency. The auditor said DMV has undersized influence within DOT when it comes to decision-making and getting budget requests approved by the legislature. Agency independence among recommendations Boliek's most significant recommendation is for policymakers to consider turning DMV into an autonomous agency separate from DOT. Boliek said the recommendation is no slight upon Tine and current Teansportation Secretary Joey Hopkins, whom he said are taking steps toward reform. But he said a permanent change is needed to address situations where the commissioner and secretary don't cooperate as well. Other recommendations include creating a public online dashboard measuring keys performance goals and initiating nonconventional initiatives to reduce wait times and backlogs. Boliek said outside driving school instructors could administer road tests required of new drivers. The DMV could open 'pop-up' license offices at a vacant mall anchor store or create 'fast-pass' options for customers who pay extra to reach the front of the line. 'We can't keep doing things the same old way,' he said. DMV, DOT chiefs back most recommendations Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. In a written response to the audits, Tine and Hopkins agreed with nearly all of the recommendations and said many already getting carried out. But they opposed the recommendation to separate DMV, saying the agency's core functions align with the Transportation Department's mission to improve highway safety. 'We know that with the right leadership and follow-through, we will get results -– getting people out of lines and empowering our hard-working DMV employees,' Stein spokesperson Morgan Hopkins said. The GOP-controlled General Assembly could still attempt to implement the change. A stopgap budget measure on Stein's desk provides funds to hire over 60 license examiners. And a new state law has established a temporary moratorium on renewing standard licenses, allowing them to remain valid within North Carolina for up to two years beyond the expiration date.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Yahoo
DMV warns of latest texting scam in NH
Scam text The New Hampshire Department of Safety's Division of Motor Vehicles is warning residents of a text message scam where recipients are asked to send a payment immediately to resolve a traffic violation. DMV officials said Monday they received multiple reports of text messages (shown above) claiming to be 'a final notice' and warning recipients a 'traffic violation remains unpaid.' Officials with the New Hampshire Department of Safety's Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) are warning residents of a text message scam where recipients are asked to send a payment immediately to resolve a traffic violation. DMV officials said Monday they have received multiple reports of text messages claiming to be 'a final notice,' warning recipients a 'traffic violation remains unpaid.' The scam threatens recipients with enforcement penalties, including potential legal prosecution, credit damage and the suspension of their vehicle registration and driver's license if immediate payment is not made. The URL address provided for payment in the fraudulent text includes 'nhgov' in it, which makes it appear to be an official State of New Hampshire website. DMV officials said the department never sends text messages regarding payments — the only text messages sent are appointment reminders. 'We urge all residents to remain vigilant for scams and encourage anyone who feels unsure about a communication from the DMV to contact our Customer Service line directly at (603) 227-4000,' said DMV Director John Marasco in a statement. Anyone who receives a text message claiming to be from the New Hampshire DMV should not submit payment or any personal information and delete the message immediately, officials said. Anyone who believes they are a victim of a scam or identity theft are advised to file a report with their local police department, review personal credit reports, and consider setting up fraud alerts or a credit freeze. Identity theft victims can also file a report with the Federal Trade Commission at or call 1-877-438-4338.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Colorado Becomes the 30th State to Officially Allow Kei Cars
Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed HB25-1281 into law today, officially allowing the state's residents to register and drive kei vehicles. Kei cars, a class of small four-wheel vehicles from Japan, can be brought into the U.S. under the 25-year import rule. Until now, Colorado lacked kei-specific regulations, creating a bit of a gray area for owners. Score another one for the little guys. Today, Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed into law HB25-1281, which officially recognizes kei vehicles as road-legal in the state and puts in place the necessary framework for their titling, registration, and use. For the uninitiated, kei is short for kei-jidōsha, a Japanese term that translates to "light vehicle." Japanese regulators limit kei cars, trucks, and vans in engine size and output as well as exterior dimensions—length, width, and height—although the maximum values for each have changed over the years. Because these tiny vehicles weren't sold new in the United States, they can only be brought into the country under the 25-year import rule, which allows vehicles with non-compliant safety and emissions equipment to be given a pass if they're over a quarter-century old. Popular examples include the Honda Acty pickup and van, the Suzuki Cappuccino, and the Autozam AZ-1. The new law comes with some stipulations. Kei vehicles cannot be driven on roads with speed limits above 55 mph. This is sensible, since these low-powered vehicles have trouble maintaining high speeds on flat ground, let alone at altitude going up a grade on I-70. The law also clarifies how emissions testing will work for kei vehicles; instead of being subjected to a dynamometer test, the state's emissions agency will use a static two-speed idle test, which is otherwise used on vehicles from model year 1981 and prior. The law also explicitly recognizes keis as motor vehicles for the purposes of the Uniform Motor Vehicle Law and the Certificate of Title Act. The bill had bipartisan co-sponsorship in both state houses. There are still some issues that can bridge the widening aisles of our legislatures. Colorado has had an on-again, off-again relationship with kei legality recently. Until now, there have been no kei-specific regulations on the books. A rule proposed by the state's Division of Motor Vehicles in 2024 would have put an outright ban on them and could have prevented registration of other "non-traditional" vehicle types; it was rescinded, with the DMV arguing that it was unnecessary, as kei vehicles were already illegal in its view. This rule was backed by lobbyists from a group called the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators and would have deferred to AAMVA guidance when deciding which vehicles the state would allow to be registered. The AAMVA is also behind proposed kei bans in other states, including Georgia, Maine, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. AAMVA's argument is that kei vehicles are intended for off-road use only. It also appears to conflate kei vehicles with mini-trucks, some of which are intended only for off-road use. But not all keis are trucks, and even the little JDM pickups are legal for on-road use in their homeland. For those who have tried to register keis in the state, the main sticking point was emissions testing, which is required in certain counties, most of them in the Front Range, where much of the state's residents (and their emitting vehicles) are located. Unfortunately, some would-be kei drivers learned of this too late; it was possible to get a temporary plate for a kei vehicle, but without passing the emissions exam, these owners couldn't get their mini automobile registered. Tales of palm-greasing and dubious registration tactics abound on Reddit. In counties that don't require emissions testing as part of the vehicle registration process, this was a non-issue. Colorado joins 29 other states that have laws allowing kei vehicles on public roads. They are: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Like Colorado, some locales restrict which roads kei vehicles can use based on speed limit, with a handful kept to roads with 25-mph-or-lower maxes. Even where keis are deemed legal, there may be additional hurdles to clear for registration or restrictions placed on their road use, which can vary by jurisdiction, so be sure to do your homework before pressing "Buy It Now" on that auction. In New Hampshire, for example, a kei vehicle can only travel within a 25-mile radius of its owner's residence and only on roads with a speed limit of 35 mph or less. Several states—Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, and West Virginia—have restrictions in place, many of them specific to kei trucks, which may be limited to farm or agricultural use. New York requires compliance with all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and emissions requirements, which requires expensive retrofit work and is therefore prohibitive, especially since many keis can be bought and imported for several thousand dollars. Rhode Island is already starting to clamp down on kei registrations while legislation is pending. The states of Alaska, Delaware, and Hawaii, as well as Washington, D.C., have no laws concerning kei vehicles. And then there are the states where kei registration is explicitly prohibited: Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, and Vermont. You Might Also Like Car and Driver's 10 Best Cars through the Decades How to Buy or Lease a New Car Lightning Lap Legends: Chevrolet Camaro vs. Ford Mustang!
