06-05-2025
Wait for REAL ID several hours at Raleigh DMV offices as deadline approaches
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — The clock is ticking, and the lines are long if you need a real ID. The deadline is Wednesday. According to the NC DMV, 52% of North Carolinians already have a REAL ID.
At the DMV office on Spring Forest Road in Raleigh, the line stretched around the building and down the sidewalk for most of the day on Monday.
'May 7 is the deadline so I said, 'Let me get to the DMV fast,' and look at the line!' exclaimed Lili Fleming, who wanted to get her REAL ID before the deadline.
Any other day, a lot of people say they'd simply give up and go home. Andy Raby's done that a couple of times already.
'This is my third time trying,' he noted.
Starting Wednesday, a REAL ID or other acceptable form of identification, like a passport, will be required to fly or get into some federal buildings.
After waiting outside for about an hour and 45 minutes, taking business calls, Nick Sullivan was thrilled to get to the front of the line.
'It feels good. I'm almost there,' he said.
While most people carried on conversations, took calls, or kept to themselves, there was some frustration, and DMV staff tried to explain the reason behind the long waits.
'Everyone looks at wait times; I will never give you a wait time,' said one employee.
He explained that some people are taking different tests that take a while.
'If I've got 30 license duplicates, people trying to get a REAL ID, that's going to take an hour and 15 minutes. If I've got 10 road tests, that's the same hour and 15 minutes,' he noted. 'It's not how many people are in front of you. It's what's in front of you.'
He also reminded people who don't need to fly right away that they may not need to rush to get the REAL ID and encouraged people to look at their license before coming in, so they can potentially avoid an unnecessary wait. He said 5 people who already had a REAL ID came in Monday to ask for one.
After arriving at 9 a.m. to wait in line, Anthony Davies says the process took 4 hours.
'I was expecting to be here maybe longer actually,' he said.
Sullivan, who also got done in about four hours, is just glad it's over.
'It was a relief to finally get it done,' he said. 'But you have to have a lot of patience today.'
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