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In North Carolina, some people have to wait as long as three to five hours at the DMV

PRE News & Ideas | By Annette Weston
Published September 16, 2025 at 5:45 AM EDT
The North Carolina REAL ID driver’s license looks much like a regular license, but it includes a star at the top. Having one is optional, but it’s recommended for those who frequently travel by air or visit federal facilities, including courthouses, military bases, and prisons.
(Image: North Carolina Department of Transportation)
The North Carolina REAL ID driver’s license looks much like a regular license, but it includes a star at the top. Having one is optional, but it’s recommended for those who frequently travel by air or visit federal facilities, including courthouses, military bases, and prisons.

In North Carolina, some people have to wait as long as three to five hours at the DMV.

The Department of Motor Vehicles has released the average wait time at all of its offices, and at the Cary location in Wake County, which averages five hours and ten minutes, while the shortest wait time is in Jefferson, Ashe County, at around 12 minutes.

The average wait time across the state is two hours and 45 minutes.

In eastern North Carolina, the longest are Goldsboro and Kenansville – more than three hours. It’s a more-than two hour wait in Jacksonville, nearly an hour and 45 minutes in Greenville, and about an hour in New Bern.

The shortest waits in the region are in Morehead City, Washington, and Williamston, all just under an hour.

The DMV recently hired an additional 64 license examiners and plan to add more next year. Officials said the goal is to have one worker for each computer terminal in the agency’s offices.
Annette Weston
Annette is originally a Midwest gal, born and raised in Michigan, but with career stops in many surrounding states, the Pacific Northwest, and various parts of the southeast. An award-winning journalist and mother of four, Annette moved to eastern North Carolina in 2019 to be closer to family – in particular, her two young grandchildren. It’s possible that a -27 day with a -68 windchill in Minnesota may have also played a role in that decision. In her spare time, Annette does a lot of kiddo cuddling, reading, and producing the coolest Halloween costumes anyone has ever seen. She has also worked as a diversity and inclusion facilitator serving school districts and large corporations. It’s the people that make this beautiful area special, and she wants to share those stories that touch the hearts of others. If you have a story idea to share, please reach out by email to westona@cravencc.edu.
See stories by Annette Weston