Change NC DMV staffing structure or public ‘delays, excessive wait times’ will continue: Preliminary audit

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — Staffing at the North Carolina DMV is insufficient, causing current and likely future delays and wait times for the public, according to a preliminary audit released Monday.

Already, long lines are common — and have been for the last few years — at statewide DMV offices.

One section of the preliminary audit shows that of the DMV’s 142 temporary examiner positions, 97 are still open — a startling 68 percent of unfilled spots.

North Carolina State Auditor Dave Boliek said giving the DMV commissioner flexibility to convert temporary positions to permanent roles and adjusting pay scales may help attract and retain qualified examiners.

Boliek said the DMV’s reliance on temporary positions makes the slots harder to fill. The temp jobs offer fewer benefits and result in additional training costs due to high turnover.

“Without addressing the DMV’s workforce challenges, North Carolinians will continue to experience service delays, excessive wait times, and require multiple visits to driver license offices,” Boliek said in the report.

On Tuesday, the DMV responded to the issues raised in the preliminary audit.

“We recognize the need for operational improvements at DMV and appreciate the Auditor’s support for additional resources, as noted in the preliminary audit findings,” Marty R. Homan, a DMV communications manager, said in a statement to CBS 17.

Homan added that DMV management and leaders “look forward to reviewing the full audit report”.

Below is the full preliminary audit report:

The North Carolina Office of the State Auditor is releasing preliminary information from its ongoing audit of the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles, including how DMV staffing and personnel flexibility challenges are affecting customer experiences across the state.

“With DMV staffing adjustments being considered during current budget negotiations, the professional team at the Office of the State Auditor and I feel the responsibility to provide pertinent information ahead of the full audit release,” said State Auditor Dave Boliek.

 “Our data-driven analysis indicates that current DMV workforce levels are insufficient to meet the needs of North Carolinians. To provide citizens the service level they expect and deserve, the DMV must have more employees in its offices. I have personally shared these observations with Governor Stein, Senator Berger, Speaker Hall, Secretary Hopkins, and DMV Commissioner Tine.”

Preliminary results on DMV staffing indicate that:

• Additional Driver License Examiners are necessary to meet public demand and reduce wait times at driver license offices across the state.
• Flexibility in current personnel rules is necessary to allow the DMV to hire and retain staff more effectively.
• Effective strategies are necessary to fill vacancies.

The DMV’s current reliance on temporary positions creates challenges. Temporary positions are harder to fill, offer fewer benefits, and result in additional training costs due to high turnover. Of the DMV’s 142 temporary examiner positions, 97 (68%) remain vacant. Giving the DMV commissioner flexibility to convert temporary positions to permanent roles and adjusting pay scales based on local labor market conditions may help attract and retain qualified examiners.

Without addressing the DMV’s workforce challenges, North Carolinians will continue to experience service delays, excessive wait times, and require multiple visits to driver license offices.

The Office of the State Auditor anticipates that the final audit report will identify more details of staffing requirements, including driver license office locations where additional personnel will have the most immediate impact.

The full audit report is currently going through the Office of the State Auditor’s quality control process. It will soon be shared with responsible officials as required by Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards. The release of select information does not constitute an audit report in accordance with GAGAS and should not be viewed as such.