Paul Tine celebrated his six-month anniversary as commissioner of the NC Division of Motor Vehicles Thursday with something his predecessor never received – praise from state legislators.
When Tine walked into the job May 6, replacing former commissioner Wayne Goodwin, North Carolinians were waiting on average more than three hours to renew their registration or driver’s license. Booking an appointment was near-impossible and often required motorists to wait months or drive to another county with hopes of finding an open slot and a shorter line.
Commissioner Paul Tine discusses progress made in his six months at the helm of the NC DMV. (Photo: Screengrab from NCGA livestream.)Over the last 28 days, the average total wait time has been one hour and 19 minutes.
Tine, a former state representative, told the Joint Legislative Transportation Oversight committee Thursday that he believes better efficiency and agility will allow his agency to cut wait times even further.
“15 minutes is where we’re setting our goal. I think it’s attainable,” he said.
Senator Bill Rabon (R-Brunswick), co-chair of the oversight committee, signaled his approval.
“Mr. Commissioner. You have taken great strides. Don’t shorten your step. Keep it going,” Rabon told the commissioner.
Tine said his top priority has been to address the low morale in understaffed offices.
“I sat down on a listening tour to make sure that I understood the needs of our customers and the needs of our frontline staff. Last week, I finished up at all of our 113 offices,” Tine said.
To prove to current DMV examiners he was hearing their concerns, he found one-time money to repaint offices, fix flooring and replace uniforms.
“Our examiners hadn’t had new uniforms in about five years. Some of them were wearing sweaters because they were threadbare at that point, and down to one or two uniforms,” he shared.
Beyond those cosmetic changes, Tine said his office now provides direct communication all the way down to the examiner’s level, not filtered through several management layers. “People did not have a shared understanding of what the expectations were for the group,” said Tine.
Training has been revamped to get new examiners working sooner. The DMV has filled 87 positions since early August. The vacancy rate for examiners sits at 4%.
North Carolinians wait in line at a local DMV office. (Photo: Clayton Henkel)To improve how the DMV interacts with the public, the division refreshed its website and hired a social media director.
“You’ll see a lot clearer understanding of what’s necessary when you come to see us, what the steps are for each of the services. We also put in a chatbot so that you can go in there and ask questions,” Tine said.
The AI-driven chatbot is still learning. Tine acknowledged it will take a little time for it to be fully trained before it gives the best output, but it’s constantly improving, he said.
For state lawmakers who have routinely received angry complaints about the DMV, Tine said there were two improvements they could offer constituents.
The DMV now accepts walk-in customers all day, and a new software system allows customers to enter their mobile number when they sign in.
“We’ll text you. We’ll show you what your place is online. You can go and wait anywhere, watch your number, come down, and then we’ll call you into the office,” said Tine.
In September, 87% of customers served were walk-in customers seeking licenses and registration.
Tine credits Senate Bill 245 with helping expand the use of online license renewals. More than 32,000 North Carolinians have used that feature, saving customers time and preventing a backlog of appointments at local DMV offices.
Rep. Erin Paré (Photo: NCGA screenshot)“Commissioner Tine, I’m so happy that you’re here and all the work that you’ve put into helping us in southern Wake County,” said Rep. Erin Paré. The Wake County Republican said she was impressed with his responsiveness as the county looks at potential sites for a new DMV office in Fuquay-Varina.
Brunswick County Rep. Frank Iler offered his own praise as he closed out the hearing.
“I appreciate what you’re doing. I need you to do a good job. You’ve exceeded my expectations so far,” said Iler.
In December, the DMV will release a new strategic plan and select a vendor for its long-awaited IT modernization initiative. In 2026, the agency will open new offices in Brunswick and Sampson Counties. Eleven new self-service kiosks will be located in Cumberland, Mecklenburg, and Wake Counties.
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