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Lines Get Longer At DMV Locations In A Rush To Get Real IDs

Yi Zhao
/
Google Maps

About 40 Department of Motor Vehicles offices across North Carolina have seen especially long lines recently.

DMV Commissioner Torre Jessup told WRAL that summer is usually a busy time with teenagers trying to get their licenses before they go back to school. But a rush to get licenses that meet new federal requirements have made those waits even longer. 

“On top of our normal, seasonal high volume traffic, we’re seeing individuals who are paying attention to what we’re seeing about the critical need to get their Real ID in advance of the deadline,” Jessup said, “And we’re seeing the impact of that in our offices.”

The deadline for Real IDs is still two years off. People who fly commercial airlines will need a Real ID or to show two forms of identification to board.

Jessup said the DMV is looking at ways to handle the crowds, including opening offices earlier and diverting people with appointments to offices with shorter waits. 

Lisa Worf traded the Midwest for Charlotte in 2006 to take a job at WFAE. She worked with public TV in Detroit and taught English in Austria before making her way to radio. Lisa graduated from University of Chicago with a bachelor’s degree in English.