Division of Motor Vehicles

It just is what it is. They don’t like their job but they are doing it and as efficient as possible.
I just had to get an antique car inspection. I spent a good hour there but it wasn’t terrible. Again, it just is what it is.

It’s always a wonder to me at any DMV why some unhinged so and so doesn’t go Postal during the 1 — 3 hours you usually spend waiting and waiting and waiting. Whether that so and so comes from the ranks of customers or employees is pretty much a toss up bet.
This location is especially dingy and tired looking and also a little tough to find if you’ve never been before. Like any DMV, DO NOT go during lunch hours (11:30 — 2:00 at this office) or you will be left with one or two people serving forty people waiting. Of course, I arrived right at 12:30 and exited at 3:00 thanks to great planning and an overwhelming impulse just to get it over with on a day off!
So, all that said, why 3 Stars you ask? Because when I actually got to the window, the woman who helped me was all smiles, joked around with me and took care of what I needed quickly. Did it help that I showed up to the counter with a smile as well. Of course, as the universe does go round and round don’t it?
Oh yeah… A dude in the row sitting behind me farted really loudly. I don’t hold that against the DMV office however.

There are few reviews on DMV services that actually rate above average– unfortunately this is no exception.
There is always a crowd here. Not just any crowd, but seemingly everyone on the north end of Mecklenburg county in need of DMV services. Very high-​volume. You need to get here at 7am in order to wait outside for an hour (opens at 8am), get in, get seated, wait another hour for what seems like no reason at all, talk to someone, and take care of your issues.
Is the crowd the DMV’s fault? Absolutely not. Is the fact that they still operate out of a trailer with no more than 1,200 sq ft in use their fault? Yeah, I’d say so. I’ve been in town for close to 7 years now and have not seen one facility improvement made to alleviate the wait time or spacial constraint whatsoever. Why the local DMV with possibly the highest amount of customers doesn’t have a legitimate building is beyond me. Oh and as a side note, as the line sometimes (I use this term loosely) wraps outside the building, better hope it’s not raining!
Professionalism. I wouldn’t say there is a complete lack, but I’ve had an instance where I’ve called ahead to verify information, arrived, wasted hours of my time, and ultimately found out I was missing documents that were not made aware to me on the phone. To make matters worse, and as many DMV’s are horrible about this, the representative didn’t seem to mind in the least that I was in the predicament, and told me I would have to wait in line all over again.
Overall, I highly recommend either arriving at 7am with all your research done via internet ahead of time (
), or make the drive to another semi-​local agency, such as in Iredell county. Take my word for it, it will be worth your time.

Cool fast and not crowded. They don’t like their job so they want to deal with you as little as possible but get you out the door quick.

These state employees don’t necessarily like their job, but they did a great job of helping me out.
I just moved to the state and required a change of residency. I have no car here yet so a drivers license wasn’t a necessity, but it would have been nice to have already. Unfortunately, proof of insurance specifically for this state is necessary to do that. State ID it was then. The lady at the front (I didn’t grab her name) was very kind and accommodating for my noob questioning of changing state ID’s. The line, although around the room, moved very quickly. It’s a lot faster than what I’m used to from Chicago/​Illinois DMV lines.
Overall, if you have all your required paper work with you, it is a fair experience got being a thing of necessity. Props to the kind lady in the beige cardigan up front!

I believe that beneath every DMV-employee’s grim, angry projection is a sweet midlife crisis just wanting to be loved. As an experiment to liven up my horrendous experience, I wanted to see how many I could make smile. Some of them respond to wise-​cracks, some self-​deprecation, and some just want to laugh at you. After sufficient prodding, all but one cracked a toothy smile or a wry grin. Occasionally it came out as a grimace, but I chalk that up to them being out of practice. So go on, have fun with the examiner. Lord knows you won’t have fun with anything else.
The building is old. It probably couldn’t be condemned, but it is putting forth a good effort. The carpet is worn and ratty, the walls bland. The only attempt to liven the place up is a slow moving trivia ticker. But it is so slow that you’ll have forgotten the question in the 5 – 6 minutes it takes for the answer to scroll by.
For those who played computer games in the mid-​90s, there is a glimmer of charm. The recorded voice that chirps out ticket numbers is the same as the Sim City 2000 narrator. It took me ages to place it, but I am certain. Every time she says «Ticket number 153, please proceed to counter number 4», I just hear «reticulating splines».

Everyone has to do it. This review is purely aimed at making the most out of doing what you have to do. They are understaffed, jobs have been cut, they are under a hiring freeze, and hours have been tightened. As one of my friends told me, «Fortunately they close promptly at 5pm… so you’ll be out by then… you may not have a license, but you’ll be out.»
Plan to be there 4 hours. If you get out before then, count yourself lucky. It is extremely slow between the hours of 11 – 2 (they go to lunch and leave only a couple people working at a time). Be prepared. I was eager to get out the door and left my social security card behind… I had to go home to get it. Yeah, I hated myself. Read the website and make sure you bring proper ID, cash or check, and other information to identify you and where you live. Also, at this location the inside is really small so you have to wait in line outside in direct sunlight hugging the building. If it is anytime during the day and hot outside, you may start feeling like you will pass out.
Bring a book or something to entertain you. I do not recommend bringing your kids with you… your money will be wisely invested by going the babysitter route (your kids and others will thank you). I would also bring a cooler filled with food and drinks so when you get back to your car, you can quench your thirst or hunger. (There are also restaurants next to the building.)
If you are getting a new license, they are not giving you the plastic card the same day. They give you a paper and will send you the card in the mail. If you need to register your car, you must have the plastic card to do so and this location does not do car registrations (yes, I will be making another trip once I get my plastic card). Check online to see which locations do which services; not every location does everything or every day (e.g., driving tests).
Overall, even though I lost a day to standing in line and waiting my turn, it could have been worse. The staff were friendly and they did the best they could to get everyone in and out. I saw a sign that said they take appointments, if you plan ahead, this may be the way to go.