by Laura Leslie, WRAL Capitol Bureau Chief

Republican lawmakers grilled the head of the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles and his staff for three hours Thursday — an interrogation that comes as lawmakers consider whether to privatize some or all of the functions of the division, which has come under scrutiny for customer service complaints.

“Individuals are having trouble making appointments, getting permits or licenses, and ending up waiting long, extreme hours in long lines,” said Joint Transportation Oversight Committee Chairman Sen. Michael Lazzara, R-Onslow, in opening comments. “One new resident described his experience in an email as ‘abysmal’ in all caps.”

DMV Commissioner Wayne Goodwin, who attended the meeting with a phalanx of staff experts, conceded “a few hiccups along the way,” but he said the agency is making swift progress in some areas, especially staffing shortages.

“While we’ve made a host of changes and improvements over the last two years, we recognize that this agency is not perfect. None of us are,” Goodwin said. “And we have a lot to learn and a lot to do.”

While many of the questions centered on customer experience, the panel also had many questions about third-party license plate agencies or LPAs, which are small businesses that contract with the state to handle license plate purchases and replacements.

Four LPAs were shut down by the DMV in the past two years due to contract or legal violations: one each in Holly Springs and Huntersville in 2022, and one each in Southport and Jacksonville in 2023.

To read the rest of the story, please visit WRAL’s website.