Charlotte has the worst DMVs in the nation, study says. This is why

In news that will shock no one who has been to the DMV in North Carolina, a recent study found that a city in our state has the worst DMVs in the country.

The study from Sudoku Bliss — which says one of the best ways to fill the long, arduous hours waiting in line is to play sudoku — found that Charlotte has the worst DMVs in the nation. The study also found that three of the five worst DMV locations in the country (including the worst overall) are in the Queen City.

The site analyzed Google reviews from 140 DMV locations in 30 major U.S. cities to determine where residents face the longest wait times — and where complaints are the most frequent.

They counted negative comments by finding user reviews on Google Maps of 3 stars or fewer that also contained negative keywords like “long,” “slow,” “wait,” “bad,” “horrible,” “terrible,” “delay,” “crowded,” “packed” and “inefficient,” then tallied the number of negative experience reviews and divided that by the total number of reviews in each location.

The lone DMV in the U.S. where negative reviews made up at least 30% of all reviews was the location at 201 W. Arrowood Rd. in Charlotte. (As of Wednesday, May 14, it has a rating of 2.3 out of five stars on Google.)

“The staff is so mean, verbally nasty,” one user wrote in a review.

“Clearly they struggle with how to talk to people around there,” another reads. “Everyone could use a customer service training and people management course.”

DMVs at 6635 Executive Cir. and 6016 Brookshire Blvd. came in at No. 4 and No. 5, respectively, on the list of worst DMVs in the U.S. The location at 3250 Wilkinson Blvd. also made the list, landing at No. 13.

The Charlotte Observer reached out to NCDMV about this study, and the press office provided a recent news release in response:

“There is no shortage of challenges facing our division, and it is critical that we get to work quickly to reduce wait times, make our website more user friendly, and empower our frontline staff to ensure the highest level of service to our citizens,” NCDMV Commissioner Paul Tine said in a news release Wednesday, April 30.

NC DMVs

While data from the study show Charlotte has the worst DMVs in the nation, other evidence shows that the problem is statewide.

As of Wednesday, April 17, there were no appointments available to renew a driver’s license at any of NCDMV’s 115 offices statewide. (Nearly all driver’s license offices serve walk-in customers on weekday afternoons, though people should prepare for long waits.)

If you do manage to get an appointment, and can you get out of a traffic citation when you’re on the way there? Is there a grace period for driving with an expired license if you can’t get an appointment? How can you submit a complaint about the DMV in North Carolina?

Here’s the answer to all those questions and more.

Can you get a warning in NC with proof of an appointment?

Yes, you could get out of a traffic citation with proof of a DMV appointment, Master Trooper Christopher Casey of the North Carolina State Highway Patrol told The Observer.

“It’s possible to get a warning ticket in a situation like this,” Casey said. “Our policy is to issue citations for clear-cut, substantial violations of the law. But factors like proof of an appointment could be taken into consideration.”

Casey explained that drivers stopped by highway patrol for minor infractions, such as traveling “eight or nine miles” over the speed limit or having expired tags, could receive warning tickets.

“Could you, by the letter of the law, be issued a citation for an expired tag? Yes,” said Casey. “But something of that nature can be issued a warning ticket, so that way you’ve been made aware and you can take care of it.”

Is there a grace period for driving with an expired license in NC?

If you’re unable to get an appointment or walk-in to renew your license, you may be forced to drive with an expired one.

And unfortunately, there is no grace period for expired driver licenses in North Carolina, Casey told the Observer.

That means you could receive a citation for driving with an expired license, even if your license is only expired by a few days.

Where are the DMV kiosks in Charlotte and the Triangle?

There are a handful of self-service kiosks in Charlotte and the Triangle where you can skip the line at the DMV and renew your license, order duplicate driver’s licenses, renew your vehicle registration and pay property taxes on a new vehicle, the Observer reported. Here’s where they are:

Charlotte:

• Town Center Plaza, 8600 University City Blvd.

• Central Avenue, 1704 Central Ave.

• Quail Corners, 8538 Park Rd.

• Riverbend Village, 4701 Smith Farm Rd.

Triangle:

• The Corners at Brier Creek, 4221 Corners Pkwy. in Raleigh,

• Village District, 501 Oberlin Rd. in Raleigh

• Cary Village Square, 885 Walnut St. in Cary

• Fuquay Crossing, 1371 E. Broad St. in Fuquay-Varina

Note: All of these services can also be done online.

How to complain about the NCDMV

To get in touch with the NCDMV to submit a complaint, you can:

• Call 919-715-7000 on weekdays during business hours.

• Fill out the DMV Customer Service Survey at ncdot.gov/dmv. The online form asks questions about wait time satisfaction and provides a space for feedback and suggestions.

• Send a message to the DMV online at ncdot.gov/contact.

You can also contact NC Secretary of Transportation Joey Hopkins by calling 919-707-2800 or emailing jhopkins@ncdot.gov.

You can also reach out to your local representative, the governor’s office and state transportation committees to submit a complaint, the Observer reported.

This story was originally published May 15, 2025 at 3:17 PM with the headline "Charlotte has the worst DMVs in the nation, study says. This is why."

Evan Moore

The Charlotte Observer

Evan Moore is a service journalism reporter for the Charlotte Observer. He grew up in Denver, North Carolina, where he previously worked as a reporter for the Denver Citizen, and is a UNC Charlotte graduate.