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My wife and I decided to bail on FL a couple of months ago. For many reasons. Turned out to be a good financial decision (you've heard the story: house sold in 2 hours, above asking, at the highest cost/sq ft for the area and it appraised). Fast forward a couple of months (moving + vacation out of the country) and we began the painful process of transferring auto insurance, DLs, vehicle Tags/Titles, etc...
Well...let's just start with the fact that it appears to be almost impossible to get an appointment for a "new NC resident" DL here in WNC (Asheville, Clyde or Sylva). And not much better availability out east (as far as Charlotte). Other services seemed to have better availability than the "new NC resident" DL service.
It's already been a couple of months, so my CFO and I head out bright and early Monday morning for Clyde to try and snag a couple of walk-in appointments. We are optimists. The Clyde office opens at 8am...but by 7:30am when we arrive there were 8 walk-ins already in line in front of us - including a couple who drove in from Charlotte. Not looking good...our optimism wanes a bit.
It turns out that the Clyde DL office only has ONE DL examiner (who has the patience of a saint, bless her heart). She spends the morning hours with those folks lucky enough to have appointments and squeezes in the walk-in folks in-between as she is able. Then at 11:30am the morning walk-in list is scrubbed (by then 24 names!), she takes lunch and when she returns @1pm, she spends the remainder of the day with a new list of afternoon walk-ins. I was just lucky enough to get the last morning walk-in, but my CFO had to wait in a new line (now #4) for the afternoon scrimmage.
Long story short: we both managed to get the NC DLs done today - but only because we are retired and have nothing better to do with our day than sit around the DL Office enjoying the ambiance. Actually, we had plenty of better things to do. But...we're more flexible than many.
Plenty of other people there had to just bail on the process - including at least 2 people with expired licenses who have been trying to get in for awhile.
From what I can tell online, all NC DL offices will be using this hybrid appointment process: morning scheduled appointments and some walk-ins and then only walk-ins after noon. See, https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-rel...e-changes.aspx
My advice is that if you can't get a scheduled DL appointment and want to try for a walk-in DL appointment in Clyde, get there at 11:15-11:30am and wait just outside the door to try to be one of the first in line for the afternoon scrimmage. You'll sit there until 1pm when the office re-opens, but you'll likely get it done. The morning walk-in chances are much more of a crap-shoot - and then you have to start all over with a new line for the afternoon walk-ins. I only just made it this morning because 5 of the 8 people in front of me bailed.
Tag/Title office in Waynesville was easy. They just wanted a lot of money.
We booked our appointments several months in advance for the Henderson county location. Both of us went right in with no waiting. I think the key is scheduling an appointment far in advance. Perhaps it has gotten worse in the last two years. It does look like they could make the process more efficient. Welcome to WNC. You’re going to love it here.. it really is a slice of paradise.
We booked our appointments several months in advance for the Henderson county location. Both of us went right in with no waiting. I think the key is scheduling an appointment far in advance. Perhaps it has gotten worse in the last two years. It does look like they could make the process more efficient. Welcome to WNC. You’re going to love it here.. it really is a slice of paradise.
Thank you for the welcome - we've actually been here since 2015 as part-time residents. Now we are full-time...
And yes, we noticed that people with appointments went right in with very little waiting. The trick is getting an appointment... And, I'll add, within a reasonable amount of time. For example, I believe NC requires us to make DL/Registration changes within 60 days of moving here. I found no opportunity to schedule a "new NC resident" DL appointment within 60 days.
Over the last several months, when I would go to the NC DOT "skiptheline" website to get an appointment for a "new NC resident" DL service, I would typically get this (for most DMV sites):
There is no ability to click-thru on these grayed-out sites...no appointments are available.
On the other hand, some DMV License sites would have a click-thru - i guess indicating some availability - but when clicking, I would mostly see this screen:
Uh...no appointments for 90 days? I guess some lucky person got the appointment that was freed up before they could gray-out the site on the first screen.
From what I can tell based on testing I did yesterday in the Clyde DMV DL office, the appointment availability depends on the DL service you are seeking. When I spoke to the DL Examiner, she said that freed-up appointments go quickly, so you needed to "be on the site" with some frequency to snag them.
Another odd thing...maybe someone could answer? I could not change the title of my FL vehicles to NC unless I had an NC DL. That seemed strange to me. I can buy real property without an NC DL. I presume I could also go to an auto dealership and buy a vehicle with NC title, insure and register it here without an NC DL. I don't understand why the requirement to have an NC DL to re-title a FL vehicle to NC.
Thank you for the welcome - we've actually been here since 2015 as part-time residents. Now we are full-time...
And yes, we noticed that people with appointments went right in with very little waiting. The trick is getting an appointment... And, I'll add, within a reasonable amount of time. For example, I believe NC requires us to make DL/Registration changes within 60 days of moving here. I found no opportunity to schedule a "new NC resident" DL appointment within 60 days.
Over the last several months, when I would go to the NC DOT "skiptheline" website to get an appointment for a "new NC resident" DL service, I would typically get this (for most DMV sites):
There is no ability to click-thru on these grayed-out sites...no appointments are available.
On the other hand, some DMV License sites would have a click-thru - i guess indicating some availability - but when clicking, I would mostly see this screen:
Uh...no appointments for 90 days? I guess some lucky person got the appointment that was freed up before they could gray-out the site on the first screen.
From what I can tell based on testing I did yesterday in the Clyde DMV DL office, the appointment availability depends on the DL service you are seeking. When I spoke to the DL Examiner, she said that freed-up appointments go quickly, so you needed to "be on the site" with some frequency to snag them.
Another odd thing...maybe someone could answer? I could not change the title of my FL vehicles to NC unless I had an NC DL. That seemed strange to me. I can buy real property without an NC DL. I presume I could also go to an auto dealership and buy a vehicle with NC title, insure and register it here without an NC DL. I don't understand why the requirement to have an NC DL to re-title a FL vehicle to NC.
As I recall, you really have to be persistent in making your reservation, essentially checking the site frequently. There doesn’t appear to be any logic as to when slots become available.
Another odd thing...maybe someone could answer? I could not change the title of my FL vehicles to NC unless I had an NC DL. That seemed strange to me. I can buy real property without an NC DL. I presume I could also go to an auto dealership and buy a vehicle with NC title, insure and register it here without an NC DL. I don't understand why the requirement to have an NC DL to re-title a FL vehicle to NC.
We are not in Asheville so not sure if it applies to Asheville, although I don't see why not since it should be a state thing, however I had no issue registering my FL truck in NC without a NC license. I'm also 90% sure they gave me a NC title when I did that (not presently in NC to check). All that was required in my case was my home address in NC. Now the first lady I talked to wasn't sure, she asked someone else who told her what form I needed to fill out. Got tag, title, registration everything right there on the spot.
As for the issues with waiting etc. I'm not sure if you need a different type of office to do the license stuff, but the office I went to for the title was empty both times I went. I just walked it and was attended right away. So maybe look into going to an office outside of Asheville or other larger cities.
Sorry for any confusion. The Tag/Registration office I visited was in Waynesville and had almost no waiting time on our two visits. It is a "privately run" facility. The first time we tried to re-title and re-register our FL vehicles in NC, we were turned away because we did not have NC DLs.
The way the Title/Tag transfer from another state to NC seems to work, we should have re-titled and re-registered our FL vehicles before we sold our FL home and became residents of NC. Once we became residents of NC, we had to have a NC DL to xfer the vehicle titles. Now, I probably could have argued that we intended to purchase a FL home (i.e., remain domiciled in FL) but, it's probably a finer point to make in a "privately run" Title/Tag Agency. So we had to run the NC DL gauntlet...
And, to your other question, from what I could see on the NC DMV site, Tag/Title and DL services can be provided in the same (proximately located) or different facilities. Just depends.
I think the appointment situation will only get worse. If it took effect, as of 1 May they reduced the number of available appointments to mornings only. Afternoons would be strictly walk in.
I try to do most of my business online if I can, but have 2 teen drivers ready for the next step in the graduated license program and its hard to find appointments now. If I can't find any, not super excited about hours long walk in waits and the hope that you might get in.
A modest proposal to the NC DMV, not that they care/are reading this forum: actively pursue new employees, pay more per hour, stop blaming COVID/supply chain and other excuses, etc.
'Govt@work', an oxymoron in my experience here on the planet...
The singular piece that does work for me vis a vis the NC DMV, is the annual registration renewals on line and delivered by mail for our several vehicles, post the vehicle inspection line of course.
I think the appointment situation will only get worse. If it took effect, as of 1 May they reduced the number of available appointments to mornings only. Afternoons would be strictly walk in...
Yes. Coincidentally we were at the Clyde DL Office on May 1 and this was the policy in effect while we were there. The single DL Examiner managed to squeeze in a couple of walk-ins during the morning scrimmage. I was #9 in the AM walk-in line and was the last walk-in that morning. Of the 8 in front of me, I believe that 6 had left.
I say "think" because after sign-in, I assessed the situation and figured we could go to breakfast and come back in time to maybe get called in. Which is exactly what happened to me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kjun09
...If I can't find any, not super excited about hours long walk in waits and the hope that you might get in.
That's the reason for my advice for attempting walk-in at Clyde DL Office, above. In short, only try for the morning walk-in if you have time to kill. Unless you are the first walk-in (in line by 7am or earlier), or the morning schedule miraculously cancels, you won't be seen AND you have to re-start the walk-in line fresh for the afternoon scrimmage. I think the best strategy if you have to walk-in to the Clyde DL Office is get there ~11am and make sure you are first in line outside the door for the afternoon walk-in line (line starts @~11:30am for the afternoon walk-in scrimmage starting @1pm).
...A modest proposal to the NC DMV, not that they care/are reading this forum: actively pursue new employees, pay more per hour, stop blaming COVID/supply chain and other excuses, etc...
^^^
This
From what I could tell, the crux of the issue at the Clyde DL Office is that there is only 1 DL Examiner currently on duty at that office. There are more DL Examiner stations (at least 2) in the Clyde DL Office, but only 1 active DL Examiner - there is a notice of this situation on the Clyde DL Office door.
Part of the ambience of waiting in the Clyde DL Office is a TV Screen that plays (among other things) a number of DMV employees extolling the virtues/benefits of being a DMV employee.
And there IS a DL Examiner position that is open, but...
position is "temporary"
position is "part-time"
position has NO benefits (no leave, insurance or retirement benefits offered)
postion pays $17.62/hour
AND candidate apparently has to pay for the background check (ad says there is a cost, but not how much or who pays - but given it's mentioned as a "cost," I'd guess candidate pays)
I dunno. I took a quick glance at the Indeed job site and I now doubt this DL Examiner position ever gets filled by a qualified candidate.
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