CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Lawmakers began questioning the head of the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles Thursday, an interrogation that comes as the division faces mounting delays in issuing driver licenses and identification cards — and as lawmakers seek more control over who runs the division.
DMV Commissioner Wayne Goodwin, who underwent a grilling by Senate lawmakers in February, testified before the House Oversight and Reform Committee Thursday. He updated lawmakers on wait times, unfilled positions, efforts to protect customers from identity fraud and customer service amid lengthy delays for new licenses.
Problems with a contractor that makes physical licenses and ID cards for the state have delayed delivery of new cards to customers, Goodwin says. A typical 15-day turnaround to receive IDs in the mail has jumped to roughly six weeks, the DMV said last month. At the time, there were about 50,000 per week added to the backlog across the state, according to the state DMV.
Rep. Harry Warren, the Salisbury Republican leading the hearing, said he was concerned not just for the delays in general but also for their potential effect on the November elections. This is the first major election in which voters will be required to show photo identification — which could lead to a rush of people trying to get new or updated driver's licenses.
Flashpoint is a weekly in-depth look at politics in Charlotte, North Carolina, South Carolina, and beyond with host Ben Thompson. Listen to the podcast weekly.
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