NC DMV suspends Saturday hours at driver’s license offices to curb spread of COVID-19
The N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles says it will temporarily suspend Saturday hours at its driver’s license offices in an effort to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.
The move affects 16 DMV offices that are normally open on Saturdays, including two in Charlotte and one each in Durham, Raleigh and Huntersville.
The offices see only walk-in customers on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon and can get crowded. In addition, the employees who work those days often come from other offices and can carry the coronavirus back with them if they are exposed.
The DMV initially eliminated Saturday hours when it closed more than half of its driver’s license offices in the early weeks of the pandemic in the spring of 2020. The agency resumed Saturday service at a small number of offices in May as it prepared for summer, its busiest season.
That happened to coincide with a sharp increase in coronavirus cases in North Carolina, largely fueled by the more contagious delta variant of the virus. August was the deadliest month for COVID-19 in the state since February, with 788 deaths attributed to the virus.
DMV says it will keep its offices shuttered on Saturdays until it determines it is safe to reopen them. The affected offices include the ones on David Taylor Drive and West Arrowhead Road in Charlotte; South Roxboro Street in Durham; Spring Forest Road in Raleigh; and Mt. Holly-Huntersville Road in Huntersville.
The DMV encourages people to check if they can complete their business online before visiting a driver’s license office. A list of online services can be found at www.ncdot.gov/dmv/offices-services/online/.
The agency has 111 driver’s license offices open weekdays statewide. People are encouraged to make an appointment up to 90 days in advance, but walk-ins are welcome.
