AASHTO Journal - NCDOT Testing Self-Service Kiosks in Grocery Stores

In an effort to shorten lines and wait times at North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicle (NCDMV) offices statewide while providing services outside of typical office hours, the North Carolina Department of Transportation is pilot testing the use of self-service kiosks in three Harris Teeter grocery stores.

[Above photo by the NCDOT]

At the kiosks, NCDMV – which is a division of the NCDOT – said customers can renew driver licenses or state identification cards, unless they renewed online the previous time; order a duplicate or change the address for current driver licenses, permits, or state ID cards, though kiosk users must know their driver license/ID number to complete those transactions; and apply/update voter registration information as part of the kiosk-based driver license/ID transactions.

NCDMV Commissioner Goodwin. Photo by NCDOT.

At the end of a transaction, the agency said those self-service kiosks will print a Temporary Driver/Identification Certificate – just like one received at an in-office visit – to be used for up to 60 days until the official driver license or ID card arrives in the mail.

Additional transaction types are also being developed for the kiosks, including vehicle registration renewals and paying property tax on a new vehicle, NCDMV said. Customers will also be able to order duplicate registrations and change their address or insurance information as part of a duplicate or renewal transaction.

“I am excited to announce the launch of this kiosk pilot,” said NCDMV Commissioner Wayne Goodwin in a statement. “This is another example of the work we are doing to shorten lines and wait times by using technology to modernize our customer service and provide more options for customers to get what they need in a timely manner.”

Intellectual Technology Inc. or ITI is NCDMV’s private partner for this self-service kiosk pilot test program. NCDOT noted that the kiosks are provided at no cost to the state as ITI is compensated via a $4.95 fee per transaction. Customers will also be charged a 2.35 percent credit/debit card processing fee, the agency noted.

NCDMV said it already plans to add seven additional kiosks in the first half of 2024, with more kiosks to be added as certain transaction thresholds are achieved.