ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — North Carolinians heading to the DMV can expect to pay a bit more for certain services like renewing their licenses.

Per state law, the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is required to adjust fees and rates every four years, “based on the percentage change in the annual Consumer Price Index during the past four years,” according to a release from the DMV.

The fee increases went into place July 1, 2024.

Examples of some of the increases include a $1 per year increase for a regular driver’s license.

Fees also went up for commercial driver’s licenses, copies of driving records and several other license-related processes.

CLICK HERE to view a complete list of fee changes.

Frustrations linger, but not so much with fee increases

Three people waiting outside Asheville’s DMV on Patton Avenue all said Wednesday that the new fee increases wouldn’t impact them much. Their frustrations lie with the wait times.

Sitting outside the office, Michael Riley told 828newsNOW he hadn’t heard of the fee increases yet. Even so, he said it wouldn’t make much of a difference for him. He did, however, air his grievances about wait times at the DMV, adding that he had blocked off the whole day for what he needed to get done.

When explained some of the new fee increases, he said, “I wouldn’t mind paying another if I could get out of here.”

Sitting next to Riley, Tony Cox echoed a similar sentiment.

“I sit here all day long, I got 30 people in front of me,” he said. “I still might not get in.”

Unlike Riley, Cox said he had seen something about the fee increases “on the news.”

Outside the office, Jemi West expressed slight aggravation by the long lines, but said he understood a lot of it had to do with fewer people working inside.

“They do their best,” West said.

NCDMV efforts to cut down on long lines, wait times

The DMV has taken several steps to alleviate some of these long lines and wait times, including adding Saturday hours to several locations and rolling out kiosks in some grocery stores in the state.

The only two DMV offices in Western North Carolina with Saturday walk-in services include Asheville’s Patton Avenue office and one in Andrews. Walk-in services will be provided on Saturdays from June 8 through Aug. 24 from 8 a.m.-noon.

The DMV’s recently rolled out kiosks allow people to renew drivers licenses, order duplicates and register to vote outside DMV office hours. So far, the only three set up in the state are in Raleigh, Charlotte and Fayetteville. The DMV says they plan to add seven additional kiosks in 2024.