RALEIGH ---  More than 500,000 drivers have now taken advantage of online license renewals saving more than 248,000 hours in DMV office lines, according to information from Governor Pat McCrory’s office.   “Through my ‘Driving Change’ initiative, we have made it faster and easier to renew your license through online DMV services,” said Governor McCrory in a press release. “We are bringing state government into the 21st century by introducing web-based services. DMV’s online portal allows citizens to renew their license anytime, anywhere and helps reduce wait times at DMV offices by decreasing the number of citizens that require in-office service.”

A pilot program for the first online renewals was launched in June 2015, and the renewal program went statewide on October 12, 2015. In less than a year, the program has reached the half-million landmark.

“The convenience factor of going online, renewing with a credit or debit card and having the license delivered by mail is a great example of how the governor’s ‘Driving Change’ initiative is improving how we do business,” N.C. Transportation Secretary Nick Tennyson said. “All licenses are mailed to drivers, so coming to the office will not speed up the time it takes to have your new license in hand. We encourage all eligible customers to go online to renew their license, change their address or get a duplicate license.”

Nearly a quarter-million customer hours have been saved by those who have skipped the trip to the office, and almost 125,000 staff hours have been freed to help others who come to DMV offices.

“This effort has produced measurable results,” said DMV Commissioner Kelly Thomas, “but our data shows there are more citizens that can take advantage of DMV’s online services. We are finding that 70 percent of the customers who come to our offices could be renewing their driver license or getting a duplicate license online.”

Online renewal is just one of the many changes DMV has introduced over the past three years through the governor’s ‘Driving Change’ initiative. DMV started accepting debit and credit cards a year ago and is modernizing and enhancing its offices to make driver license transactions quicker. The agency is also opening some offices on Saturday mornings and offering extended hours for added convenience.

The Division is also serving remote areas of the state with smaller, more flexible mobile units. The units are also helping to serve the growing populations of senior citizens and military veterans. Additionally, the military veteran truck driver training program, introduced in 2012, has become a permanent part of the state’s assistance to returning veterans and their spouses.