Wayne Goodwin steps down as NCDMV commissioner after three years

After three years in the position, North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles Commissioner Wayne Goodwin announced he would not seek re-appointment. 

Goodwin has spent nearly 30 years working in public service. Before he was chosen by former Gov. Roy Cooper to lead the NCDMV, Goodwin served as the state insurance commissioner, chaired the North Carolina Democratic Party and completed four terms in the North Carolina House of Representatives. 

In his three-year tenure as NCDMV commissioner, Goodwin said he contended with statewide staff shortages and outdated information technology systems. He said the agency made significant progress in remedying both challenges under his leadership even as state population growth outpaced personnel and technological capabilities.  

“We frankly had more successes than challenges,” Goodwin said. “But as is life, and as is public affairs, state and federal government, you will likely hear more about what is not working than what is working.” 

Goodwin oversees several modernization initiatives and has implemented a walk-in wait time estimator, an appointment confirmation system and self-service kiosks at Harris Teeter grocery stores in Mecklenburg, Wake and Cumberland counties. 

Delmonte Crawford, a Raleigh-based activist, said Goodwin made strides in improving the NCDMV’s service delivery. Crawford’s local Harris Teeter has a self-service kiosk, and he said customers of all ages benefited from its convenience.

“The simplification on that kiosk allows people to go through the prompts, renew their registration and tags — things of that sort,” Crawford said. “The fact is that Goodwin brought North Carolina into the 21st century and met people where they are.” 

Goodwin said North Carolina’s status as one of the nation’s fastest-growing states by population has amplified existing barriers to upgrading technologies and expanding operations. 

During his time as commissioner, Goodwin said he filled over 400 staff vacancies across the state. To continue this work and open field offices in counties experiencing the most population growth, he said legislators should ensure fair compensation and retention bonuses for NCDMV employees.  

“If we don’t — and we haven’t — [keep] up with that explosive population growth by having a proportional increase in the number of drivers’ license examiners, then it is mathematically impossible for the DMV to keep up with the demand,” Goodwin said.

Over the years of Goodwin’s leadership, Republican legislators continuously criticized him and the agency he piloted. 

“For years, under Wayne Goodwin’s leadership, the DMV has consistently failed to deliver on its promises,” N.C. House Majority Leader Brenden Jones (R-Columbus, Robeson) said in a statement. “Despite assurances of shorter wait times, improved efficiency and a better customer experience, the reality has been anything but. North Carolinians continue to face long lines, bureaucratic inefficiencies and frustration — proof that the promised reforms have fallen flat." 

Last month, N.C. Sen. Michael Lazzara (R-Onslow), who co-chairs the Senate’s transportation committee, introduced a bill that would create a successor agency to the NCDMV. Senate Bill 63 would establish a nine-member board to adopt the NCDMV’s legal responsibilities and would have the authority to hire and dismiss future commissioners. 

The Republican-controlled state legislature also funded a feasibility study that examined how to privatize the NCDMV. The ensuing report, released in April 2024, cautioned against outsourcing more of the agency’s capabilities, as third-party vendors already operate the kiosks, license plate agencies and other vehicle services. 

Goodwin said his decision to not seek re-appointment was derived from a desire for new beginnings. After it became evident to him that his initiatives would not receive the support they needed, including more employees, he said he realized his passions for affecting positive change could be channeled elsewhere.

“I plan to have an impact one way or another,” Goodwin said. “In the meantime, I’ll be happier, starting fresh and see where it takes me.” 

Mark Edwards, chief deputy secretary of the North Carolina Department of Administration, has known Goodwin since the commissioner was a Morehead-Cain scholar at UNC. Edwards went on to serve as Goodwin’s assistant insurance commissioner, and the two remain close friends. 

“He's really dedicated his life to [being] a public servant,” he said. “He doesn't forget where he came from, the people that he saw growing up, and I think he's taken a lot of pride in being able to reach out and to help the people of North Carolina all of these years. It's a calling — it's not a job.”

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