From Staff Reports 

RALEIGH —  Five additional driver’s license offices, including the one in Hendersonville, are now opening earlier — at 7 a.m. — to serve customers during on weekdays, the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicls announced in late August.

The new early-openers join 45 other driver’s license offices that provide extended service hours. 

In addition to Hendersonville, the other four offices are the following:

• Raleigh East, 4121 New Bern Avenue

• Hillsborough, 1201 U.S. Hwy. 70 West

• Morehead City, 5347 U.S. Hwy. 70 West

• Newton, 1033 Smyre Farm Road

“Over the last two years, DMV has expanded weekday office hours to help meet the increased customer demand brought about by the explosive population growth,” DMV Commissioner Wayne Goodwin said in a news release.

“Adding five more offices that open at 7 a.m. translates to thousands of additional customers receiving appointments and DMV services annually.”

The release noted that each driver’s license office will accept appointments from 7 a.m. to noon Monday-Friday and walk-in customers from noon to 5 p.m. Customers may schedule appointments online at www.skiptheline.ncdot.gov.

In addition, 16,943 customers were serviced from June to August during Saturday peak season service hours at 16 driver’s license offices, the release noted, Those offices provided services, such as driver’s license or ID cards, renewals or duplicate orders, address changes, REAL ID insurance and road tests for customers who already had completed the knowledge and written tests.

“Our weekend hours proved to be both quite popular for customers statewide — and very efficient for our workers in completing renewals, road tests and other services,” Goodwin said in the release. “Because of our Saturday success, that means there will be 17,000 fewer customers in line seeking DMV services in communities statewide.”