Website Tips Off North Carolina Residents to Free DMV Slots for $5

A tech-savvy Charlotte resident created a website that spots open North Carolina DMV slots. Their service, ncdmvappointments.com, now helps 500 subscribers who pay $5 for email notifications.

"What our system does is it scans the DMV website at all times. As soon as it identifies an open appointment, it will basically go send an alert for people who qualify for that given appointment," the website creator said, according to Queen City News.

The timing couldn't be better. North Carolina sees 200 newcomers daily, which packs DMV offices to the brim. Lines stretch out the door while waiting rooms fill up fast.

The state's DMV lets you book three months ahead. New slots show up when the clock strikes twelve, but they vanish in minutes. Walk-ins might work: if you beat the daily rush.

This tool won't book your spot or let you cut in line. It just sends a heads-up when spaces open. "We can't spend our whole days refreshing the page to see if there's an appointment, so I think a service like that would be so helpful," Maggie Jenson told Queen City News.

The hunt for DMV services pushes people to extremes. Jenson showed up before sunrise to find dozens ahead of her; some had slept there all night. Brian Anderson waited an hour and a half, even with his appointment set months before.

The site's maker stays unnamed due to job concerns, but plans to watch for other government openings too. Think global entry, visas, and passport slots.

"We're just trying to help them get a miserable service done," they said, noting how slow government tech moves forward.

State DMV officials haven't shared their thoughts on this independent alert system yet.