NC State Coach’s 8-Hour DMV Wait Leads to Donut Delivery, Goes Viral
After arriving at 5:45 a.m., N.C. State assistant basketball coach Brandon Chambers spent a mind-numbing 8.5 hours at a Cary DMV office. His mission? A simple license update. Twenty-seven people…
WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 16: The North Carolina State Wolfpack mascot performs during the game against the North Carolina Tar Heels in the Championship Game of the ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena on March 16, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
After arriving at 5:45 a.m., N.C. State assistant basketball coach Brandon Chambers spent a mind-numbing 8.5 hours at a Cary DMV office. His mission? A simple license update.
Twenty-seven people stood in the cold morning air when he got there. Six hours passed before he made it inside. Then he did something unexpected: bought $57 worth of Dunkin' Donuts for everyone waiting and working.
His social media post caught fire: "Morale was low. Brought in reinforcements. Donuts turned the tide for the rest of the team and DMV workers," as reported by WRAL News.
This visit came right after State Auditor Dave Boliek released a stark 435-page report on DMV operations. Staff shortages mean one in seven visits drags past 2.5 hours.
House Speaker Destin Hall didn't mince words, telling The News & Observer, "It's just not acceptable for somebody to have to spend their entire day off going to a DMV. Can't think of much worse."
North Carolina's swift growth strains public services. Since 2020, the state added 600,000 new residents, pushing the total to 11.2 million.
Gov. Josh Stein pointed to rapid growth as the core issue. "We're like the third-fastest growing state in the country. We add tons of people on a daily basis. There hasn't been an increase in DMV folks in a long time."
Two new laws aim to cut wait times. Senate Bill 245 cuts required in-person visits. Senate Bill 391 extends license renewal deadlines through 2027.
Help is coming. The state plans 61 new DMV jobs and four new offices across Brunswick, Cabarrus, Wake, and Sampson counties.
Before success at this office, Chambers tried three others across two frustrating days. He joked online: "For better or for worse, North Carolina is stuck with me for quite some time, for the sole reason I am not putting myself through that again."
Yet through it all, he stayed positive about the staff: "The people here, it's not their fault. They're doing the absolute best job that they can with the resources that they have."
