Violations close NC license plate agency near Charlotte. What we know, where to go.
State investigators closed a license plate agency in Huntersville on Friday due to “gross incompetence” and other contract violations, according to the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles.
The privately managed license plate agency at 12101 Mount Holly-Huntersville Road offered vehicle-registration services, title transactions, vehicle license plate renewals, replacement tags and duplicate registrations.
NCDMV oversees 125 other such privately managed or local-government-run license plate agencies in the state, according to an NCDMV news release on Friday.
Robert Grier operated the Huntersville agency since 2015, NCDMV officials said.
Attempts by The Charlotte Observer on Friday and Saturday to reach Grier were unsuccessful. Two phone numbers listed for Grier in public records are no longer in service.
The NCDMV driver license office and the License and Theft Bureau District office in the same building as the agency formerly run by Grier “are not affected by this closure,” according to the release.
‘Mismanagement, repeated incompetence’
Grier is accused of violating his contract with the state in these ways, a state Department of Transportation spokesman said in an email to the Observer:
▪ “Gross and/or repeated incompetence in the performance of the contract.”
▪ “Mismanagement of DMV equipment or other property.”
▪ “Incorrect performance of vehicle transactions that result in an adverse impact on DMV’s processes and require effort on DMV’s part to correct.”
▪ “Incorrect performance of vehicle transactions that result in an adverse impact on the general public.”
Issues included missing plates, unaccounted-for stickers, unbalanced accounts and never-returned end-of-day auditing, Queen City News reported.
Where drivers can get services
Drivers stuck in neutral by the closing can visit any of three nearby license plate agencies, NCDMV officials said.
Each office is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays:
▪ Charlotte, 3250-G Wilkinson Blvd. 980-237-9598.
▪ Concord, 929-D Concord Parkway South. 704-723-4991
▪ Mooresville, 125-3 N. Main St. 704-663-5472.
Services such as property tax payments and registration renewals also can be completed online at MyNCDMV.gov, officials said.
The Huntersville license plate agency could stay shuttered into November, NCDOT spokesman Marty Homan told the Observer.
“We have to advertise for, select and train a new contractor to run the LPA,” Homan said. “This will take a couple months.”