License plate office returns to Chapel Hill

Students will no longer have to drive as far away as Durham to get a new license plate from the state.

Chapel Hill has not had a license plate office since its only one at University Mall closed after the arrest of its operator, Caprina Evette Kirkpatrick, in November 2012.

Kirkpatrick was arrested and charged with felony embezzlement of state funds through her license plate office. Kirkpatrick will appear in court today.

On Tuesday, Oct. 15, Chapel Hill will once more have a license plate office.

The new office will be located at the Gateway Commons shopping center at 1704 E. Franklin St.

The closest DMV office to Chapel Hill is currently the Durham location — in neighboring Durham County.

Kirkpatrick had contracted the DMV office since 1999. The charges came after the state began investigating irregular accounting at the agency.

DMV spokeswoman Marge Howell said the DMV always intended to re-open the Chapel Hill office.

“Every time an office closes for whatever reason, whether it be the death of the contractor or a situation like this the DMV will advertise for a replacement,” Howell said.

The DMV started advertising the application within three weeks of the closing of the Chapel Hill office and it was due Dec. 28, Howell said.

Howell said all DMV agencies must be contracted out to private operators by the Division of Vehicle Services, which also processes all applications.

Bruce Farmer has been given the contract for the new office on Franklin Street.

Farmer’s agency, Calvary Management Agency LLC. operates the license plate office in Durham.

The DMV searches for contractors like Calvary Management Agency through their application process, seeking dedicated and experienced contractors when they reward these contracts, Howell said.

She said once the contract is awarded it is up to the contractor to hire employees and establish a location, although all operations must conform to the DMV standards.

Farmer said he will be hiring new people to fill positions in the future.

To ensure that the new office adheres to DMV standards, Farmer and his employees are currently taking a three week training course in Raleigh, a mandatory step before the office can open.

Howell said delays in the beginning of this course have slightly moved the opening of the new office, pushing it to Oct. 15.

Howell said the DMV has turned Kirkpatrick’s case over to the Orange County District Attorney.

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