Media Contact: Naitore Djigbenou
502.782.4829
naitore.djigbenou@ky.gov
Media Contact: Chuck Wolfe
502.892.9038
chuck.wolfe@ky.gov
FRANKFORT, Ky. (June 10, 2022) – The transition to a new, secure system of issuing Kentucky driver licenses and state identification cards will be complete on Monday, June 27, when the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) assumes that responsibility in the last eight counties in which local circuit court clerks were in charge of issuance.
“It’s a new era of driver licensing in Kentucky,” Gov. Andy Beshear said. “The switch to a system of KYTC Driver Licensing Regional Offices means greater security of personal identification and more options for Kentucky drivers.”
The last counties to make the transition will be Bell, Harlan, Henderson, Laurel, Letcher, Nelson, Pike and Scott. The Office of Circuit Court Clerk in each of the eight counties will cease issuing licenses and IDs at close of business on Friday, June 24. The following Monday, all license issuance and renewal – including REAL ID verified credentials – will be vested in the KYTC Driver Licensing Regional Offices.
For years, circuit court clerks provided licenses and state IDs, but a majority of clerks asked KYTC to take over issuing REAL IDs. As a result, legislation was passed in 2020 that transitioned all driver licensing and state ID services to KYTC. The legislation set a June 30, 2022, completion date.
To carry out the transition, KYTC created a network of Driver Licensing Regional Offices located across the state. Twenty-eight regional offices have been opened to date, with plans for at least three more.
“We accepted the challenge of assuming all driver licensing and ID issuance, and we have been hard at work creating the best network we can,” KYTC Secretary Jim Gray said. “Circuit court clerks will now be able to focus solely on court business, and driver licensing will be executed at new regional offices whose only business is licensing.”
Residents of counties making the transition may renew or apply for a REAL ID or new standard card version of driver license, learner permit, commercial driver license (CDL) or ID card at any KYTC Driver Licensing Regional Office. Applicants are encouraged to make an appointment online, which can be done at drive.ky.gov | Regional Offices Map. Walk-in customers are welcomed on a first-come, first-served basis at most locations. Check here to see whether walk-in capacity has been reached on any given day.
To date, more than 167,000 Kentuckians have skipped a trip to a regional office by renewing their current license online or by mail. In addition, 2,499 Kentuckians have been issued credentials by the KYTC Popup Driver Licensing Program in counties that don’t host a regional office. Popup teams have visited 81 counties to date. To learn more about how to renew, click here.
KYTC regional offices – the only place where Kentuckians can get a REAL ID – are currently operating in Bowling Green, Burlington, Catlettsburg, Columbia, Covington, Danville (appointment only), Elizabethtown, Frankfort, Henderson, Hopkinsville, Independence, Jackson, Lexington, London, Louisville/Bowman Field (appointment only), Louisville/Dixie Highway (appointment only), Louisville/Hurstbourne, Louisville/Nia Center, Madisonville, Manchester, Mayfield, Maysville, Morehead, Owensboro, Paducah, Prestonsburg, Richmond and Somerset, with more offices planned.
Driver Licensing Regional Offices will offer the following:
- Online appointment scheduling. Walk-in customers are welcome at most locations. Check here to see whether walk-in capacity has been reached on any given day.
- A choice between a REAL ID and a new standard card version. Both feature security upgrades and are available with a choice of four-year or eight-year expiration. (Eight years for all CDLs.)
- Service at ANY regional office, regardless of customer’s county of residence.
- Periodic “Pop-up Driver Licensing” visits to counties without a regional office to offer on-site application and renewal services.
License applicants receive a temporary identification document at the end of the transaction for use until the permanent card arrives by mail at their home address. This reduces the wait time for printing credentials during visits and improves security by eliminating in-office card production machinery.
A full list of counties that have transferred services to regional offices is available at drive.ky.gov | Circuit Clerks.
Driver Testing
Kentucky State Police will continue to administer all permit and license testing. Testing services are offered Monday through Friday by appointment. Applicants who require testing by KSP for a permit, driver license or CDL may make an appointment online by visiting http://kentuckystatepolice.org/driver-testing/.
REAL ID
Kentucky will continue offering the option of a standard driver’s license. But a REAL ID or other form of federally approved identification, such as a passport or Department of Defense-issued military ID, will be needed by people 18 and older for boarding commercial flights and accessing military bases and federal buildings that currently require identification. Enforcement is scheduled to begin May 3, 2023.
First-time application for a REAL ID must be made in person at a Driver Licensing Regional office. Specific documentation is required. A list of acceptable documentation and a link to take an interactive quiz that populates a personalized list of documents is available at drive.ky.gov | IDocument Guide.
EDITORS NOTE: Click the following link to access b-roll footage of a Driver Licensing Regional Office: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esSNoKk04Ew.
Click here to view a map of regional office locations and counties that have transferred services to KYTC.
Click here to view a map of Kentucky State Police driver testing locations.