UPDATE: Nine counties transitioning to regional licensing offices in August

UPDATE POSTED JULY 27, 2021 AT 10:37 A.M.

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WTVQ) – Nine additional counties will be moving licensing services from Circuit Court Clerks to KYTC Driver Licensing Regional Offices in August.

The counties joining this transition are Bath, Carter, Crittenden, Cumberland, Jackson, Lawrence, Lyon, McLean and Warren counties. Those counties’ Offices of Circuit Court Clerk will stop in-person driver licensing services on Aug. 23.

After the August transition, 49 out of 120 counties will have transferred to the regional services.

ORIGINAL STORY POSTED JUNE 23, 2021 AT 11:16 A.M.

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WTVQ/Press Release) – As the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) looks to provide more choices and modern services, ten more counties plan to transition to a new, secure driver-licensing model in July.

The state is in the process of phasing out the traditional system of issuing licenses and permits by each county’s Office of Circuit Court Clerk. It will be replaced by a network of KYTC Driver Licensing Regional Offices located across the state. So far, 18 regional offices have been opened. The transition is expected to be completed by June 30, 2022.

“It’s a new era of driver licensing in Kentucky that will usher in technology enhancements and more service options than ever before, such as online appointment scheduling and, for the first time, online license renewal,” Gov. Andy Beshear said. “After many years of issuing driver licenses, circuit court clerks will be able to focus solely on court business and driver licensing will be executed at new regional offices whose only business is licensing.”

The counties transitioning in July are Ballard, Carlisle, Fulton, Garrard, Hickman, Livingston, Magoffin, Martin, Morgan and Muhlenberg counties. As of July 26, the Office of Circuit Court Clerk in each of those counties will stop almost all in-person driver licensing services. At that point, licensing services will be taken care of at KYTC’s regional offices.

Next month’s transitions will mean that a third of Kentucky’s 120 counties will have made the transfer of services.

Residents of counties making the transition may renew or apply for a REAL ID or new standard card version of driver license, learner permits, commercial driver licenses (CDL) and ID cards 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 until available slots are filled.

For the first time in Kentucky, license holders who want to renew their current license, and whose name and address have not changed, now can do so online. See www.drive.ky.gov for information.

KYTC regional offices – the only place to get a REAL ID – are currently operating in Bowling Green, Burlington, Catlettsburg, Columbia, Elizabethtown, Frankfort, Jackson, Lexington, Louisville/Bowman Field (appointment only), Louisville/Dixie Highway, Louisville/Hurstbourne, Madisonville, Morehead, Owensboro, Paducah, Prestonsburg, Richmond and Somerset, with more offices planned.

Kentucky State Police will continue to administer all permit and license testing. Testing services are offered Monday through Friday by appointment only. Applicants who require testing by KSP for a permit, driver license or commercial driver license may make an appointment online by visiting KSP’s website, selecting written or road testing and then locating the schedule associated with their county of residence.

The transition to a new model for license issuance is more than a change of office locations. “Our regional offices also offer a more secure issuance process and upgraded card security features to curb fraud,” KYTC Secretary Jim Gray said.

Driver Licensing Regional Offices will offer the following:

• Online appointment scheduling. Walk-in customers are still welcome.
• 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 and improves security by eliminating in-office card production machinery.

Transition of licensing services was launched with passage of House Bill 453 during the 2020 Kentucky General Assembly. Counties having already made the transition are Adair, Breathitt, Caldwell, Casey, Elliott, Fayette, Fleming, Floyd, Franklin, Green, Hancock, Hardin, Hart, Hopkins, Knott, Lee, Madison, McCracken, McCreary, Menifee, Metcalfe, Owen, Owsley, Pulaski, Rockcastle, Rowan, Russell, Webster, Wolfe and Woodford.

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 military ID, eventually 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.