Trigg County 1 of 7 counties to transition in Jan. to new, secure driver-licensing model

(KBSI) – Seven more Kentucky counties will make the transition in January to a new, secure driver-licensing model, administered by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC). The new model gives Kentuckians more choices and modern services.

The traditional issuance system of licenses and permits initiated at the Office of Circuit Court Clerk in each county is being phased out. It is being replaced by a network of KYTC Driver Licensing Regional Offices located across the state. Twenty regional offices have been opened statewide to date, with more to come. KYTC and Kentucky’s circuit court clerks are working to complete the transition statewide by June 30.

Online appointment scheduling, online license renewal and mail-in renewal are now offered. Circuit court clerks will be able to focus solely on court business. Driver licensing will be executed at new regional offices whose only business is licensing.

Trigg County in western Kentucky is one of eight counties to make the transition in January. Eighty-seven counties will have made the transition by the end of January.

The Office of Circuit Court Clerk in Jefferson County will cease licensing services and refer customers to KYTC Driver Licensing Regional Offices as of Jan. 13. For circuit court clerks in each of the other six counties, the change will take effect Jan. 27.

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.

Walk-in customers are welcomed on a first-come, first-served basis until available slots are filled.

More than 62,000 Kentuckians have skipped a trip to a regional office by renewing their current license online, and more than 3,500 have done so by mail. Tap here to learn more about how to renew your license.

KYTC regional offices – the only place where Kentuckians can 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 (appointment only), Louisville/Hurstbourne, Louisville/Nia Center, Madisonville, Manchester, 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 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 credentials during visits and improves security by eliminating in-office card production machinery.

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 can visit http://kentuckystatepolice.org/driver-testing/ to make an appointment online.

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, 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.