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NEWS RELEASE

Gov. Andy Beshear and the Kentucky State Police announced that all KSP Driver Testing Regional Branches have been established within the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Driver Licensing Regional Offices and are open and ready for business. Residents will now have the option to make driver testing appointments at any regional office throughout the commonwealth, regardless of their county of residence.

In March 2020, House Bill 453 passed transitioning licensing services to the KYTC as the sole issuer of driver and operator licenses including REAL ID. The bill mandated regional offices be operational statewide by June 30, 2022. KSP has met the deadline as of today’s announcement.

“We appreciate KSP and KYTC working together to expand driver licensing services to Kentuckians statewide,” said Gov. Beshear. “Now that residents can make an appointment at any regional office, our Kentucky families have expanded access to the services they need, making it easier for them to take a written or skills drivers test and obtain a license at one location in one day.”   

Appointments are available Monday-Friday and can be made online by visiting KSP’s website. Residents must make an appointment at any regional branch before arrival for a permit, driver, or commercial driver license test. Successful testing applicants will be served the same day by KYTC Driver Licensing Regional Office staff to apply for a permit or license, based on capacity and time of day, without scheduling a separate appointment.

“One of the benefits of the regional branches is the increased availability of testing services. Allowing citizens to choose where they receive those services adds increased flexibility for scheduling appointments. The increased availability and flexibility are both made possible by regionalizing our services,” said KSP’s Commander of Driver Testing, Captain Marshall Johnson. “New appointments will be posted daily at 8 a.m., Monday through Friday, and citizens can now make an appointment at a location that works best for them.”

Captain Johnson went on to thank and recognize KSP’s driver testing branch for their hard work and quick response over the last two years in transitioning to a regional model. The transition was done efficiently, with limited staff and during a nationwide pandemic.

Prior to an appointment, new drivers should prepare for the exam by accessing the only approved Kentucky driver’s manual or through the official KSP mobile app. All driver testing materials can be viewed and downloaded free of charge.

According to KYTC, 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. Federal 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. Kentuckians can renew their driver’s license online, by mail or in person. To learn more, visit drive.ky.gov.