September 2021 Transition Tracker: Issue No. 5

Starting Oct. 1, Kentuckians will have one more way of handling their driver licensing needs from the comfort of their homes. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is creating a permanent Mail-in Renewal Program that follows in the footsteps of the recently launched Online Renewal Program. Both initiatives offer licensing services to Kentuckians outside the walls of KYTC’s regional offices. The Mail-in Renewal Program, expanding on the successful Circuit Court Clerks’ Mail-in Renewal Program, will be fully administered by the Division of Driver Licensing in Frankfort.

How Does It Work?

Beginning Oct. 1, Kentuckians may submit a Mail-in Renewal application and payment in one of three ways: by mail to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Division of Driver Licensing, 200 Mero St., Frankfort, Ky., 40602; at a KYTC drop box located at the above address; or via email to KYTC.DDLLicenseRenewal@ky.gov. Cash, checks, money orders, debit and credit cards are accepted. 

Who May Participate?

Any Kentuckian within six months of his or her credential expiring may renew via mail. Applicants who possess a credential that expired less than a year ago may use the program.  

Renewals of the following are included in the program:

• a Standard or REAL ID driver license.
• a Standard or REAL ID combination motorcycle and operator license.
• a Standard or REAL ID identification card. 

Through the Mail-in Renewal Program, Kentuckians may request a duplicate or replacement of any of the above credentials. Kentuckians with a change in address may apply by mail to have a credential updated. 

Kentuckians using the Mail-in Renewal Program should not mail KYTC their current plastic credential with the renewal application. A new credential will be mailed upon successful processing of the application.

At this time, only four-year renewals are available through the Mail-in Renewal Program. Kentuckians wanting an eight-year renewal period must visit any of KYTC’s current regional offices.

Who Must Visit an Office?

Commercial Driver's License holders, non-U.S. citizens, first-time REAL ID applicants, an applicant who requires driver or vision testing, or those with name changes, are unable to renew by mail and must handle these licensing needs in person due to state or federal requirements.

The Mail-in Renewal Program application and any additional information will be posted on drive.ky.gov Oct. 1. If your constituents have questions regarding the Mail-in Renewal Program once it launches Oct. 1, please direct them to either drive.ky.gov or 502-564-1257. 

NOTE: Watch your inbox and KYTC's social media channels for the official announcement of the Mail-in Renewal Program in the coming weeks.  

The Transportation Cabinet’s State Fair booth drew thousands of fair-goers over the course of the 11-day event.

Despite the massive number of visitors from counties across the state and the lines they formed during the booth’s 12-hour daily schedule, there were mainly two questions on visitors' minds: “How do I get my REAL ID?” and “When do the Popups open?”

REAL ID

As Circuit Court Clerks, you are aware Kentucky is making REAL ID-compliant driver licenses and ID cards available statewide at our Driver Licensing Regional Offices ahead of the May 3, 2023 enforcement deadline. 

We have opened and are continuing to locate other offices in parts of the state where we see the potential for greater services, which will include the issuance of REAL IDs. Our state fair booth was just one of the many ways we are getting information to Kentuckians who may need or want a REAL ID.

A large number of fair-goers left our booth with REAL ID information, and said they plan to either “upgrade” or renew their standard license to a REAL ID at one of our regional offices.

Popups

Several Kentuckians, however, returned to our booth the next day or during their next fair visit to upgrade or renew to a REAL ID at our Popup Driver Licensing stations.

This KYTC initiative uses portable technology to bring driver licensing services to Kentuckians outside the doors of our regional offices, like the state fair.

Kentucky is the first state to use such technology – the ultra-portable "IdentoGO" tablet by the global company IDEMIA. 

Our two Popup stations, each equipped with an IdentoGo tablet, were open 2-6 p.m. each day of the fair and issued 652 total credentials – 546 REAL ID credentials and 106 standard credentials. The daily average of credentials issued was 59.  

Once the Popup program is fully launched statewide, Popup events will be hosted periodically in counties without a regional office. The number of visits is based on a county's population. 

We are currently reaching out to county judge-executives to establish a point of contact to get Popup services out in the state as quickly as possible. In some counties, Circuit Court Clerks have reached out to help in the upcoming Popup rollout.

The Popup initiative, along with Online Renewal and the upcoming Mail-in Renewal Program, is part of our ongoing efforts to broaden the way Kentuckians get licensing services. In the 12 weeks since launching Online Renewal, more than 23,000 Kentuckians have used the service. Like our Online Renewal program, our Popup Driver Licensing stations are also quick and efficient, according to fair-goers.  

The 11-day state fair provided the perfect opportunity for us to publicly debut our Popup tablets. Ahead of our statewide launch, we saw just how popular the program was – staff used the two tablets to issue credentials to residents from 35 Kentucky counties visiting the state fair.