Increased staff, other improvements added to KY's regional DMVs
By Karyn Czar
June 9, 2025 at 11:18 AM EDT
The governor says his administration is continuing to find ways to speed up wait times at regional licensing offices.
According to Governor Andy Beshear, three things are clogging the system and creating delays and long lines for anyone trying to get or renew a driver's license; the deadline for the Real ID requirement, the change in the law that allows 15-years-olds to get their driving permit, and the requirement for an eye exam.
Beshear said that to help speed up the process, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has added new software to manage lines and created 100 new, full-time contracted positions. There are also ways you can skip a portion of the lines.
"You can get the vision screening at no charge. And after the screening, they can give you a passcode, and you can go home and do all the rest online. In other words, the only wait you'll have is for the vision screening, not all the other lines that you have to go through, and you can get that done pretty quickly," Beshear said. "Or you can visit the office for your vision screening, and then fill out the renewal form while you're there. Leave the renewal form, and they'll process it."
To skip the line altogether, you can also have a vision screening done independently and submit all your information online.
Beshear said nearly 15-thousand 15-year-olds have taken their test to get a permit since he signed the law, which dropped the age from 16 on April 1st. The Real ID deadline was May 7, 2025, and Kentucky began requiring vision screenings for driver's license renewals on January 1, 2025.
Beshear said that to help speed up the process, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has added new software to manage lines and created 100 new, full-time contracted positions. There are also ways you can skip a portion of the lines.
"You can get the vision screening at no charge. And after the screening, they can give you a passcode, and you can go home and do all the rest online. In other words, the only wait you'll have is for the vision screening, not all the other lines that you have to go through, and you can get that done pretty quickly," Beshear said. "Or you can visit the office for your vision screening, and then fill out the renewal form while you're there. Leave the renewal form, and they'll process it."
To skip the line altogether, you can also have a vision screening done independently and submit all your information online.
Beshear said nearly 15-thousand 15-year-olds have taken their test to get a permit since he signed the law, which dropped the age from 16 on April 1st. The Real ID deadline was May 7, 2025, and Kentucky began requiring vision screenings for driver's license renewals on January 1, 2025.