Every day, Kentuckians rely on the services of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet – from maintaining the roads they travel to issuing the licenses that allow them to drive, operate businesses, and more. We hear the frustration when things don’t work as expected. And even though there are reasons for these challenges, we don’t make excuses.
That’s why we’re taking steps to reduce lines and improve wait times for customers at our Driver Licensing Regional Offices, and to improve efficiency through innovations that provide remote renewals so you can skip the line.
Let’s look at the history. In the past few years, federal and state laws have required us to implement sweeping updates to our licensing process. Just 36 months after lawmakers shifted driver licensing issuance from 120 circuit court clerks to the cabinet, we now issue over 1.1 million permits, driver’s licenses, CDLs, Real IDs, motorcycle licenses, and ID cards each year at 34 regional offices.
On top of assuming these responsibilities, with driver safety front of mind, new legislation required vision screening for all license or permit renewals beginning January 1.
That, along with the Real ID enforcement date of May 7, has resulted in higher demand for in-person appointments and walk-in visits, which is causing lines to grow.
And finally, new state-of-the art online services have provided the ability to get your license at any office no matter where you live.
We have undergone a massive transformation, only made possible by the skill and dedication of hundreds of public servants in our licensing branch.
Despite these challenges, we’re making real progress.
We’ve rolled out system upgrades to reduce wait times, including a new line management system that allows electronic check-ins so customers can wait in their car. We’ve hired additional staff, increased online services to make everyday tasks more convenient and we streamlined the customer experience. We continue to look at future office expansion.
Now, we’re launching “Skip the Line” options for Kentuckians who simply need to renew their license or ID. Here are four ways we can help you bypass lines, and get back to your life faster:
• Visit your eye specialist, ask for a vision screening form, go online and upload it to renew at DLRenewal.Ky.gov.
• Visit any licensing office for a vision screening, receive a passcode, return home to renew online at DLRenewal.Ky.gov.
• Visit any licensing office for a vision screening, then ask for a renewal form to fill out there and receive a temporary license via email.
• Or renew by mail by printing the mail-in form at Drive.ky.gov, filling it out, and attaching a completed vision form from an eye specialist.
These remote renewal options will help not only you but will also reduce waits for others who need in-person services to change an address, marital status or photo on a license, apply for a CDL, or upgrade to a REAL ID.
We continue to offer once-a-month Saturday hours and popup licensing events in counties without a regional office. And soon, we’ll offer email and text reminders for renewals, giving customers an extra tool to stay on top of their licensing needs before deadlines approach.
These innovations mean our staff are showing up, creating the necessary tools, adapting quickly and staying focused on results. Most importantly, it means listening to the public and delivering on our promise to serve.
We know there’s still work to do. But we also know that with every improvement we make, whether cutting down processing times, adding remote renewal options or supporting our county partners, we’re building a more responsive, more efficient licensing system for the people of Kentucky.
Change is tough, and it always takes a little time. But, despite the challenges, we’re working hard to deliver results, and we’re not making excuses.
Jim Gray serves as Kentucky’s Transportation Cabinet Secretary