Lexington residents can now get Real ID Kentucky driver’s licenses. Here’s how.
Fayette County residents who want a Real ID-compliant driver’s license or identification card can now get one in Frankfort.
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet said in a news release Friday that the Frankfort driver’s license office is accepting applications for Voluntary Travel IDs, Kentucky’s version of Real ID-compliant identification, from Franklin County, as well as Fayette, Anderson, Scott, Woodford, Owen, Henry and Shelby County residents.
Beginning Oct. 1, people without a Real ID-compliant driver’s license or other acceptable identification, such as a passport, won’t be able to board domestic flights, visit military bases or enter some federal buildings.
The state plans to open a regional office in Lexington where residents can apply for a Real ID. Once that office opens, the Transportation Cabinet said Fayette County residents will be able to choose to apply in Frankfort or Lexington.
The state said Friday that “details about the regional office locations and timeline to open will be shared once finalized.”
The state announced in September that it would set up regional offices where people can get a Real ID-compliant card. The state said then that the first 12 offices would be located in Paducah, Madisonville, Bowling Green, Elizabethtown, Louisville, Lexington, Florence, Somerset, Manchester, Jackson, Prestonsburg and Morehead.
“We’re proud to expand access at our Frankfort location to Fayette County residents who are ready to apply for the new card version before it’s available in Lexington,” Matt Henderson, commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Vehicle Regulation, said in Friday’s news release. “Coming prepared will save applicants valuable time since new federal standards require additional documentation that must meet strict requirements.”
To apply for a Real ID, people must present a valid proof of identity, proof of social security number and two valid proofs of residency. Other documents may also be required if the applicant’s name, birth date or gender do not match, according to the transportation cabinet.
The Franklin County driver’s licensing office, at 200 Mero Street, Frankfort, is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The office does not accept cash or checks, only debit and credit cards. The office will not serve applicants who need to take a driver’s test or re-test, according to a news release.
People who apply for a Real ID will receive a temporary document that they will use in place of a driver’s license until their new Real ID card arrives in the mail at their residence.
The state initially planned for circuit court clerks in all 120 counties to distribute the Real ID licenses, as they do regular driver’s licenses. Franklin and Woodford counties began issuing the IDs under a pilot program, and the state planned to roll them out to the rest of the state by the end of last year.
But in September, the state stopped the program, citing workload and staffing issues, and said the plan going forward would be for a regional approach.
Fayette County residents who don’t want a Real ID-compliant driver’s license can continue to get standard driver’s licenses and ID cards through the Fayette County Clerk’s office.
Real ID licenses have a star cutout inside a black circle in the upper right corner. They will cost $24 for a four-year driver’s license or $48 for an eight-year license.
This story was originally published January 3, 2020 at 5:14 PM.
