Confused by changes to KY licenses because of Real ID? Here’s what you need to know.
Getting that first driver’s license may be a memorable milestone, but renewing it feels about as exciting as a routine oil change.
That process is going to be different for many drivers in the months ahead, however, as Kentucky continues rolling out a new, secure program known as REAL ID. Once it’s fully implemented, drivers 18 and older will have two choices when it comes to obtaining or renewing their driver’s license. They can visit their local circuit court clerk’s office like always OR they can travel to what will soon be one of 13 locations to apply for that enhanced license.
Starting Oct. 1, 2020, they’ll need that enhanced license or another federally issued ID if they want to board a domestic commercial flight or to enter a federally secure facility like Fort Knox or a nuclear power plant without being subject to additional screening.
This is an issue that potentially affects every driver, which is why, as a member of the General Assembly’s Transportation Committee, I am doing all I can to make sure Kentuckians are aware of the changes about to happen.
Like every other state, Kentucky is taking this step to meet a 2005 mandate Congress enacted to strengthen homeland security measures, but getting to this point has not been easy for the commonwealth.
A 2016 attempt to make REAL ID available here was vetoed by Governor Bevin, and a pilot program begun under the 2017 law showed significant staffing and workload issues for circuit court clerks’ offices. Kentucky’s Transportation Cabinet secretary said having the clerks offering traditional and REAL ID driver’s licenses “is not a sustainable long-term model” and would undermine the offices’ current responsibilities. That is why the administration chose a regional approach instead.
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet officials recently told legislators that about 3,500 drivers have already applied for the REAL ID, and many more are expected once Frankfort’s and 12 other offices around Kentucky are open in the months ahead. Those regional centers will be in Paducah, Madisonville, Bowling Green, Elizabethtown, Louisville, Lexington, Florence, Somerset, Manchester, Jackson, Prestonsburg and Morehead.
There could eventually be up to 30 of these centers, because the goal is to keep the drive as short as possible for those having to travel from another county.
It takes up to 10 minutes for applicants to complete the initial application process for a REAL ID license if they have the correct documentation with them. First, applicants will need to prove their identify with something like a passport or a birth certificate. Second, they will have to present a Social Security card, a W-2 wage and tax statement or a 1099 tax form. And, third, they will need a proof of residency, which can include a home utility bill, property deed or current driver’s license.
This is not a comprehensive document list. To see what else is eligible, and to learn more about the program overall, please visit drive.ky.gov/confidentky.
If you have a relatively new driver’s license, you do not need to renew it before Oct. 1, 2020; however, you will need a passport or other federal ID after that date if you plan to fly commercially or visit a federally secure facility and don’t want to be subject to extra screening. Your current driver’s license will no longer be enough in those instances.
It will be possible to obtain a REAL ID as more counties become eligible. Be aware, though, that if you renew your driver’s license more than six months before your current license expires, you will need to renew the REAL ID again by your current license’s expiration date. The cost for an eight-year REAL ID will be $48.
It is vitally important to emphasize that you do not need to do anything differently if you do not plan to fly or enter a federal facility or if you already have an approved federal ID you can use instead. In those cases, renew your license as always at the circuit court clerk’s office before its expiration date. The REAL ID is only for those who want the enhanced ID, but both types of license will be acceptable for driving purposes.
This can seem confusing, but the end result is improved safety, because the new IDs are much more secure. The good news is that, if you decide it’s not right for you, nothing changes at all.
Rep. Cherlynn Stevenson, a Democrat, represents the 88th House District in Fayette County.
