Pub. 1 2020 Issue 3

24 Kentucky Trucker Kentucky Trucking Association T he recently opened Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) Regional Driver Licensing Office in Lexington is ushering in a new way by which Kentuckians will obtain commer- cial driver’s licenses, other operator licenses, learner permits and state identification cards. Over the next two years, starting in Fayette County, all operator licensing and official ID functions will transition from the circuit court clerk in each county to a network of KYTC regional offices across the Commonwealth. “This transition allows us to offer top-notch customer service and assistance in every region of the Commonwealth, building on the great work our circuit clerks have done over the years to get Kentuck- ians on the road safely,” said Gov. Beshear. “I’m grateful to all state and local staff members who have helped us get these services ready and all offices in compliance with Healthy at Work guidelines.” The transition, which has been planned for years, officially launched with the passage of House Bill 453 during the 2020 Kentucky General Assembly and will be com- pleted by June 30, 2022. The KYTC regional offices, already the exclu- sive issuers of REAL ID-compliant licenses and IDs, will also be the place to get CDLs, standard driver’s licenses and ID cards. In July, the Office of the Fayette Cir- cuit Court Clerk became the first NEW KYTC REGIONAL OFFICE IN LEXINGTON SHOWS THE FUTURE OF DRIVER LICENSING IN KENTUCKY FAYETTE COUNTY FIRST TO TRANSITION CDLS, OTHER DRIVER LICENSING TO KYTC to hand off in-person and mail-in driver’s license issuance, renewal and replacement to a new KYTC regional office at 141 Leestown Cen- ter Way in Lexington. “In the months ahead, the circuit clerks in more and more counties will be making the same transi- tion,” KYTC secretary Jim Gray said. “When the transition is completed, license issuance will be entirely within the Transportation Cabinet. And the new regional offices, once fully staffed, will offer state-of-the-art customer service, including online appointment scheduling as well as walk-in ser- vice. I want to thank Fayette Circuit Court Clerk Vince Riggs for the excellent driver licensing services he and his team provided Lexing- ton residents over the years.” Doug Hall, circuit court clerk in Floyd County and president of the Kentucky Association of Circuit Court Clerks, said the association was pleased to see the transition in Fayette County going smoothly despite the “inevitable hurdles brought on by COVID.” “The regional issuance model orig- inated under the previous admin- istration, but Secretary Gray has done a yeoman’s job in navigating the final stages of its implemen- tation. Circuit court clerks will continue to assist KYTC during the transition of credential issuance back to the executive branch, as we have always supported whatever is best for the citizens of the Com- monwealth. Customer service is our highest priority,” Mr. Hall said. To date, in addition to the new office in Lexington, the cabinet has regional offices operating in Paducah, Madisonville, Elizabeth- town, Frankfort, Somerset, More- head and Prestonsburg. More offices are being opened — or reopened after a closure caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic — as conditions permit. The net- work eventually will comprise about two dozen offices, covering all sec- tions of the Commonwealth. Despite