Kentucky lawmakers approve funding for 3 new regional driver licensing offices

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Kentucky lawmakers approved a measure to fund three new regional driver licensing offices, including two in the Louisville area, as the state continues to expand a system that has drawn both growth and criticism.

House Bill 501 cleared both the House and Senate this week, paving the way for new offices in Bullitt, Oldham and Barren counties. The measure sets aside nearly $37 million in funding over the next three fiscal years to support the new locations.

State officials said the additional offices are intended to improve access and reduce wait times as Kentucky continues its transition to a regional licensing model.

"They have to drive to Elizabethtown, Louisville (or) Bardstown," said Rep. Thomas Huff, R-Shepherdsville. "Everybody's frustrated with it."

Huff voted for the measure Wednesday. In fact, he's co-sponsored several bills in recent sessions aimed at bringing licensing back to local governments. However, he's losing hope in that potential.

"It's never going to happen," he said. "(Licensing is) never coming back to the circuit clerk's office. The best any rep or senator can do is get a regional office in their county or close."

That system, which began rolling out in 2021, shifted driver licensing services away from county circuit court clerks and into state-run regional offices. While designed to modernize services and streamline the rollout of REAL ID-compliant licenses, the change has led to complaints about longer drives and difficulty securing appointments in some areas.

The addition of offices in Bullitt and Oldham counties is expected to have a direct impact on the Louisville region, where rapid population growth in surrounding counties has increased demand for licensing services.

Currently, residents in those counties often rely on regional offices in Jefferson County or neighboring areas, which can mean extended wait times or travel.

Gov. Andy Beshear and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet have received criticism over the regional model since its rollout but have worked to cut down on the issues. The state has hired 125 additional staff, implemented a line management check-in system and opened a fifth location in Louisville to help improve wait times and appointment availability.

"The average appointment wait times were just 10 minutes," Beshear said last week in his Team Kentucky update. "Walk-ins were 12, average wait time for appointments just 10. That's down from 25 last spring."

KYTC said in a statement "opening additional, convenient locations is another way Team Kentucky is building upon our commitment to provide quality licensing services. The Cabinet received funding for three of the six locations it requested funding for."

The new offices would be funded and phased in over the next several years, though a specific timeline for opening has not yet been announced. Locations are still being determined within those counties.