Driver's Licenses, Permits, Renewals Leaving Edmonson County As Regional Office Opens In Warren

Darren Doyle, story:
Driver's license services including tests, permits, CDLs, and renewals will no longer be available in Edmonson County, as a result of Governor Andy Beshear's announcement yesterday of a new regional driver testing branch in Bowling Green.

These services have always been available at county circuit court clerk offices; however, the last day to schedule a driver's test in Edmonson County will be November 29th. The new regional office will serve residents of Barren, Simpson, Warren, Allen, Butler, and Edmonson counties. Residents of these counties should take note of the new regional location in order to make an appointment prior to arrival for a permit or driver or commercial driver license test, a statement from the Governor's Office said.

“We appreciate KSP and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet working together to expand driver licensing services to Kentuckians in Barren, Simpson, Warren, Allen, Butler and Edmonson counties,” said Beshear. “A local branch makes it easier for our Kentucky families to access the services they need.”

On October 25th, the Kentucky State Police began offering driver testing at the KYTC Regional Drivers Licensing Office, located at 360 East 8th Avenue, Bowling Green, KY 42101, for residents of Barren, Simpson, and Warren Counties.

Beginning November 22, KSP will offer driver testing services at the KYTC Regional Drivers Licensing Office, located 360 East 8th Avenue, Bowling Green, KY 42101, for residents of Allen, Butler, and Edmonson counties.

Edmonson County Circuit Court Clerk Tanya Hodges discussed the transition and wanted folks to be sure that her office isn't moving.

"I have enjoyed having drivers license services in my office and I liked being involved with the kids getting their permits," she said. "I know it was a happy memory for me when I got mine. I enjoyed getting to visit with people when they came in to renew. In some instances that’s about the only time I get to see them."

Hodges said people often confuse her office with the County Clerk, some have the belief that her office does driver's license services-only, or that the entire office is being moved; however, the state says part of the reason for the regionalization of driver services is so that county circuit court clerk's offices can focus on the court system.

"My office will still be open for all court related matters," she said. "We are not moving and will be here to serve the citizens in any way we can."

Appointments are available Monday through Friday and can be made online by clicking here. Residents must make an appointment prior to arrival for a permit, driver or commercial driver license test.

KSP is continuing to work with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and Kentucky’s circuit court clerks to open the remaining regional offices statewide by June 30, 2022.

Prior to an appointment, new drivers should prepare for the exam by accessing the only approved Kentucky driver’s manual or through the official KSP mobile app, ‘kspolice’. All driver testing materials can be viewed and downloaded free of charge.

Successful testing applicants will be served the same day by KYTC Driver Licensing Regional Office staff to apply for a permit or license, based on capacity and time of day, without scheduling a separate appointment. The transition of licensing services by KYTC was mandated with passage of House Bill 453 during the 2020 Kentucky General Assembly.

According to KYTC, Kentucky will continue offering the option of a standard driver’s license, but a REAL ID or other form of federally approved identification, such as a passport or military ID, eventually will be needed by people 18 and older for boarding commercial flights and accessing military bases and federal buildings that currently require identification. Federal enforcement is scheduled to begin May 3, 2023.

First-time application for a REAL ID must be made in person at a Driver Licensing Regional office. Specific documentation is required. A list of acceptable documentation and a link to take an interactive quiz that populates a personalized list of documents is available at drive.ky.gov | IDocument Guide.