Regional Driver Testing In Bowling Green Now Serving EC Residents

No More Testing In Edmonson County: Regional Location To Serve Barren, Simpson, Warren, Allen, Butler, and Edmonson County

Edmonson Voice Report:
On Friday, Governor Andy Beshear and the Kentucky State Police (KSP) announced that the regional driver testing branch in Bowling Green will begin serving Kentuckians who wish to obtain a state driver permit or driver license. The regional branch, located in Bowling Green, 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, driver or commercial driver license test.

“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 Gov. Beshear. “A local branch makes it easier for our Kentucky families to access the services they need.”

Currently, KSP is 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. KSP welcomed Barren, Simpson and Warren county residents at this location on Oct. 25 and the transition went smoothly. The expansion to Allen, Butler and Edmonson counties will complete this regional testing office conversion.

Wednesday, November 17th was the final day for testing in Edmonson County. This decision was made at the state level, not through The Edmonson County Circuit Clerk's Office.

Appointments are available Monday through Friday and can be made online by visiting KSP’s website. Residents must make an appointment prior to arrival for a permit, driver or commercial driver license test.
“One of the benefits of regionalization is increased availability of testing services,” said KSP’s Commander of Driver Testing, Captain Marshall Johnson. “New appointments will be posted daily at 8 a.m., Monday through Friday, and this availability is the product of regionalizing our services.” 

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.