New driver licensing system launches this June to improve customer experience

FRANKFORT, Ky. – On Wednesday, Gov. Andy Beshear announced a new driver licensing system and online portal launching in June.

The governor’s office says the system will provide online services to help reduce wait times at regional offices and minimize paperwork.

According to the governor’s office, the system will replace a current, 40-year-old system and allow residents to create accounts using the new portal, myDrive, enabling them to pre-apply for a license, permit or ID, request a card replacement, check their current license standing and more.

Kentuckians due to renew in June are encouraged to visit a Driver Licensing Regional Office before June 4, officials say, as offices will close on June 4 and June 5, and hours are operation will be adjusted from June 8-18 for the system migration.

“Team Kentucky remains committed to improving our licensing services so that Kentuckians are spending less time waiting in line and more time getting where they need to go,” Beshear said. “This new system will provide families with the secure, online services they expect in today’s world and we are encouraging folks to plan ahead and take care of any needed renewals ahead of June, as the transition will briefly impact hours at our offices.”

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s new system, known as the Kentucky Information Network for Driver Licensing, is scheduled to launch Monday, June 8.

The new system will streamline licensing for commercial drivers too, allowing medical certificates to be accepted directly from approved medical providers, cutting out the middle step of needing to manually submit results yourself to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s National Registry. Once launched, the state’s MyCDL portal for commercial drivers to upload medical certificates will be discontinued, as it will no longer be needed.

Changes to Services During Transition

To allow staff to convert more than 4 million driver records into the KINDL system, the following temporary changes to licensing services will be necessary:

• All Driver Licensing Regional Offices will close Thursday, June 4 – Friday, June 5.
  • Offices will reopen on Monday, June 8. Walk-in hours will be 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. through June 18.
  • While once-a-month Saturday hours will not be hosted in June, two May Saturday options will be available on May 9 and May 30 from 8 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Monthly Saturday hours will resume in July.
  • Online driver’s license renewal will be unavailable beginning Wednesday, June 3. Services will be restored on Monday, June 8.

“With approximately 55,000 Kentuckians due to renew in June, now is the best time to take care of your licensing needs to save valuable time before the temporary office closures,” said KYTC Secretary Rebecca Goodman. “Online and mail-in renewal is still an option for most Kentuckians who want to skip a trip entirely if they have a completed vision screening form.”

Cardholders can renew their driver’s license up to six months before their card’s expiration date.

New myDrive Accounts for Online Services

• Starting June 8, all online licensing services, including those for commercial driver’s license (CDL) holders, will require a myDrive account. Account holders can enjoy the following new services:

Pre-apply for a license, permit or ID to save time during an in-person visit to request a card for the first time or to renew a license.

• Request a card replacement
• Change their address
• Check their current license standing (i.e. suspended) and production status of their card
• View individual licensing communications sent by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet
• An account will also be needed to renew your license online, register an emergency contact, sign up for license expiration reminders, or pay reinstatement fees. More details on how to set up an account will be shared as the rollout approaches.

Licensing Improvements and Reduced Wait Times

• This effort builds on recent, major steps Team Kentucky has taken to improve the licensing experience and optimize convenience, like hiring 125 contracted full-time staff last year and launching a new line management and text check-in system that drastically cut office wait times when demand grew last year due to new vision screening requirements, REAL ID enforcement and new permit eligibility for 15 year olds.
• Statewide average walk-in customer times dropped from 49 minutes last April to 16 minutes in March. Average appointment wait times dropped from 25 minutes to 10 minutes, respectively. In January, Kentucky launched the free Kentucky Mobile ID app that offers convenient, digital IDs accepted at security checkpoints at most U.S. major airports.

During the 2026 legislative session, funding for three of six new office locations that KYTC requested was adopted by the General Assembly. New offices are expected to open in Barren, Bullitt, and Oldham Counties in the future.