Lawrence circuit clerk to cease driver’s licensing services in August

By TONY FYFFE

BSN Editor

LOUISA – Lawrence is one of nine counties that will transition in August to a new, secure driver-licensing model, administered by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC), that gives Kentuckians more choices and modern services.

The move means that the Lawrence County Circuit Clerk’s Office will no longer issue or renew driver’s license, and residents will have to travel to a regional office to receive those services.

Eighteen regional offices have been opened statewide to date, with more to come. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and the state’s circuit clerks are working together to smoothly complete the transition statewide by June 30, 2022.

Circuit clerks in Lawrence, Bath, Carter, Crittenden, Cumberland, Jackson, Lyon, McLean and Warren counties will cease in-person driver licensing services on Aug. 23, according to a press release issued Tuesday by the Transportation Cabinet.

With the August transition, 49 of Kentucky’s 120 counties will have made the transfer of services.

Residents of counties making the transition may renew or apply for a REAL ID or new standard card version of driver license, learner permits, commercial driver licenses (CDL) and ID cards at any KYTC Driver Licensing Regional Office. Applicants are encouraged to make an appointment online, which can be done at drive.ky.gov. Walk-in customers are welcomed on a first-come, first-served basis until available slots are filled.

For the first time in Kentucky, license holders who want to renew their current license version, and whose name and address have not changed, now can do so online. Visit dlrenewal.ky.gov for more information.

Regional offices closest to Lawrence County are located in Catlettsburg and Prestonsburg.

Driver licensing regional offices will offer:

• Online appointment scheduling. Walk-in customers are still welcome.

• A choice between a REAL ID and a new standard card version. Both feature security upgrades and are available with a choice of four-year or eight-year expiration. (Eight years for all CDLs.)

• Service at any regional office, regardless of customer’s county of residence.

• Periodic “Pop-up Driver Licensing” visits to counties without a regional office to offer on-site application and renewal services.

License applicants will receive a temporary identification document at the end of the transaction for use until the permanent card arrives by mail at their home address. This reduces the wait time for printing credentials during visits and improves security by eliminating in-office card production machinery.