OWENSBORO, KY – On Friday, September 24, 2021, Gov. Andy Beshear and the Kentucky State Police (KSP) announced a new regional driver testing branch location for Kentuckians to obtain a state driver permit or driver license. The new regional branch will be located in Owensboro. Residents of Daviess County and surrounding counties should take note of the new regional location in order to make an appointment prior to arrival.
“The new KSP regional driver testing locations are being done in accordance with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s (KYTC) licensing model. Regionalizing these locations will offer more efficient and effective services,” said Gov. Beshear. “I wish all Kentuckians the best of luck as they start the journey in obtaining a Kentucky driver’s license.”
Beginning Monday, September 27, 2021 KSP will offer driver testing at the KYTC Regional Drivers Licensing Office, located at 2620 KY Hwy 81, Owensboro, KY 42301, for residents of Daviess, Hancock, and Ohio counties.
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 by viewing it through the official KSP mobile app, ‘kspolice’. All driver testing materials can be viewed and downloaded free of charge.
Upon completion and passage of a permit, driver or commercial driver license, applicants will need to make an appointment at one of the KYTC regional locations to obtain their official state driving identification. 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.
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