AN ACT relating to the issuance of identity documents.

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AN ACT relating to the issuance of identity documents. 1
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: 2
SECTION 1. A NEW SECTION OF KRS CHAPTER 186 IS CREATED TO 3
READ AS FOLLOWS: 4
(1) As used in this section, "local official" means a circuit clerk, county clerk, county 5
sheriff, or county judge/executive. 6
(2) In any county where at l east one (1) permanent regional licensing office is not 7
located, the Transportation Cabinet shall expand the availability of driver 8
licensing services by establishing a system in which a local official in the county 9
may issue renewal and duplicate operator 's licenses and personal identification 10
cards through a mutual agreement between that local official and the 11
Transportation Cabinet. 12
(3) In a county in which a local official issues renewal and duplicate operator's 13
licenses and personal identification card s under this section, the Transportation 14
Cabinet shall purchase and install all necessary equipment and hardware. 15
(4) (a) Except as provided in paragraph (d) of this subsection, a local official may 16
issue renewal and duplicate operator's licenses and perso nal identification 17
cards only to residents of that county. 18
(b) In a county in which renewal and duplicate operator's licenses and personal 19
identification cards are issued under this section, a local official may enter 20
into an interlocal agreement in accordance with KRS 65.210 to 65.300 to 21
share equipment, personnel, a nd facilities with other counties for the 22
purpose of issuing renewal and duplicate operator's licenses and personal 23
identification cards. 24
(c) In a county where no local official chooses to issue renewal and duplicate 25
operator's licenses and personal identi fication cards, the county 26
judge/executive of that county may enter into an interlocal agreement with 27
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another county. 1
(d) If a local official enters into an interlocal agreement with the county 2
judge/executive of another county under paragraph (c) of this subsection, 3
the local official may issue renewal and duplicate operator's licenses and 4
personal identification cards to residents of that county under this section. 5
(5) In addition to the fees set forth in Section 2 of this Act, a local official shall 6
charge and retain a convenience fee of twenty -five dollars ($25) for each renewal 7
or duplicate operator's license or personal identification card issued under this 8
section. 9
(6) A local official issuing documents under this section shall: 10
(a) Issue only renewal and duplicate versions of operator's licenses and 11
personal identification cards; and 12
(b) Not issue initial operator's licenses or personal identification cards, 13
commercial driver's licenses, or travel IDs. 14
(7) By October 1, 2027, and annually thereafter, the Transportation Cabinet shall 15
report to the Legislative Research Commission for referral to the Interim Joint 16
Committee on Transportation on the number of renewal and duplicate operator's 17
licenses and personal identification cards issued in each county under this 18
section and information regarding the effect on wait times at regional licensing 19
offices. 20
Section 2. KRS 186.531 is amended to read as follows: 21
(1) As used in this section: 22
(a) "GF" means the general fund; 23
(b) "IP" means instruction permit; 24
(c) "License fund" or "LF" means the KYTC photo license account created in 25
KRS 174.056; 26
(d) "MC" means motorcycle; 27
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(e) "MC fund" or "MCF" means the motorcycle safety education program fund 1
established in KRS 176.5065; 2
(f) "OL" means operator's license; and 3
(g) "PIDC" means personal identification card. 4
(2) The fees imposed for voluntary travel ID operator's licenses, instruction permits, 5
and personal identification cards shall be as follows. The fees received shall be 6
distributed as shown in the table. The fees shown, unless otherwise noted, are for an 7
eight (8) year period: 8
Card Type Fee LF GF MCF 9
OL (initial/renewal) $48 $48 $0 $0 10
OL (Under 21) (Up to 4 years) $18 $18 $0 $0 11
Any OL, MC, or combination 12
(duplicate/corrected) $15 $13.25 $1.75 $0 13
Motor vehicle IP (3 years) $18 $16 $2 $0 14
Motorcycle IP (1 year) $18 $13 $1 $4 15
Motorcycle OL (initial/renewal) $48 $38 $0 $10 16
Combination vehicle/MC OL 17
(initial/renewal) $58 $48 $0 $10 18
PIDC (initial/renewal) $28 $25 $3 $0 19
PIDC (duplicate/corrected) $15 $13.50 $1.50 $0 20
(3) Except as provided in subsection (9)[(10)] of this section, the fees imposed for 21
standard operator's licenses, instruction permits, and personal identif ication cards 22
shall be as follows and, unless otherwise noted, are for an eight (8) year period: 23
Card Type Fee LF GF MCF 24
OL (initial/renewal) $43 $43 $0 $0 25
OL (Under 21) (Up to 4 years) $15 $15 $0 $0 26
Any OL, MC, or combination 27
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(duplicate/corrected) $15 $13.25 $1.75 $0 1
Motor vehicle IP (3 years) $15 $13 $2 $0 2
Motorcycle IP (1 year) $15 $10 $1 $4 3
Motorcycle OL (initial/renewal) $43 $33 $0 $10 4
Combination vehicle/MC OL 5
(initial/renewal) $53 $43 $0 $10 6
PIDC (initial/renewal) $23 $20 $3 $0 7
PIDC (duplicate/corrected) $15 $13.50 $1.50 $0 8
PIDC (no fixed address) under 9
KRS 186.4122(5)/186.4123(5) 10
(initial, duplicate, or corrected) $0 $0 $0 $0 11
(4) [The fee for a four (4) year original or renewal license issued pursuant to KRS 12
186.4101 shall be fifty percent (50%) of the amount shown in subsections (2) and 13
(3) of this section. The distribution of fees shown in subsections (2) and (3) of this 14
section shall also be reduced by fifty percent (50%) for licenses that are issued for 15
four (4) years. 16
(5) ]Any fee for any identity document applied for using alternative technology under 17
KRS 186.410 and 186.4122 shall be distributed in the same manner as a document 18
applied for in person with the cabinet. 19
(5)[(6)] (a) An applicant for an original or renewal operator's license, permit, 20
commercial driver's license, motorcycle operator's license, or personal 21
identification card shall be requested by the cabinet to make a donation to 22
promote an organ donor program. 23
(b) The donation under this subsection shall be added to the regular fee for an 24
original or renewal motor vehicle operator's license, permit, commercial 25
driver's license, motorcycle operator's license, or personal identification card. 26
One (1) donation may b e made per issuance or renewal of a license or any 27
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combination thereof. 1
(c) The fee shall be paid to the cabinet and shall be forwarded by the cabinet on a 2
monthly basis to the Kentucky Circuit Court Clerks' Trust for Life, and such 3
moneys are hereby appro priated to be used exclusively for the purpose of 4
promoting an organ donor program. A donation under this subsection shall be 5
voluntary and may be refused by the applicant at the time of issuance or 6
renewal. 7
(6)[(7)] In addition to the fees outlined in thi s section, the following individuals, upon 8
application for an initial or renewal operator's license, instruction permit, or 9
personal identification card, shall pay an additional application fee of thirty dollars 10
($30), which shall be deposited in the photo license account: 11
(a) An applicant who is not a United States citizen or permanent resident and who 12
applies under KRS 186.4121 or 186.4123; or 13
(b) An applicant who is applying for a instruction permit, operator's license, or 14
personal identification card without a photo under KRS 186.4102(9). 15
(7)[(8)] (a) Except for individuals exempted under paragraph (c) of this subsection, 16
an applicant for relicens ing after revocation or suspension shall pay a 17
reinstatement fee of forty dollars ($40). 18
(b) The reinstatement fee under this subsection shall be distributed by the State 19
Treasurer as follows: 20
1. Thirty-five dollars ($35) shall be deposited into the photo license 21
account; and 22
2. Five dollars ($5) shall be deposited into a trust and agency fund to be 23
used in defraying the costs and expenses of administering a driver 24
improvement program for problem drivers. 25
(c) This subsection shall not apply to: 26
1. Any perso n whose license was suspended for failure to meet the 27
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conditions set out in KRS 186.411 when, within one (1) year of 1
suspension, the driving privileges of the individual are reinstated; or 2
2. A student who has had his or her license revoked pursuant to KRS 3
159.051. 4
(8)[(9)] As payment for any fee identified in this section, the cabinet: 5
(a) Shall accept cash and personal checks; 6
(b) May accept other methods of payment in accordance with KRS 45.345; and 7
(c) May enter into billing agreements with homeless she lters, health care 8
facilities, or social service agencies that serve individuals without an 9
established and fixed nighttime residence of regular return. 10
(9)[(10)] There shall be no fee assessed at the regional licensing office for the initial, 11
renewal, or duplicate standard personal identification card to an individual, if the 12
individual: 13
(a) Does not possess a valid operator's license or a commercial driver's license; 14
and 15
(b) Is at least eighteen (18) years of age on or before the next regular election. 16
(10) For any renewal or duplicate operator's license or personal identification card 17
issued by a local official under Section 1 of this Act, the local official shall 18
charge the convenience fee of twenty -five dollars ($25) as required in that 19
section, to be retained by the local official. 20
Section 3. KRS 186.410 is amended to read as follows: 21
(1) Except as provided in subsection (6) of this section, every person not exempted by 22
KRS 186.420 and 186.430 shall, before operating a motor vehicle, motorcycle, or 23
moped upon a highway, secure an operator's license as provided in this chapter. 24
(2) Except as provided in KRS 186.4121, all original, renewal, and duplicate personal 25
identification cards and licenses for the operation of mot or vehicles or motorcycles 26
shall be applied for with the Transportation Cabinet, or through alternative 27
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technology, and issued by the Transportation Cabinet. [Subject to the provisions of 1
KRS 186.4101, ]Applications for renewal licenses and personal identi fication cards 2
shall be made every eight (8) years within the birth month of the applicant. A 3
license shall not be issued until the application has been certified by the cabinet and 4
the applicant has, if required under KRS 186.635, successfully completed t he 5
examinations required under KRS 186.480. 6
(3) All personal identification cards shall be issued under the provisions of KRS 7
186.4102, 186.4122, and 186.4123. 8
(4) A person under the age of eighteen (18) years who applies for an instruction permit 9
shall, a t any time between the age of fifteen (15) years and before the person's 10
eighteenth birthday, enroll in one (1) of the following driver training programs: 11
(a) A driver's education course administered by a school district; 12
(b) A driver training school licensed pursuant to KRS Chapter 332 which offers a 13
course meeting or exceeding the minimum standards established by the 14
Transportation Cabinet; or 15
(c) State traffic school. The person may seek to enroll in state traffic school 16
before the person's eighteenth bi rthday. Persons enrolling in state traffic 17
school pursuant to this paragraph shall not be required to pay a fee. 18
(5) Any applicant for any initial or renewal instruction permit, operator's license, or 19
personal identification card under KRS 186.400 to 186.640 may apply for either: 20
(a) A voluntary travel ID document; or 21
(b) A standard document that does not meet standards for federal identification 22
purposes. 23
(6) When an automated driving system as defined in KRS 186.760 is installed on a 24
motor vehicle and is engaged, and the motor vehicle is operating as a fully 25
autonomous vehicle as defined in KRS 186.760, the: 26
(a) Owner of the motor vehicle is considered the operator of the fully autonomous 27
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vehicle and shall comply with applicable traffic or motor vehicle laws, 1
regardless of whether the owner is physically present in the vehicle while the 2
vehicle is operating; and 3
(b) Automated driving system is considered to be licensed to operate the vehicle 4
and a licensed human operator is not required to operate the motor vehicle. 5
Section 4. KRS 186.535 is amended to read as follows: 6
(1) From the port ion of the fee for each eight (8) year original or renewal operator's 7
license which is assigned to the photo license account under KRS 186.531:[,] 8
(a) Two dollars ($2) shall be credited to a special account within the road fund, 9
and shall be used exclusively by the Transportation Cabinet for the purpose of 10
expanding the state driver education program;[,] and 11
(b) Two dollars ($2) shall be paid to the fiscal court of the county where the 12
operator's[driver's] license holder resides,[is issued] to be used by the fiscal 13
court for county road purposes.[ The distribution of fees under this subsection 14
shall be reduced by fifty percent (50%) for licenses issued for a four (4) year 15
term in accordance with KRS 186.4101.] 16
(2) From the fee for each annual registration of a motorcycle pursuant to KRS 186.050, 17
four dollars ($4) shall be credited to the motorcycle safety education program fund 18
pursuant to KRS 176.5065 and shall be used exclusively for the purposes outlined 19
in KRS 176.5061 to 176.5069. 20
Section 5. KRS 186.579 is amended to read as follows: 21
(1) The Transportation Cabinet shall issue, to an applicant who successfully passes the 22
operator's license examination outlined in KRS 186.578(4), an operator's license 23
with the following restrictions: 24
(a) Required use of a bioptic telescopic device; 25
(b) Restricted to daytime driving upon the recommendation of a vision specialist 26
or upon failure of a nighttime examination administered under KRS 186.578; 27
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and 1
(c) Restricted to vehicles with left and right outside mirrors. 2
(2) A restriction to daytime driving in accordance with subsection (1) of this section 3
shall be removed if the applicant or licensed driver: 4
(a) Obtains a recommendation from a vision specialist; 5
(b) Successfully completes an evaluation by the Office of Vocational 6
Rehabilitation's bioptic driving program and training specifically designed for 7
night driving from a certified driver training program; and 8
(c) Passes a comprehensive night driving examination. 9
(3) (a) Subject to the requirements of paragraph (b) of this subsection, an operator's 10
license issued under KRS 186.578 and 186.579 shall be valid for [four (4) 11
years or ] (8) years [ at the discretion of the applicant as outlined in KRS 12
186.4101]. 13
(b) The holder of a license issued in accordance with this section and KRS 14
186.578 shall submit the results of a comprehensive visual examination to 15
Kentucky Office of Vocational Rehabilitation each year before the last day of 16
the birth month of the license holder. An op erator's license shall be subject to 17
suspension if the license holder does not submit results of the comprehensive 18
visual examination required under this paragraph. 19
(c) If the vision specialist completing the examination required under paragraph 20
(b) of thi s subsection certifies that the conditions causing the visual 21
impairment are stable, then the license shall remain valid. If the conditions 22
causing the visual impairment are unstable or deteriorating, the license holder 23
may be required to undergo additiona l testing as required by the department 24
and may have his or her operator's license suspended if he or she cannot 25
successfully pass the tests. 26
Section 6. The following KRS section is repealed: 27
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186.4101 Renewal of licens e -- Reconciliation of four -year and eight -year renewal 1
periods. 2
Section 7. This Act takes effect July 1, 2027. 3