New Driver Licensing Regional Office Opens in Hopkinsville

COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY Andy Beshear Rebecca Goodman TRANSPORTATION CABINET GOVERNOR SECRETARY

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contacts: Naitore Djigbenou 502.782.4829 Naitore.Djigbenou@ky.gov Allen Blair 606.748.3716 Allen.Blair@ky.gov New Driver Licensing Office Location in Hopkinsville Will Further Serve Needs of Kentuckians Will feature additional lobby space and parking FRANKFORT, Ky. (April 21, 2026) - A new location for the Kentucky Driver Licensing Regional

Office in Hopkinsville is now open, offering area residents an improved experience to meet licensing needs that require in-person service. The new office at 700B Hammond Plz, Hopkinsville, Ky. (in the shopping plaza near Hammond Drive and Old Clarksville Pike), will offer expanded lobby space, more parking spots, and additional space for driver testing conducted by the Kentucky State Police (KSP). The old office location on Main Street is now closed. "This new Hopkinsville regional office represents another step in making licensing services easier and more customer-focused for all Kentuckians, as we continue to improve our next-level licensing efforts statewide," said Transportation Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Goodman. The office's business hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Central Time. Visitors to the office should enter Hammond Plaza off Hammond Drive. Appointments are encouraged at any of the state's 35 office locations and can be made online for any regional office at drive.ky.gov. Walk-in customers are also welcome on a first-come, first-served basis. All written and road testing is conducted by KSP, and applicants must schedule an appointment online at assigned locations by visiting kentuckystatepolice.ky.gov/driver-testing. Across the state, Driver Licensing Regional Offices are seeing significantly shorter in-and-out times. In March, average walk-in times were just 16 minutes, while appointment in-and-out

times averaged 10 minutes. This marks a major improvement from April 2025, when walk-ins averaged 49 minutes, and appointments averaged 25 minutes. To improve customer service, regional offices have added more than 125 contracted staff, implemented new technology that allows appointment holders to check in via text and know their place in the queue to reduce lines, and Kentuckians have the following options to skip a trip if they simply need to renew their license or Real ID:

• Take a vision test at a regional office and either fill out a renewal form or get a passcode
  that allows you to renew online at home. This will help reduce waits for those who need in-person services like upgrading to a REAL ID.

• Get a vision screening through a vision specialist and upload the vision form to renew
  online at dlrenewal.ky.gov or by mail. A quiz is also available at drive.ky.gov that can help customers find out if they qualify to skip a trip to a regional office and choose the license renewal process that fits their needs. There are also Saturday hours once a month and pop-up licensing events in counties without an office. First-time REAL ID applicants must visit a KYTC regional office in person, with proof of identity, residence, and Social Security. For a personalized list of required documents to bring when applying, visit realidky.com. ###

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