State officials are encouraging Kentuckians gearing up to travel this holiday season to secure a Real ID.
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet says Real ID enforcement took effect on May 7, requiring anyone flying domestically or visiting a military base to present a Real ID-compliant credential such as a valid passport or Real ID driver’s license, permit, or ID card. The KYTC says about 45 percent of Kentuckians have opted for a Real ID.
The KYTC says several customer service improvements were made at driver licensing regional offices across the commonwealth to make it easier to upgrade or renew a license including hiring more full-time staff, a new line management and text check-in system, and “skip the line” tools on the KYTC website. From April to October, the average walk-in customer wait time fell from 49 minutes to 14 minutes.
Real ID requests must be made in person and are issued by mail within 10 to 15 days, so if flying is part of your holiday travel plans don’t delay. Visit drive.ky.gov to find what documents you need to bring to a licensing office, or if you need to renew take the “Skip the Line” quiz to see if you can renew by mail or online.
