State making preparations to allow 15-year-olds to apply for driver’s permits

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said during his Team Kentucky Update Thursday that one of the factors in the way of enacting House Bill 15, which lowered the age Kentuckians must be to apply for a driver’s permit from 16 to 15, is the age of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s licensing system.

“The system we use to ultimately issue those permits in the process is about 40 years-old,” Beshear said. “It means I took the test and registered under the same system that my kids will. It is taking us reprogramming that system in order for it to allow and then be able to provide those permits to 15-year-olds.”

Beshear said the state believes 15-year-olds will be able to begin scheduling appointments with the Kentucky State Police for permit applications and testing on April 2. He said that date is significantly sooner than originally projected and credited the hard work put into reprogramming the system.

Ahead of appointments becoming available, potential drivers and their families can sign up for email updates at drive.ky.gov and get ready for their application and test.

“You can collect all necessary documents such as a birth certificate, Social Security card, and you have to have a school compliance verification form, so go ahead and get that, and you can begin studying,” Beshear said. “The official Kentucky driver’s manual can be found on the Kentucky State Police website.”

Beshear noted that the new law does not change any other license requirements; it only extends the period of time drivers can practice driving with a permit.