Kentuckians will have more time to get a REAL ID after it was announced Wednesday morning that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has extended the full enforcement deadline by 19 months.
The announcement came from Governor Andy Beshear who said the extension will give license issuance agencies time to recover operating capacity that was restricted to abide by health guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The new enforcement date is May 3, 2023, instead of the previous start date of October 1, 2021.
Governor Beshear said this extension is a prudent move. He added the state is rolling out a modern, efficient network of Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Driver Licensing Regional Offices to issues all REAL-ID compliant licenses and identification cards. He said these offices have and continue to operate at limited capacity to meet social distancing and other ‘Healthy at Work’ requirements.
Jim Gray, secretary of the state’s transportation cabinet, said Kentucky’s issuance of REAL ID licenses and IDs will continue, as will the transition of all driver licensing services — standard-issue licenses and permits as well as REAL ID-compliant credentials — to the KYTC Driver Licensing Regional Offices and away from the Office of Circuit Court Clerk in each county.
Secretary Gray also said the extension can be viewed as a needed grace period. However, he adds their advice to drivers is still the same: If you want a REAL ID, make a plan now.
