Renewal, registration and insurance

Key points

1. New residents must get a Kentucky license within 30 days of establishing residence.

   Source: Handbook p. 13

   “Persons moving into Kentucky must obtain a Kentucky Driver's License within 30 days of establishing residence.”
   Kentucky Driver Manual, Handbook p. 13

2. A license issued under 21 expires 90 days after your 21st birthday.

   Source: Handbook p. 16

   “If the driver is under age 21, the license expires 90 days after the driver's 21st birthday.”
   Kentucky Driver Manual, Handbook p. 16

3. At 21 and older, the license expires 31 days after your birthday and may be renewed up to six months early.

   Source: Handbook p. 16

   “Age 21 and older, the license expires 31 days after the driver's birthday and may be renewed up to six months before the expiration date.”
   Kentucky Driver Manual, Handbook p. 16

4. A license expired less than 5 years needs no testing. Expired more than 5 years, you start over as a new driver.

   Source: Handbook p. 16

   “No testing is required for a person with credentials expired less than 5 years. Any driver whose credential is expired more than 5 years must start over as a new driver.”
   Kentucky Driver Manual, Handbook p. 16

5. If you change your address or name, get a duplicate license within 10 days.

   Source: Handbook p. 16

   “If you change your address or name for any reason, you must obtain a duplicate license within 10 days.”
   Kentucky Driver Manual, Handbook p. 16

6. If you buy a vehicle or bring one from another state, apply for registration within 15 days.

   Source: Handbook p. 19

   “a person who purchases a motor vehicle, or brings a motor vehicle into Kentucky from another state must make application for registration within fifteen (15) days.”
   Kentucky Driver Manual, Handbook p. 19

7. Driving without insurance can bring a $500.00 to $1,000.00 fine, up to 90 days in jail, or both.

   Source: Handbook p. 19

   “the vehicle owner and driver are subject to a fine of $500.00 to $1,000.00, up to 90 days in jail, or both.”
   Kentucky Driver Manual, Handbook p. 19

8. Minimum bodily injury liability is $25,000.00 per person and $50,000.00 for all persons in an accident.

   Source: Handbook p. 19

   “This means liability coverage of $25,000.00 for all claims for bodily injury damages sustained by any one person and not less than $50,000.00 for all bodily injury damages”
   Kentucky Driver Manual, Handbook p. 19

9. A single limit policy of $60,000.00 is also acceptable.

   Source: Handbook p. 19

   “Alternatively, a policy with a single limit of $60,000.00 is acceptable.”
   Kentucky Driver Manual, Handbook p. 19

10. Keep written proof of your liability coverage in the vehicle.

    Source: Handbook p. 19

    “All motor vehicle owners and operators must maintain in the vehicle written proof of minimum liability coverage.”
    Kentucky Driver Manual, Handbook p. 19

Numbers to know

3 questions from the Kentucky practice test

1. 1. When does a Kentucky license expire for a driver 21 or older, and how early can it be renewed?

   1. One year after issue
   2. On the birthday itself, renewable one week early
   3. 31 days after the driver's birthday, renewable up to six months early
   4. 90 days after the 21st birthday
   Show answer

   31 days after the driver's birthday, renewable up to six months early. For drivers age 21 and older, the license expires 31 days after the driver's birthday and may be renewed up to six months before the expiration date. A driver under 21 has a license that expires 90 days after the 21st birthday. No testing is required for a credential expired less than five years; beyond that, the tests must be retaken.

2. 2. You change your address in Kentucky. How soon must you get a duplicate license?

   1. Within 10 days
   2. Within 30 days
   3. Within 60 days
   4. At your next renewal
   Show answer

   Within 10 days. If you change your address or name for any reason in Kentucky, you must obtain a duplicate license within 10 days, and a police officer may cite you for not updating it. Thirty and 60 days are longer than the rule. Waiting until renewal could mean years with a wrong address. The duplicate can be requested by mail or at any Driver Licensing Regional Office.

3. 3. What single limit policy satisfies Kentucky's minimum liability requirement?

   1. A single limit of $60,000
   2. A single limit of $10,000
   3. A single limit of $500,000
   4. Single limit policies are not accepted
   Show answer

   A single limit of $60,000. As an alternative to the split limits, a policy with a single limit of $60,000 is acceptable, and the policy must provide basic reparations benefits unless the insured vehicle is a motorcycle. All owners and operators must keep written proof of minimum coverage in the vehicle, usually the insurance card, and show it to an officer on request. Driving without coverage brings a fine of $500 to $1,000 and registration revocation.

Source: the Kentucky Driver Manual, Section Two: General Information. This lesson is a plain English summary, not the law itself; where it differs, the manual and the statute govern. Last checked 2026-09-27.