Boyd County Driver’s License: Apply, Renew, or Replace

A Boyd County driver’s license, permit, or state ID is handled at the Catlettsburg Regional Office, which took over driver licensing from the Circuit Court Clerk in September 2021.¹ Whether you are applying for the first time, renewing, replacing a lost card, or upgrading to a REAL ID, the same office and the same documentation rules apply.

Catlettsburg Regional Office Hours and Appointments

The Catlettsburg office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Walk-ins are accepted from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Afternoon visits require an appointment through the Transportation Cabinet’s online portal.²

You are not restricted to Catlettsburg. Any Kentucky Driver Licensing Regional Office will serve you regardless of your county of residence, so if Catlettsburg is booked or another location is closer to work, you can go there instead.¹

What Documents to Bring

This is where most trips to the office go wrong. People arrive with a hospital birth certificate, a photocopied Social Security card, or a bank statement older than the residency rule allows, and the visit is wasted. Every document must be an original or a certified copy. Photocopies are rejected.³

For a REAL ID, you need documents in four categories:³

Identity (one document): a certified birth certificate, valid U.S. passport, or U.S. citizenship or naturalization certificate. A hospital-issued birth certificate does not qualify, and neither does your existing driver’s license.
Social Security number (one document): your Social Security card, a recent W-2 or 1099, or a paycheck stub showing your full number. First-time applicants and out-of-state transfers must present the actual Social Security card.
Kentucky residency (two documents): utility bills, telephone bills, lease agreements, mortgage statements, or U.S. Postal Service postmarked mail. Where dates matter, documents should be within the last year. Forwarded mail does not count.
Name change (if applicable): a certified marriage certificate, divorce decree showing the name change, or court-ordered name change. Your name must already be updated with the Social Security Administration before you apply.

For a Standard credential, KRS 186.412 requires proof of identity, a Social Security number, and at least one proof of Kentucky residency such as a utility bill, property tax bill, or rental agreement.⁴ Fewer residency documents than REAL ID, but the identity and Social Security rules are the same.

Everyone fills out Form TC 94-30, the Driver License/ID Card Application.⁵ Download it ahead of time or pick one up at the office. Every name and date on the form has to match your supporting documents. Even a middle initial mismatch between your birth certificate and Social Security card can stall you.

Permanent Residents and Non-Citizens

Permanent residents present an I-551 card (green card) or a passport stamped by USCIS as temporary evidence of lawful admission.⁴ Applicants who are neither U.S. citizens nor permanent residents must apply at Transportation Cabinet headquarters in Frankfort or a Transportation Cabinet field office, not a regional office.

REAL ID or Standard License

Since May 7, 2025, a Standard Kentucky license is no longer accepted for boarding domestic flights, entering military bases, or accessing federal buildings that require identification. You need a REAL ID, marked with a gold star, or another federally accepted document like a U.S. passport.⁶⁷

A Standard license still works for driving and everyday identification if you do not fly or enter federal facilities. For most people, though, upgrading during your next renewal is the practical choice since you are already at the office with the right documents. If your current credential has six or more months left before expiration, you can upgrade to REAL ID for $15 without waiting for the renewal date.⁸

First-Time Applicants

If you have never held a license in any state, you start with a learner’s permit. The office visit begins with a vision screening (Kentucky requires 20/40 or better)⁹ and a written knowledge test covering rules, road signs, and safe driving. You need 80% to pass.¹⁰

Once you pass both, staff issues a temporary paper permit. If you are 21 or older, you can schedule a road skills test with the Kentucky State Police after holding the permit for at least 30 days.¹¹ Road tests are booked separately through the Kentucky State Police online scheduler, not the regional office.¹² Bring a registered, insured vehicle and a licensed driver at least 21 years old. A failed road test means a seven-day wait before retaking it.

Drivers Under 18

Kentucky’s Graduated Driver Licensing Program applies to anyone who gets their first permit between ages 15 and 17. The permit phase lasts at least 180 days, not 30. Teens can only drive with a licensed adult 21 or older in the front passenger seat, with no more than one unrelated passenger under 20, and no driving between midnight and 6:00 a.m. except for school, work, or emergencies. Sixty hours of supervised driving is required, ten of them at night, and a moving violation resets the 180-day clock.¹³

After the road test comes an intermediate license with the same curfew and passenger rules. Driver education is required before the full unrestricted license, which becomes available at age 17 after 180 days on the intermediate. All drivers under 21 are subject to a zero-alcohol-tolerance rule, defined as a BAC of 0.02 or above.¹³

New Kentucky Residents

If you moved to Boyd County from another state, you have 30 days to obtain a Kentucky license.¹⁴ If your out-of-state license has been expired for more than a year, you will need a clearance letter from your previous state and must retake both the written and vision exams before Kentucky issues your credential.¹¹

Renewing or Replacing Your License

Renewal requires a vision screening. If none of your personal information has changed since your last credential, no additional documents are needed, and you do not retake the written or road tests.¹⁵

Kentucky offers online renewal for eligible residents, which is the fastest option if you already have a vision screening form or passcode. The Transportation Cabinet’s “Skip the Line” quiz on drive.ky.gov tells you whether you qualify for online or mail renewal or need to come in.¹⁵ Renewals that need a new photo or a change of credential type, such as Standard to REAL ID, still require an in-person visit.

However you renew, you receive a temporary paper document while the permanent card is produced at a secure central facility and mailed to your address. Hold on to the temporary document and your receipt until the card arrives.

Fees and Payment

Kentucky offers both four-year and eight-year credentials for non-CDL applicants age 21 and older, and the four-year option costs half the price of the eight-year.⁸ Replacing a lost or damaged REAL ID costs $15, and the mid-cycle Standard-to-REAL-ID upgrade is also $15 when six or more months remain on your current card. The full fee schedule is on the Transportation Cabinet’s pricing page.

The office accepts major credit cards, debit cards, and checks. Payment is taken at the end of your visit after all tests and document checks are done.

Driving Without a Valid License

Kentucky law prohibits operating a motor vehicle without a valid license, and it prohibits knowingly letting an unlicensed person drive your vehicle. Beyond the citation, driving unlicensed can create bigger problems. Insurance companies may deny coverage for an accident that occurs while you are unlicensed, leaving you personally liable for damages. Suspensions carry heavier penalties than simple expirations and typically bring reinstatement fees of several hundred dollars on top of court fines.

If your license is expired but not suspended, renewing quickly is the simplest fix. If it has been expired more than a year, plan on retaking the written and vision exams before Kentucky issues a new credential.¹¹

1
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. Boyd County Residents Will Visit Driver Licensing Regional Offices for Licensing Needs Starting September 27
2
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. Find an Office
3
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. What Do I Need to Apply
4
Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. Kentucky Code 186.412
5
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. Forms Library (TC 94)
6
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. REAL ID vs Standard ID
7
Transportation Security Administration. REAL ID Frequently Asked Questions
8
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. Pricing
9
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. Vision Screening Fact Sheet
10
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. Kentucky Driver Manual
11
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. First Issuance
12
Kentucky State Police. Kentucky State Police Driver Testing
13
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. Graduated Driver Licensing Program
14
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. New To Kentucky
15
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. Renew, Replace, Update a Credential