How to get your license back after a DUI in Kentucky
Getting a license back after a DUI is an agency process, not a court one: the steps below are the ones the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Division of Driver Licensing lists, in its order, each quoted from the agency's own page. Requirements differ by offense, blood-alcohol level, refusal, and prior record; the state's wording controls.
Steps the state lists
- 1
Serve the fixed suspension period (or the reduced period with an ignition interlock license)
KYTC administers a fixed suspension based on the conviction: for a first offense within ten years, a 6-month suspension without an IID, reducible to 4 months with 90 days of violation-free KIIP participation; a second offense is 18 months, reducible to 12 months with 120 violation-free days. KRS 189A.070(1)(a) sets the same periods.
What the source says
“1st offense within a ten year period 90-day approved alcohol/substance abuse program 6-month license suspension 90-day approved alcohol abuse program 90 days of violation-free KIIP participation 4-month license suspension”
- 2
Complete the approved alcohol/substance abuse program and submit proof of completion
KYTC lists a 90-day approved alcohol/substance abuse program for a first offense and a one-year program for second and later offenses; the Division of Driver Licensing accepts completions only from programs authorized for DUI treatment, and proof is submitted by email to Kytc.ade@ky.gov. KRS 189A.070(2) makes completion of the KRS 189A.040 program a condition of reinstatement of full privileges.
What the source says
“The Division of Driver Licensing only accepts completions from programs authorized for DUI treatment.”
- 3
Apply to KYTC for an ignition interlock license through KIIP (if driving during the suspension)
KYTC's enumerated KIIP steps: (1) wait for KYTC to receive the court action and send a withdrawal/suspension letter; (2) submit the Ignition Interlock Application TC 94-175 with proof of vehicle registration and an insurance card, plus the $40 reinstatement fee when the restricted license is issued; (3) receive an approval or denial letter; (4) take the Letter of Approval to a certified provider for installation and obtain a Certificate of Installation; (5) take the certificate to a Regional Office to have a Restricted License issued — credit for KIIP participation begins only at issuance.
What the source says
“Take your Certificate of Installation to any Regional office to have a Restricted License issued. The cost of the license will depend on the type of license issued. Credit for participation in KIIP will only begin at the time of issuance.”
- 4
Pay the $40 reinstatement / re-licensing fee
KYTC states a $40.00 reinstatement/re-licensing fee may be required any time driving privileges are suspended; it can be paid online through myDrive (in-state license holders), in person at a Driver Licensing Regional Office, by mail, or by phone. An active ID card must be canceled first.
What the source says
“Any time your driving privilege is suspended, a $40.00 reinstatement/re-licensing fee may be required.”
- 5
Complete vision and written testing if suspended for more than one year
KYTC states no testing is required for suspensions under one year; vision and written tests (administered by the Kentucky State Police) are required for suspensions over one year, and the $40 fee must be paid before the testing appointment. A driver suspended over five years starts over with the vision and written tests and a permit.
What the source says
“Vision and written tests are required before a license can be reinstated for drivers suspended for more than one year.”
- 6
Have the interlock removed after the compliance period and obtain a non-restricted license (KIIP participants)
Upon completion of the required compliance period, KYTC mails or emails a Letter of Removal for the vendor; after removal the service center issues a Certificate of Removal, which is taken to a Regional Office for a Non-Restricted License.
What the source says
“Once the device is removed, the Service Center will provide you with a Certificate of Removal. Take your Certificate of Removal to a Regional Office to have a Non-Restricted License issued.”
- 7
Satisfy all suspension requirements before reinstatement occurs
KYTC states that paying the reinstatement fee alone does not restore driving privileges; all suspension requirements must be fully satisfied before reinstatement.
What the source says
“Paying the reinstatement fee alone does not automatically restore your driving privileges. All suspension requirements must be fully satisfied before reinstatement can occur.”
Official reinstatement page: Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Division of Driver Licensing
Conditions that travel with reinstatement
| Reinstatement fee | $40 |
|---|---|
| SR-22 / financial-responsibility filing | No — Kentucky SR-22 requirements |
| Ignition interlock | Kentucky interlock rule |
| Required program | Approved alcohol/substance abuse program (KRS 189A.040) — 90-day program for a first offense, one-year program for second and subsequent offenses |
| Driving during the suspension | Ignition interlock license (Kentucky Ignition Interlock Program, KIIP) (KRS 189A.340) |
| Re-examination | Knowledge test: required in some cases · road test: required in some cases |
Required program: Approved alcohol/substance abuse program (KRS 189A.040) — 90-day program for a first offense, one-year program for second and subsequent offenses
KYTC's DUI Suspensions and Requirements table lists a 90-day approved alcohol/substance abuse program for a first offense within ten years and a one-year program for second, third and fourth offenses. The Division of Driver Licensing accepts completions only from programs authorized for DUI treatment (list linked from the page); out-of-state course completions are handled by the Division at 502-564-1257. KRS 189A.070(2) provides that no person is eligible for reinstatement of full privileges until the alcohol or substance abuse education or treatment program ordered under KRS 189A.040 is completed.
“no person shall be eligible for reinstatement of his or her full privilege to operate a motor vehicle or motorcycle until he or she has completed the alcohol or substance abuse education or treatment program ordered pursuant to KRS 189A.040.”
Driving during the suspension: Ignition interlock license (Kentucky Ignition Interlock Program, KIIP) (KRS 189A.340)
KRS 189A.340(1)(a) provides that when a license is suspended for a DUI under KRS 189A.010(1)(a), (b), (e) or (f), the sole license the person is eligible for is an ignition interlock license; a person suspended under (1)(c) or (d) may also be eligible for a hardship license under KRS 189A.410. KYTC states eligibility is based on the five-year driver history (KRS 186.560 and 186.570), that the holder is authorized to drive only a vehicle with an ignition interlock device installed (an employer work exemption exists, TC 94-190), that only the primary vehicle must have a device, and that the device must be installed in Kentucky unless preauthorized. Time holding a valid ignition interlock license counts day-for-day toward the suspension (KRS 189A.340(5)).
“If a person's license is suspended pursuant to this chapter and the initial suspension was for a violation of KRS 189A.010(1)(a), (b), (e), or (f), the sole license the person shall be eligible for is an ignition interlock license pursuant to this section.”
Full page: waiting period, conditions and hearing deadline for the Ignition Interlock License
When the interlock can be removed
Compliance-based. KRS 189A.340(4)(b) keeps the interlock restriction in place for the required suspension period and, if the maximum period has not yet run, until KYTC receives a declaration from the device provider certifying that none of the listed violations occurred in the 90 consecutive days (first offense) or 120 consecutive days (subsequent offenses) before the restriction is released. KYTC states a violation restarts the consecutive-day count but does not extend beyond the original suspension. KYTC authorizes removal: on completion of the compliance period it mails or emails a Letter of Removal for the vendor; the service center issues a Certificate of Removal (TC 94-178), which 601 KAR 2:233 requires the provider to submit to the cabinet within 24 hours electronically or 72 hours by mail/fax, after which the cabinet updates the driver record so a license without the interlock restriction can be issued. Removal for other reasons requires an approved TC 94-204 request. KRS 189A.340(7)(a)3. caps the provider's removal fee at $30.
Compliance period: 90 consecutive violation-free days (first offense within ten years) or 120 consecutive violation-free days (subsequent offenses), certified by the provider before the restriction is released (KRS 189A.340(4)(b)2.)
“Upon completion of the required compliance period, KYTC will mail or email a Letter of Removal for you to submit to your Vendor (not the Service Garage) to schedule the device's removal.”
Will you have to retake the test? Re-examination in Kentucky
Some states hand the license back once the conditions are met; others treat a revoked or long-withdrawn license as expired and issue a new one only after the knowledge test, the road test or a vision screening is passed again. The rules below are the licensing agency's own, one per test.
| Knowledge (written) test | Required in some cases Testing depends on the length of the suspension. No test is required after a suspension of less than one year; after a suspension of more than one year the vision and written tests are passed before the license is reinstated, at a Kentucky State Police testing appointment booked after the $40 reinstatement fee is paid. What the source says“No testing is required for drivers suspended for less than one year. Vision and written tests are required before a license can be reinstated for drivers suspended for more than one year.” |
|---|---|
| Road (driving) test | Required in some cases The reinstatement page names no road test for a suspension of one to five years. After a suspension of more than five years the driver starts the process over as a new driver — the vision and written tests, then a learner's permit — and the Kentucky State Police gives all written and road testing in Kentucky. What the source says“If suspended for over five years, the driver must start the process over by taking the vision and written test and obtaining a permit.” |
| Vision screening | Required in some cases The vision test is paired with the written test after a suspension of more than one year, and a vision screening is also required before any renewal; it is given free at a regional office, or a vision specialist or credentialed medical provider can certify it on form TC 94-202. What the source says“Vision and written tests are required for drivers suspended for more than one year.” |
What triggers a re-test
The length of the suspension: none under one year, vision and written tests over one year, and a fresh start with a permit over five years. A license that expired during the suspension costs the renewal fee in addition to the reinstatement fee, and a license expired more than five years is reapplied for as a new driver.
“Testing depends on the length of your suspension. No testing is required for drivers suspended for less than one year.”- Testing fee
- $40 — the reinstatement or re-licensing fee, paid before the testing appointment; a license that expired during the suspension also costs the renewal fee ($21.50 for four years or $43.00 for eight years for a standard license)
What the source says
“The $40 reinstatement or re-licensing fee must be paid prior to your testing appointment.”
- Where to take it
- kentuckystatepolice.ky.gov — written, vision and road tests are given by the Kentucky State Police by appointment through its online scheduler, at any regional testing location regardless of county of residence
- Official driver manual
- Kentucky Driver Manual
- The rule
- 601 KAR 12:120 (implementing KRS 186.577)
“Vision testing under this section shall be administered to any person: (a) Applying for an initial operator's license, an initial instruction permit, or reinstatement of a license when vision shall be tested as required in KRS 186.480:”
Questions about re-testing in Kentucky
- Does a Kentucky DUI suspension mean retaking the written test?
- Only after a suspension of more than one year. The Division of Driver Licensing states that no testing is required for drivers suspended for less than one year, that vision and written tests are required before reinstatement for drivers suspended for more than one year, and that a driver suspended for over five years starts the process over by taking the vision and written test and obtaining a permit.
- Who gives the tests and what do they cost?
- The Kentucky State Police oversees all written and road testing in Kentucky, by appointment through its online scheduler at any regional location. The $40 reinstatement or re-licensing fee must be paid before the testing appointment; a license that expired during the suspension also requires the renewal fee.
- Is the road test required?
- The reinstatement page names only the vision and written tests for a suspension of more than one year. For a suspension of more than five years it states that the driver starts the process over, beginning with a permit, as a new driver.
Reinstatement knowledge check: Kentucky
Ten questions on the rules this site cites for the state — the figures the licensing agency and the statute state, with a link to where each one is stated. The order changes every time.
This is not the agency's knowledge test and does not predict it; it checks the rules cited on this site.
Questions about reinstatement in Kentucky
- What does KYTC require to restore a license after a Kentucky DUI suspension?
- KYTC's DUI Penalties and Programs page sets a fixed suspension by offense (6 months for a first offense, reducible to 4 months with 90 violation-free days on an ignition interlock license) and completion of an approved alcohol/substance abuse program (90 days for a first offense). The License Reinstatement page adds a $40 reinstatement fee, vision and written tests if suspended more than one year, and satisfaction of all suspension requirements.
- Who can get a Kentucky ignition interlock license, and how is it obtained?
- Under KRS 189A.340(1)(a), an ignition interlock license is the sole license available during a suspension for a DUI under KRS 189A.010(1)(a), (b), (e) or (f). KYTC lists the KIIP steps: submit application TC 94-175 with registration and insurance, receive an approval letter, have a certified provider install the device and issue a Certificate of Installation, then obtain the Restricted License at a Regional Office, paying the $40 fee.
- When and how is a Kentucky ignition interlock device removed?
- KRS 189A.340(4)(b) releases the restriction after the required suspension period and, if the maximum has not run, once the provider certifies 90 (first offense) or 120 (subsequent offenses) consecutive violation-free days. KYTC then issues a Letter of Removal; the service center provides a Certificate of Removal, which is taken to a Regional Office for a non-restricted license. The removal fee is capped at $30 by KRS 189A.340(7)(a).
Sources
- KYTC DRIVE — DUI Penalties and Programs (suspension table, approved programs, KIIP steps, device removal, violations)
- KYTC DRIVE — License Reinstatement ($40 fee, testing, all requirements must be satisfied)
- KRS 189A.070 — License suspensions; time periods; completion of program required before reinstatement (Kentucky LRC)
- KRS 189A.340 — Ignition interlock licenses; compliance period; provider fees (Kentucky LRC)
- 601 KAR 2:233 — Kentucky Ignition Interlock Program (Certificate of Removal; removal of restriction) (Kentucky LRC)