SR22 State

How to get your license reinstated in Kentucky

Checked against official Kentucky sources · Last reviewed October 6, 2026

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet's Division of Driver Licensing handles suspensions and reinstatements. You get your license back only after you meet every requirement of your suspension. Paying the reinstatement fee alone doesn't restore it. [1]

SR-22 required?
Not confirmed
Base reinstatement fee
$40

Step by step

  1. Read your suspension notice

    Your notice from the Division of Driver Licensing tells you whether you owe a reinstatement fee. Notices go to the address on your license, so if you moved without updating it, you may not have gotten one. [1][2]

  2. Pay any ticket fines to the court

    The Transportation Cabinet doesn't take payments for fines. Pay them to the court in the county where you got the ticket. Paying the fine isn't enough on its own; you still owe the reinstatement fee. [1]

  3. Meet every requirement of your suspension

    Kentucky suspensions don't expire on their own. They stay in effect until you meet all requirements and the Division of Driver Licensing issues a notice of reinstatement. [1]

  4. Pay the $40 reinstatement fee

    A $40 reinstatement or re-licensing fee may be required. Kentucky license holders can pay online through myDrive by card, with a small processing fee. You can also pay at any Driver Licensing Regional Office, by phone at 502-564-1257, or by mail with a certified check or money order payable to the "Kentucky State Treasurer." If you have an active ID card, it must be canceled first, and CDL reinstatement fees can't be paid online. [1]

    License Reinstatement ↗

  5. Retake tests if you were suspended over a year

    No tests are needed for a suspension of less than one year. After more than a year, you must pass vision and written tests, scheduled with the Kentucky State Police, and pay the $40 fee before your appointment. After more than five years, you start over with the tests and a permit. [1]

  6. Confirm you're reinstated before you drive

    Wait for the Division's notice of reinstatement. If your license expired during the suspension, you also need to pay the renewal fee. [1]

After a DUI conviction

  1. Know your suspension period

    For offenses within 10 years, a first DUI brings a 6-month suspension, a second 18 months, a third 36 months, and a fourth 60 months. Using an ignition interlock device can shorten each one, for example to 4 months for a first offense. [2]

  2. Finish your required alcohol or substance abuse program

    A first offense requires a 90-day approved program. A second, third, or fourth offense requires a one-year program. Send proof that you finished it to Kytc.ade@ky.gov. [2][3]

  3. Apply for an ignition interlock license, if you want one

    After the court reports your conviction, send form TC 94-175 with your vehicle registration and proof of insurance. You can apply by email to KIIP@ky.gov, through myDrive, or at a Regional Office. Once approved, have a device put in by a certified vendor, then take the installation certificate to a Regional Office, where you pay the $40 fee and get your restricted license. [2][4][5]

  4. Stay violation-free on the interlock

    You must go 90 or 120 days in a row without a violation, depending on your offense. Missed or failed tests, missed maintenance, unpaid fees, or tampering restart that period. When you finish, you get a Letter of Removal and can get a license without the restriction. [2]

Not legal advice. Rules change; confirm your own requirements with Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC), Division of Driver Licensing, which handles suspensions and reinstatements before you drive.

SR-22 rules in Kentucky · If your SR-22 lapses · Reinstatement in other states

Sources

  1. Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (drive.ky.gov) - License Reinstatement (official agency page, accessed Oct 6, 2026)
  2. Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (drive.ky.gov) - DUI Penalties and Programs (official agency page, accessed Oct 6, 2026)
  3. KRS 189A.070 - License suspensions; time periods; program completion before reinstatement (statute, accessed Oct 6, 2026)
  4. KRS 189A.340 - Ignition interlock licenses; provider fees (statute, accessed Oct 6, 2026)
  5. 601 KAR 2:233 - Kentucky Ignition Interlock Program; participants and device providers (regulation, accessed Oct 6, 2026)

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