Kentuckians Advised To Avoid Visiting County Clerk Offices For Motor Vehicle Services In Early January During Statewide Migration To Improved System

Online vehicle registration will be unavailable starting Dec. 28; car owners due to renew registrations this year are encouraged to do so early

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Nov. 20, 2023) –  A major step forward in modernizing the state’s vehicle information database is approaching as transportation officials migrate to a new, customer-centric system. All County Clerk offices will temporarily pause in-person and online motor and vessel-related services in early January to accommodate the transition. The suspension of services starts Jan. 1, 2024, lasts between 4 to 10 business days and may cause longer wait times when services resume in January.

The following services will be unavailable during the migration: vehicle and boat registration renewals, vehicle and boat titling and transfers, disabled parking permit issuance and license plate issuance. Vehicle owners due to renew in December are encouraged to do so early before holiday closures.

“This launch represents the culmination of years of behind-the-scenes work to modernize our robust system to better serve Kentuckians,” said Department of Vehicle Regulation Commissioner Matt Cole. “KAVIS will streamline processes, improve customer service and enhance overall efficiency.”

Local clerk Chris Jobe said the transformation will be “hectic” and asks for the public’s understanding.

“We are waiting for final information from the Transportation Cabinet on our schedule and we will release more information as soon as possible,” Jobe said. “We ask for the public to be patient with us during the transition of a new system.”

Administered by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC), the state’s 40-year-old legacy system AVIS (Automated Vehicle Information System) will sunset this year, and the seventh and final module of the new KAVIS (Kentucky Automated Vehicle Information System) will be fully integrated by early January. The system upgrade is a part of KYTC’s commitment to enhancing operational efficiencies within the Department of Vehicle Regulation, the Division of Motor Vehicle Licensing and County Clerks’ offices throughout the state.

“Having served on the KAVIS Steering Committee for over eight years, I am excited about the scheduled implementation in early January,” said Anderson County Clerk Jason Denny. “Even though the County Clerk’s Motor Vehicle Departments will be closed for a short transition period, the positive improvements for our customers and staff will far outweigh the inconvenience this may cause.”

A statewide break of services is necessary to allow for an optimal transfer of more than 350 million records. The move to KAVIS will not impact driver license issuance at Driver Licensing Regional Offices.

“It was necessary to migrate this final phase of KAVIS statewide at one time instead of in stages since vehicles are transferable between counties and running two different systems at the same time could impact data integrity,” said KYTC Office of Information Technology Executive Director Heather Stout. “We are committed to making the process as seamless as possible for all involved and have reduced the closure timeline to days versus weeks. We appreciate the public’s understanding and patience as we replace a 45-year-old mainframe system with a modern and improved solution.”

Migration Schedule: 

• Online vehicle registration renewal – Unavailable starting Dec. 28, 2023. Online renewal will be restored the week of Jan. 8, 2024. Visit drive.ky.gov for updates.
• County Clerk Offices – Motor vehicle and vessel-related services will be unavailable as early as Friday, Dec. 29, 2023. All offices will pause services starting Jan. 1, 2024, and gradually resume services the week of Jan. 8, 2024. Some offices will choose to close to the public during this time while others may be open to perform services not related to vehicles or boats. Check with your local county clerk office to learn their plans.

KAVIS Project

The project to migrate to KAVIS kicked off in 2015. Since then, six module releases have been implemented, including a standardized point of sale system, disabled placard improvements, print on demand decals and new flat license plates. With KAVIS in place in early January, new special license plate designs will be available for request at County Clerk offices.

“The move to digital plates has resulted in more reflective and readable plates, reduced storage requirements and increased on-demand printing capabilities,” said Stout. “Once in place, we’ll be able to continue a stream of new advancements like offering more than 20 new specialty license plates to choose from that promote nonprofit organizations in Kentucky.”