Kentucky Driving Law
Information on Kentucky driving law and Kentucky traffic laws...
Suspension and Revocation of License
In accordance with Kentucky driving law, your license may be Suspended or Revoked for any of the following violations of Kentucky traffic laws:
- Driving under the influence of alcohol or other substances (DUI).
- Manslaughter resulting from the operation of a motor vehicle.
- Perjury or false affidavit to the Transportation Cabinet.
- Felony involving use of a motor vehicle.
- Reckless driving — three convictions within twelve months.
- Leaving the scene of a collision, failure to stop and disclose identity or render aid.
- Theft of a motor vehicle or any part thereof.
- Failure to satisfy a citation or Court Summons.
- Failure to enroll in or complete State Traffic School upon sentence by the Court.
- Failure to complete a Graduated Licensing course for newly-licensed drivers, 16 and 17 years of age.
- Fraudulent use of a driver’s license to purchase or attempt to purchase alcoholic beverages.
- Theft of gasoline.
- Operating a motor vehicle, motorcycle, or moped without a license.
- Refusing to take a chemical test when asked to do so by a law-enforcement officer.
- Failing to pay child support.
- Fleeing or evading Police.
- Operating a motor vehicle in violation of restrictions imposed by the Transportation Cabinet.
The Kentucky Driving Law Point System
The purpose of the point system is to identify and assist those drivers who need improvement before it becomes necessary to suspend their driving privilege in accordance with Kentucky driving law. It serves to protect the safe and sensible drivers and correct those who are reckless and irresponsible.
Under the Kentucky traffic laws point system, the Transportation Cabinet, Division of Driver Licensing, keeps a record of all moving traffic violations on each driver. These records are based on reports of traffic convictions, forfeiture of bail, or payment of fine, with or without court appearances, which are forwarded to the Division of Driver Licensing by the courts throughout the United States.
Assignment of point value to various offenses is made to impress upon drivers that their records are being watched, and unless they comply with Kentucky traffic laws, they may develop a bad driving record, leading to the suspension of their license.
Any driver accumulating as many as six (6) points may receive a form letter from the Division of Driver Licensing advising him that immediate action should be taken to improve his driving.
The driver may be required to appear for an interview with a representative of the Cabinet to determine his real driving problems.
At this interview, the Transportation Cabinet representative attempts to determine if participation in a State Traffic School program would benefit the driver. In accordance with Kentucky traffic laws, if he fails to appear for the interview, his driving privilege shall be suspended for a period of six (6) months.
Violations of Kentucky Driving Law and Their Point Values
Conviction for one of the following serious violations of Kentucky traffic laws may result in suspension of the driving privilege for the period of time indicated:
- Racing - 90 Days
- Speeding 26 MPH or more over speed limit - 90 Days
- Attempting to elude law enforcement officer by use of motor vehicle - 90 Days
Under Kentucky driving law, conviction for any one of the following motor traffic offenses shall be cause for assessment of the points indicated:
Violation Type - Points
- Speeding 15 MPH or less over the limit - 3
- Speeding 1-10 MPH over the limit on limited access highway - 0 (Fine if Convicted)
- Speeding 11-15 MPH over the limit on limited access highway - 3
- Speeding 15 MPH or over the limit on limited access highway in a commercial motor vehicle - 3
- Speeding 16 MPH or more, but less than 26 MPH, over the limit - 6
- Failure to stop for church or school bus - 6
- Improper passing - 5
- Reckless driving - 4
- Driving on wrong side of road - 4
- Following too closely - 4
- Failure to yield to emergency vehicle - 4
- Changing drivers in a moving vehicle - 4
- Stop violation (electrical signal, railroad crossing, stop sign) - 3
- Failure to yield - 3
- Failure to yield right of way to pedestrian - 3
- Failure to obey a traffic control device - 3
- Wrong way on one-way street - 3
- Too fast for conditions - 3
- Too slow for conditions - 3
- Improper start - 3
- Improper driving - 3
- Careless driving - 3
- Improper lane usage - 3
- Improper use of left lane on limited access highway - 3
- Failure to illuminate headlights - 3
- Failure to dim headlights - 3
- Any other moving hazardous violations - 3
- Commission of a moving hazardous violation which involves a collision - 6
- Combination of two or more hazardous violations in any one continuous occurrence - 6
Points assessed under the Kentucky Point System expire two (2) years from the date of conviction. However, under Kentucky driving law the conviction remains part of the driver's record for a period of five (5) years for an operator's license and ten (10) years for a commercial driver's license.
Accumulation of Points
Under Kentucky driving law, if a person of eighteen or more years accumulates six or more points within a two-year period, the Transportation Cabinet may send a letter that shall advise him of the number of penalty points on his driving history record, and shall inform him of the penalties which may be imposed if he were to accumulate twelve points within two years.
Under Kentucky driving law, if a person under the age of eighteen accumulates four or more points within a two-year period, the Transportation Cabinet may send a letter that shall advise him of the number of penalty points on his driving history record, and shall inform him of the penalties which may be imposed if he were to accumulate more than six prior to his eighteenth birthday.
Under Kentucky driving law, if a person of eighteen or more years accumulates twelve points within a period of two years, or a person less than eighteen accumulates more than six points in a period of two years, the Cabinet may suspend the driving privilege for a period of six months for the first accumulation of points, one year for the second accumulation of points, and two years for any subsequent accumulation of points within a two-year period.
Second and Subsequent Suspension
For any offense of Kentucky driving law for which the suspension of the driving privilege is six months or less for the first offense, the second conviction of a similar offense shall result in a suspension period of not less than one year, and any subsequent conviction for any similar offense not less than two years.
In accordance with Kentucky driving law, if the Cabinet suspends the driving privilege of a person more than one (1) time, the suspension times shall run consecutively.
After a hearing, under Kentucky driving law the department may require the driver to be placed on "probation" in lieu of suspension and attend a driver improvement clinic (State Traffic School) approved by the Transportation Cabinet.
Under Kentucky driving law, once a driver has been placed on "probation" by the Cabinet, he shall not be considered for probation again until a lapse of two (2) years from the ending date of any previous probation period granted, whether served or not.
For more information on Kentucky driving law, please visit the Kentucky Division of Driver Licensing.
If you found this Kentucky driving law page to be helpful,
please share this page with others:
