LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A new Kentucky-wide title and registration system, known as Kentucky's Automated Vehicle Information System (KAVIS), has been causing headaches since it was implemented in January.
Some people who own businesses, homes, and have paid taxes on their cars for years, are now struggling to renew their car titles.
While the issue started before KAVIS, the new system put limits on the type of identification accepted for car titling and registration.
"There's a lot of people here that are angry and frustrated," said Veronica Rodriguez, owner of Multi-Servicios Latinos, a business that helps with taxes, notaries, and car titles and registrations. "Something needs to work out for these people that are here undocumented for them to purchase cars."
Many of Rodriguez's clients are undocumented Latinos who are here trying to became naturalized citizens and still in the immigration process, waiting to obtain green cards, a social security number, or a Kentucky driver’s license.
They also use an IRS-issued Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) for car registrations and titling.
For years, a Kentucky statute, KRS 186, has prohibited the use of ITINs for car registration and titling.
The Jefferson County Clerks Office said Frankfort didn't start rejecting and cracking down on work that used ITINs until mid-2023.
“The transportation cabinet, was really wanting to implement KRS 186, they wanted to make it more secure and have better documentation of the individuals who were titling and registering cars," said Ashley Tinius, the communications director for the Jefferson County Clerks Office. "Because you could steal someone’s ITIN number very easily, as opposed to a social security number.”
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) also became tougher with the statute implementation.
While ITINs were rejected for car titles before, the start of KAVIS in January was a hard-stop for ITINs accepted for car titles.
"It's been in effect for years and they were still getting the ITIN number, they were still using the ITIN number. So, that's something Frankfort failed on, because it directly says you can't use an ITIN number but they've been using it all this time," Rodriguez said.
Frankfort now only accepts social security numbers and Kentucky IDs for car titling.
Identification, that Rodriguez said, is hard for her clients to obtain.
"Some people can't take out a Kentucky ID because they're still in process with immigration," she said. "These people have been paying taxes on that vehicle for years, all they want to do if they can't renew, they need the title so they can sell it."
Now, Rodriguez's desk is full of titles rejected by Frankfort, something she said she's never seen in her 12 years of business.
She said she's been to Frankfort and sent emails looking for a solution.
Her business now sees about 30 clients a day needing help with car titles and registrations, which she said has increased since KAVIS was implemented.
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