LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Major changes are coming to Kentucky's statewide motor vehicle registration system starting next January, according to Jefferson County officials.
Starting in 2024, Kentucky drivers will need to keep their license plates when selling or trading a vehicle. That's because the state's new KAVIS, or Kentucky Automated Vehicle Information System, will link drivers, not vehicles, to license plate numbers and registration tags.
Jefferson County Clerk Bobbie Holsclaw said, previously, only owners of personalized or special license plates would keep their plates when transferring a vehicle. Anyone with a standard plate would need to have had it re-registered in their name when transferring a vehicle, but not anymore.
"This new way will help not only bring Kentucky in line with practices already present in other states, but also comes with a number of benefits for drivers," Holsclaw said.
When a vehicle is transferred with an unexpired registration, the seller will remove and keep the plate that was on the vehicle they sold, officials said. The seller can then have their plate and unexpired registration reassigned to any other vehicle they own, including a new one they want to purchase.
The person buying the seller's vehicle will need to purchase a new plate at a local motor vehicle branch or they can use a plate they already own with an unexpired registration, but have it reissued to the new vehicle.
Officials said any plate with expired registration, including special plates, will need to be given to the Clerk's Office, where they will reissue a new plate.
There are some restrictions to this new "plate-to-customer" model, however. Historic plates can't be transferred to a car under 25 years old and passenger plates can't be put onto heavy trucks.
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