Mandatory Insurance Rules in Kentucky

Per KRS 186A.042 and KRS 304.39-117 your vehicle must have a current, active registration and you must maintain insurance on that vehicle. When renewing your vehicle you must present proof of insurance and it must be effective within 45 days of your renewal.

If you have received an UNINSURED NOTICE from the Kentucky Department of Insurance have your insurance company fax proof of insurance on their letterhead, dated today, stating that this is in reference to an uninsured notice. You should receive a receipt from our office in a few days. If you do not receive a receipt you will need to contact our office for further instructions.

Please fax the following to (859) 392-1642 or email KentonCountyClerk@ky.gov

Proof of insurance
Must be on letterhead
Dated today
Must state “in reference to uninsured notice”

If you have further questions about the 45-day insurance rule please visit this website: https://drive.ky.gov/Motor-Vehicle-Licensing/Pages/Mandatory-Insurance.aspx

Regulation and Requirement; Insurance is year-round / Seasonal Vehicles / Historic Vehicles

If your vehicle has a current, active registration, you must maintain insurance on that vehicle. If you do not plan to keep your registration current, you must turn in your license plate to the County Clerk’s office and can cancel your insurance without penalty.

Some owners of seasonal vehicles such as motorcycles or RVs are accustomed to dropping the insurance on these vehicles during the months they are not being driven. To avoid penalties for a lack of insurance, the owners of these vehicles must turn in their license plate to the County Clerk’s office prior to canceling their insurance policy. When it is time to put the vehicle back on the road, secure proof of insurance and present the proof to the County Clerk. At that time, the clerk’s office will allow registration of the vehicle.

Much the same as seasonal vehicles, owners of vehicles with Historic license plates sometimes drop the insurance while the vehicle is not being driven, but fail to surrender the license plate to the County Clerk’s office. This will cause an uninsured notice to be mailed because the Division of Motor Vehicle Licensing has record of a registered vehicle without an insurance policy being reported each month. To avoid any penalties for a lack of insurance, turn in the license plate to the County Clerk’s office prior to canceling the insurance policy. When the time comes to get the vehicle back on the road, present proof of insurance to the County Clerk’s office and the vehicle can be registered.

Exemptions

Attending college inside OR outside Kentucky

KRS 186.430 states that a student can keep home-state registration and insurance as long as they keep a current student identification card from a Kentucky college, university, or technical college in their possession at all times when driving in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
If you (or your child) are attending a school outside the state of Kentucky, you should check with that state to verify that state’s registration requirements.

Exemptions

Active Duty Military

Active duty military personnel are able to use out of state insurance to title and register any vehicle titled in their name here in Kentucky. When registering a vehicle, if it is recorded as a standard personal policy at the County Clerk’s office rather than a military personal policy it will cause the vehicle to be flagged as being possibly uninsured. This is due to the insurance company not being required to send the Division of Motor Vehicle Licensing a report of insured VINs each month. The Insurance System will not find a match because Kentucky does not require active duty military insurance policies to be reported each month. If you are currently on active military duty and you receive an uninsured notice letter, show proof of your active military service (pay stub, I.D.) to the County Clerk’s office to resolve the issue.

Temporarily living outside of Kentucky

If a vehicle is registered in Kentucky it must be insured by an insurance company admitted to do business in Kentucky or where you may temporarily be working. You should check with the state where you are temporarily residing to verify that state’s registration requirements.