The Hopkinsville Driver Licensing Regional Office has returned to its South Main Street location in the old First City Bank building following a temporary move prompted by storm damages.
The office, now back at 901-A S. Main St., is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. State officials said in a press release that customers are encouraged to schedule an appointment online before going to the office; however, walk-ins will be served on a first-come, first-served basis.
Damages caused by heavy rain on June 3 forced the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to move the licensing office to a temporary site in the Forbes Place Building at 10th and Virginia streets.
The move caused considerable confusion after state officials declined to publicly state the location of the temporary office. Instead, a press release directed customers to call and make an appointment.
Hoptown Chronicle received several calls this summer from individuals looking for assistance because they had trouble setting up an appointment. Others wanted to know if they couldn’t just go to the temporary site and wait for an appointment.
The Hopkinsville office, which opened in 2022, is one of 33 regional sites created as part of a major overhaul of the state’s licensing system. These replaced offices that had been in every county and were run by local circuit court clerks.
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. Brown was a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era, where she worked for 30 years. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board past president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition. She serves on the Hopkinsville History Foundation's board.
